SunBoost
Nitrogen
applied to the soil is taken up mostly as nitrate N since the soil bacteria
convert urea N to nitrate. In order to incorporate this into protein the NO3
has to be reduced to NH2.
Nitrogen
applied as a foliar urea spray is largely absorbed in the NH2 form
and is thus more readily incorporated into protein.
Sunboost
is urea solution stabilised with calcium chloride. Standard urea solutions lose
N in the ammonium form, this occurs even under cooler conditions in the morning
or evening but is greater at higher temperatures. By reducing this loss the
plant is able to utilise the N in Sunburst more efficiently thus reducing the
rate required.
Calcium
is essential to increase cell wall strength in all crops. This makes plants
more resistant to attack by both pests and diseases, including problem diseases
such as Fusarium.
Calcium
applied to the crop at grain fill also helps to redirect the products of
photosynthesis into the grain
Application
of Ca to the crop increases the plants uptake of N
Chloride
has been shown to increase kernel growth during the grain fill period and to
increase kernel weight.
Flag
leaf senescence, powdery mildew and rust were all suppressed by application of
chloride fertiliser
Common spec for milling wheat is 13% protein/250
hagberg/76kg/hl.
Last year the premium for milling wheat over feed
wheat was 26%
New varieties and strobilurin fungicides have
helped yields to increase year on year
BUT the
amount of Nitrogen applied to wheat has remained static for last 10 years
despite this.
Although
yield plateau€™s as N increases, protein continues to increase
If N
levels are not increased farmers will find it increasingly difficult to achieve
required protein.
55% of England, 13% of Scotland and 3% of Wales
are designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones- most of arable area
Farmers in NVZ€™s must be able to justify the
nitrogen they use
Foliar applications of nitrogen are more
efficient at raising protein than granular N
N applied at the optimum time for foliar
application (GS 71-75) does improve loaf score
However late applications of urea are less
efficient than early applications and may leave residues which will cause
problems in watercourses etc. The higher the rate of N applied at this time the
greater the potential problem.
Application of stabilised N as Sunboost reduces the amount of N the
farmer needs to apply to get the required result from 200l/ha to 50l/ha.
Sunboost is less subject to volatilisation than standard urea
Sunboost is less scorching than standard urea
After anthesis N uptake by roots ceases and most of the N required for
grain growth is translocated from vegetative parts. Leaf proteins may be
hydrolysed resulting in decreases in the amount and activity of photosynthesis
Application of calcium apparently causes foliar metabolites to be
re-directed to the grain.
The addition of calcium with
nitrogen results in increased N absorption, grain yield, and grain weight per
unit of dry matter
Calcium applied with nitrogen increases nitrogen use efficiency by more
rapid absorption, greater metabolite deposition in seeds and possibly increases
in photosynthesis
Adding calcium to cereals appears to improve the ability of the plant to
move metabolites out of the flag leaf and into grain
Foliar applied urea and calcium increase the plants resistance to disease