Offering growers high performance and environmentally sustainable products all under one umbrella
12th April 2021
In recent years, ICL UK (formerly Cleveland Potash) has successfully expanded its product offering from traditional potash and phosphate fertilisers to produce and launch a range of ICL FertilizerpluS products that include; Granular Polysulphate, ICL-PotashpluS and ICL-PKpluS into the UK market. This range of products is all based around the inclusion of Polysulphate (polyhalite) which is a multi-nutrient sulphate fertiliser produced exclusively in the UK at Boulby Mine in the North Yorkshire Moors.
Polysulphate, providing essential nutrients to boost crop yield and quality
With a sulphur content of 48% SO3, Polysulphate is a multi-nutrient sulphate fertiliser mined and produced exclusively by ICL. As well as sulphur, Polysulphate contains potassium (14% K2O), magnesium (6% MgO) and Calcium (17% CaO) all in a single product. It can be used as a straight applied fertiliser, primarily as a sulphur source, or it can be incorporated into blends too.
The importance of Sulphur
UK laboratories have been recording soil analysis data for the last 25 years and data indicates that up to 90% of UK soils are now deficient in sulphur. The main reason for the decline is the absence of sulphur deposition from the air. It is estimated that UK soils receive as little as 1-2 kg/ha of SO3 from the atmosphere now, compared with 130-140 kg/ha before clean air legislation. And so, the need for sulphur inputs from fertilisers is now essential.
Among its many functions sulphur is required for the formation of chlorophyll and photosynthesis. It is also critical for the formation of certain amino acids and so is essential for all proteins and oils. A deficiency of sulphur can limit the yield of a crop and particularly reduce its quality.
In terms of quantity used, sulphur is now third after nitrogen and potassium. Having been freely available from the air it used to be described as the forgotten nutrient, but no longer. Every good nutrient management plan must address the need for sulphur. Like nitrate, sulphate is mobile in the soil and similar care has been required in the timing of applications. However, new sulphate fertiliser products are now available in the market which behave differently in the soil.
A key benefit of these ICL FertilizerpluS products is their prolonged nutrient release characteristic. This makes the sulphate less liable to loss by leaching than the usual forms, due to the inclusion of Polysulphate. As a result of its prolonged nutrient release pattern, the crop can benefit from a more efficient and better recovery of these nutrients during growth. The release pattern of the nutrients from Polysulphate closely matches the uptake pattern of crops.
Readily available sulphur and potassium are essential for the efficient use of nitrogen and a spring application of these nutrients is clearly beneficial. Trials done by ICL in the UK have also shown that an application of some sulphur in the autumn using products containing Polysulphate can be beneficial as well. This ensures a balanced nutrient availability to facilitate nitrogen uptake by autumn crops with minimum overwinter loss.
FertilizerpluS products also contain magnesium and calcium, which help with root development and establishment of winter crops. This has resulted in improved yields and quality at harvest. Applications used together with autumn phosphate have been particularly beneficial in trials.
ICL FertilizerpluS Products:
Located in the North York Moors at Boulby, ICL UK is the first and only mine in the world to produce polyhalite, a naturally occurring multi-nutrient fertiliser marketed as Polysulphate.
Granular Polysulphate is ICL’s primary product. Although it is predominantly a sulphur fertiliser containing 48% SO3 in a sulphate form, it also contains 14% K2O, 6% MgO and 16% CaO.
ICL-PotashpluS is also produced in the UK. It is a 50/50 mix of fine grade potash and Polysulphate compacted together into a single granule having an analysis of 37% K2O, 23% SO3, 3% MgO and 8% CaO. It is the ideal product to deliver all potassium and sulphur needs in one application.
ICL also produce and sell a range of granulated PK fertilisers under the brand of ICL-PKpluS.
By choosing ICL FertilizerpluS products, you can expect many benefits such as improved yields, better quality of proteins and oils and increased nitrogen use efficiency, all while achieving a low carbon footprint. For more details of ICL product and trials using these products please visit www.polysulphate.com.
About ICL
ICL Group is global specialty minerals and specialty chemicals company and is one of the world’s largest fertilizer companies. ICL’s Innovative Ag Solutions (IAS) provide farmers, growers and manufacturers on five continents a wide range of high-performance plant nutrition solutions: potash, polysulphate, phosphoric fertilisers, phosphoric acid, specialty fertilizers, and tailor-made compound fertilisers. Our products contain essential plant nutrients which are critical inputs that farmers need to increase their yields and improve the quality of their crops.
As a global company, ICL plays a vital part in ensuring global food security and safety in a sustainable way, offering high-performance fertilisers with a low environmental impact. A prime example of this is Polysulphate, a new natural product, organically approved, a high-quality fertiliser with a low environmental footprint both in production and in practice.
