cropzeal DAP boron boost is a high-quality compound fertiliser imported into New Zealand by Ballance. Designed to meet the needs of a wide range of crops, cropzeal DAP boron boost is particularly suited for use in the forage brassica market, as it has been formulated to deliver the three nutrients most important for a high-yielding, healthy brassica crop - nitrogen, phosphorus and boron.
The trace element boron is essential for healthy crop development, and is especially important for brassica crops. Boron is involved in carbohydrate, starch and sugar metabolism and is also vital for the production of nucleic acids. In brassicas, particularly turnips and swedes, boron deficiency results in brown heart, a disease that causes the bulb to rot and the stem to become hollow. These effects are shown below.
No segregation
cropzeal DAP boron boost is a compound fertiliser, which means that every granule contains the same ratio of every nutrient listed in the table below. This means that every plant receives a similar spectrum and concentration of nutrients. There are no segregation issues, something that can be a problem when blends are used.
|
cropzeal DAP boron boost |
|
| Nitrogen | 16.5% |
| Phosphorus | 19.5% |
| Sulphur | 1.0% |
| Boron | 0.7% |
| Particle size range | 2-4 mm (93%) |
| Bulk density (loose) | 1.05 kg/litre |
| Granular strength | > 5 kg (high) |
| Granular degradation |
0.1% (low) |
Soluble phosphorus
The phosphorus in cropzeal DAP boron boost is in a highly soluble form, which means that crops can benefit from this nutrient straight away, which in turn helps promote strong, healthy crop establishment.
Readily available nitrogen
The nitrogen in cropzeal DAP boron boost is supplied in the ammonium form. Ammonium can be taken up by plants, but it can also be converted to nitrate by soil micro-organisms, and the nitrate used by plants. This means that there is a sustained supply of nitrogen to the developing crop. Ammonium also has the advantage of being relatively resistant to loss by leaching.
Better distribution
When used in starter fertilisers, boron has typically been blended with products such as DAP; however, using cropzeal DAP boron boost greatly improves the distribution of boron compared to the traditional approach. This is because of the compound formulation of the granule, which means that every granule of cropzeal DAP boron boost provides a small amount of boron, and there is no risk of uneven application of this essential trace element.
The illustrations above show how the distribution of boron varies between cropzeal DAP boron boost (shown on the right) and DAP blended with granular boron (shown on the left). More even distribution of boron results in improved plant uptake, as shown in the graph below. This data - from a Plant & Food Research trial (2010) shows that when the same rate of boron is applied, brassica foliage boron is greatest when cropzeal DAP boron boost is used, compared to a blend of DAP and granular boron.
Plant & Food Research trial work (2010) has shown that the risk of seed burn with cropzeal DAP boron boost is no different to that of standard DAP. Therefore, we recommend that cropzeal DAP boron boost not be sown in direct contact with the seed.
In most cases, the recommended application rates for cropzeal DAP boron boost will be sufficient to meet boron needs. However, if deficiencies are severe, additional boron can be blended with the product. Talk to your Ballance Technical Sales Representative for further advice.
Due to the risk of seed burn, cropzeal DAP boron boost should not be sown in direct contact with the seed.
| cropzeal DAP boron boost application rate (kg/ha) | Rate of nutrient applied (kg/ha) | ||||
| N | P | K | S | B | |
| 100 | 16.5 | 19.5 | - | 1.0 | 0.750 |
| 150 | 24.0 | 29.0 | - | 1.5 | 1.125 |
| 200 | 33.0 | 39.0 | - | 2.0 | 1.500 |
| 250 | 41.0 | 48.0 | - | 2.5 | 1.875 |
| 300 | 49.5 | 58.5 | - | 3.0 | 2.250 |
