Minerals

The phosphate rock deposit contains a rich source of many other essential macro and micro minerals which contribute greatly to the product's efficacy. There are many nutrients, which are needed by plants for effective growth. They all have a particular role in plant growth and food production and need to be present in a balanced ratios with other nutrients in order to work properly.

The Tarcowie phosphate rock comes from an ancient mineral deposit formed 500-600 million years ago during the Cambrian period. It contains over 60 different minerals including three types of Phosphate minerals: Apatite, Crandallite and Perhamite providing a wide range of water and citric soluble phosphate and a host of other useful elements such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Silica plus a broad spectrum of essential trace elements including Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Cobalt, Boron, Iron and Nickel.

The wide range of minerals present are indicated by the varying colours in the rock. The naturally occurring range of minerals in the product contribute to it’s efficacy.

For centuries Phosphorous has been identified as an essential nutrient for photosynthesis and metabolism. Both of these processes are vital for plant growth. Australian soils are generally deficient in Phosphorous, as has been recognised for years and over recent decades it has become evident to the wider public that there are many other essential elements that are required also.

This has been known by a small portion of scientists since the early 1900’s when a scientist by the name of Dr William Albrecht separated soil to it’s absolute base and reconstructed it, using different combinations of nutrients to ascertain which combination was ideal for growing plants.

The end result of this research, together with advocates that have continued his work, have proved that there is quite a broad spectrum of nutrients that are actually required by plants for optimal growth and production, not just the renown nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (N:P:K). These soil scientists continue to express their findings that high numbers of individual nutrients don’t always mean the best results.

The variety of nutrients are required for particular purposes and all have a particular role in plant growth. They all need to be in certain proportions and work in balance with other nutrients to achieve optimal growth and performance and also resistance to infection, climatic conditions and insect attack. A table of the nutrients in fecondo, the amounts in the product and their roles are listed below.

Nutrients in the rock and their role in plant growth and development

Nutrient	Amount	Role	Relationship
Phosphate	8%	Required for the use of all other nutrients via thechemical reactions of photosynthesis & metabolism	P:K 2:1
Calcium	3.5%	Controls transfer in and out of cells for all nutrients therefore inducing growth rate. It is a large component of all cell walls and also detoxifies.	Ca:M 5:1
Manganese	3.5%	The seed nutrient. Critical for germination, seedling establishment, seed set and seed fill. Accelerates maturity and improves reproduction.	Copper
Iron	3.5%	Converts energy from sun for chlorophyll production and photosynthesis determines leaf thickness and nutrient flow via leaves. (foliar fertilizing)
Silica	50%	Plant strength (thickness) & shape, increases resistance to frost damage, improves uptake of P & Zn, binds with heavy metals to render inactive. Regulates transpiration, reducing moisture loss increasing drought resistance.	Carbon, K, Ca
Potassium	.29%	Thickness of stalk & leaves, fruit set and fill with Phosphorous, Silica and Manganese. Excess tries to replace calcium, sacrificing cell nutrition.	P:K 2:1
Carbon	1.5%	Soil sponge. Holds moisture and nutrients. 1 part Carbon holds 4 parts Water.
Zinc	.54%	Essential component of protein forming enzymes. Prevents root rot.	Copper
Copper	.012%	Essential component of proteins, microbe food especially mould control.	Zinc, Iron, Mn
Cobalt	.06%	Seed coat formation and protection & nitrogen fixation.
Boron	.009%	Important component of cell walls, fills hollow stems.
Nickel	.0118%	Critical for manufacture of the enzyme ‘urease’ essential for utilization of any artificial N source.
Sulphur	.06%	Component of proteins and plant oils, assists metabolism with vitamins
Magnesium	.14%	Nitrogen regulator. Excess leads to instable N and soil compaction	Ca:M 5:1

Plant ability to use nutrients

The Australian climate and European agricultural and horticultural practices have made it very difficult for the plants we grow to utilise nutrients. A grower may be fertilizing regularly and the soil may contain certain nutrients as well but the plants can’t always use them.

Nutrients vary in their ability to change form, which is known as their reactivity. This depends on the way the minerals are structured. If they can change form more easily then they are going to be more usable to the plants.

Rock minerals and other natural phosphorous sources may have poor reactivity and this could be one reason why growers may have been unsuccessful with some natural phosphate fertilisers. The phosphorous existing in the Tarcowie phosphate deposit has proven itself to be significantly reactive using a reliable age-old testing method of diluted nitric acid and ammonium molybdate.

Below is a photo of the phosphate reactivity yellow test.

In order for any nutrients to be used by plants they must be dissolved or solubilised. Over the past century for phosphorous fertilisers this has mainly been done using inorganic acids such as sulphuric acid to make the nutrient available. Although this provides a large amount of Phosphorous at once, it can tie up with other nutrients quite rapidly and become unavailable again. The sulphuric acid can be detrimental to the microbiological life in the soil which performs many roles including making all rock nutrients available in the soil naturally.

It is acknowledged that microbes which exist in the soil, naturally create gentle organic acids which dissolve and hold nutrients in a steady, consistent and ongoing manner. These acids contain carbon and are part of many natural processes occurring in the earth and to living things.

“ The mobility and availability of nutrients such as Phosphate depends on the microbiology in the soil.” Dr Arden Anderson ‘Science in Agriculture’.

Most of the nutrients in fecondo are those derived from rock sources. The use of microbes with the rock product provides and effective means of supplying available nutrients in a natural and sustainable way.

Calcium is a key nutrient as it is a component of all cell walls. It is required more than any other nutrient by plants. Some soils have natural amount of lime and hence enough calcium but many Australian clay soils lack adequate calcium which leads to compaction and stickyness.

Although fecondo does have some calcium content, The Tarcowie Phosphate Company recommends the use of lime (calcium carbonate) or gypsum (calcium sulphate) on soils that have less than 60% base saturation of calcium. Again the need for microbes to make the nutrients plant available is a key ingredient.

Silica has been a forgotten nutrient in agriculture due to it’s general occurrence in the soil however deficiency problems have arisen because of the inability of plants to use it. Silica has been recognized as having major importance to plants in strength & shape, increase resistance to frost damage, it can improve uptake of Phosphorous and Zinc and bind with heavy metals to render them inactive. It regulates transpiration which can reduce moisture loss and increase drought resistance. It helps in the prevention of disease like rust also. fecondo has generous amounts of silica and the means to make it plant available via the microbes.

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