SunBoost in Scotland
The restrictions on levels of
applied N in Scotland are limiting the ability of growers to maintain high
yields and quality of crops.
Application of Sunboost can help
farmers to utilise their nitrogen budget more efficiently as the stabilisation
allows reduced rates of N to replace
standard dressings, eg on wheat growers apply 50l/ha (11kg N) in place of
200l/ha ( 44kg N)
Sunboost is urea solution
stabilised with calcium. 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 applied with nitrogen increases nitrogen use efficiency by more
rapid absorption, greater metabolite deposition in seeds and possibly increases
in photosynthesis in crops.
Calcium applied to the crop at
grain fill also helps to redirect the products of photosynthesis into the grain
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.
Increasing nitrogen supply to
potatoes enhances both shoot and root growth, but usually the shoot growth more
than the root growth, leading to a fall in root/shoot dry weight. However roots
do become more branched and the surface area increases so the capacity for
water and nutrient uptake is less affected. The effect of increasing root
surface area is more distinct if the source of N is ammonium rather than as
nitrate
Chloride has been shown to
increase kernel growth during the grain fill period and to increase kernel
weight
By strengthening cell walls
Calcium reduces levels of transpiration, combined with chloride which helps
cells to hold water the resistance of the plant to drought is increased
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 can be applied as a
nitrogen source to any crop.