Understanding the Benefits of Citric Soluble Phosphorus | Guano Australia

Guano Australia offers a comprehensive range of Phosphorus fertilisers so you can make the right choice for your property. Contact our team to learn more.

Citric Soluble Phosphorus Versus Water Soluble Phosphorus

Farmers who are committed to improving soil health and maximising crop yields can really benefit from an effective Phosphorus strategy. Whilst finding and using a Phosphorus fertiliser may seem simple, it really pays to understand the process in more depth.

Here, the Guano Australia team explores the differences between fast and slow release Phosphorus and the choices which can really benefit your soil.

The 3 Types of Phosphorus Fertiliser

Phosphorus fertiliser falls into three main categories: water soluble, citric soluble, and organic. Water soluble being for example Single Super Phosphate or DAP, citric being Guano Gold, and Rock Phosphates and organic being manures and compost.

All these types of Phosphorus have their place in the farming system. The key is knowing their benefits and the right time and place to use each one. Simply put, its all based around the speed of release and any potentially Phosphorus-hostile elements of your soil.

Soil Types and Citric Components

In soil that is hostile or has a higher Phosphorus buffering (PBI) index, water soluble Phosphorus would not be an effective choice. With Guano Gold® and rock-based phosphates, it comes down to the citric and non-citric components.

Providing a higher citric soluble level will give a drip feed of Phosphorus, but still enough to get your crop started. So, this choice is versatile in the sense that it offers both a quick and slow release source of Phosphorus.

How Phosphorus Release Benefits Soil Health

The above graph has been created to give a visual indication of how the Phosphorus (P) in the Madura Guano Gold® product is released into the soil medium. A laboratory experiment was conducted by SWEP to try and replicate the way, over time, the soil around the plant’s root zone changes due to growth of the plant and exudates secreted by the plant roots.

The first reading of 40% is the amount of P released instantly once Guano Gold-Kwik Start® is exposed to a 2% citric soluble solution. This equates to 5.5kg per 10kg of P private. The citric soluble solution was then increased by 0.5% gradients. This increase is an indicator to the time that P becomes available after sowing or top dressing. The time would be influenced by soil temperature, type of crop and other soil chemistry, however the graph gives a fair indication of the P release, so it can be used as a tool by farmers and agronomists to predict release of Phosphorus.

In individual farming situations, overall the graph indicates 80% of the applied P is released over the crop cycle with 40% of that being quick and the remaining P as shown by the graph constantly drip feeding into the soil.

Taking this information and applying to a cropping program if 10kg of P is required per hectare for a crop then 90kg of Madura Guano Gold-Kwik Start® would supply this amount of P and provide 2.5 kg/hectare of carryover residual P into the next crop.

The Soluble Phosphorus Fertiliser That’s Right For You

Both citric soluble Phosphorus and water-soluble Phosphorus offer a range of unique benefits for Australian farmers. To find a comprehensive selection of products, backed by a team of industry experts, shop with Guano Australia.

Explore our Madura Guano Sulphur Gold® and Guano Gold-Kwik Start® product range to find the fertiliser that’s perfect for your property.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

Being so far away from our markets, durability is critical and the Silica is really good in terms of hardening up the skin and making the melons better to transport.Ord River WA irrigator David Menzel-Barradale

The problem with many organic fertilisers is that they have very low rates of nutrients, meaning you need to put out high rates. A product like Guano Gold has 12pc P, whereas Guano Sulphur Gold has 10.5pc P, obviously with additional sulphur. These figures compare very favourably with something like a single superphosphate product. Agronomically, it’s a good product in any setting, not just for organic producers.Garry Allison, Landmark Agronomist. Mount Gambier, SA

For the broadacre croppers, Guano Gold works really well in paddocks where they have had issues with nutrient tie-up. He said the majority of synthetic P products have large rates of water soluble P. The problem with that is that you can have instances where it ends up tying up zinc in the soil so you run into problems with zinc deficiencies. Not only does the slow release nature of the Guano Gold product work well over the entire season, it also contains zinc for the crop as well as the other nutrients.Moree agronomist Rob Drewitt

We strongly recommend the Guano Gold products to fellow farmers if they are looking at improving their Calcium and Silica levels using various methods of application such as foliar and granular.James and Aimee Thomas Falkirk Macadamia Farm

I have recommended Guano Gold products for 20 years and in all cases had excellent long-term results increasing in pasture productivity.Paul Baguely - PB Ag Consulting

They are high analysis products so you get your nutrients without having to put too much fertiliser out.Anthony Beutel, Googa Farm Organics

We have known since the 1930s that phosphorus is one of the main elements required to grow a successful crop of not just the (flax) plant but the seed. It was one of those products that was first out in a granular type form and it was so much easier to get an even coverage over the ground, rather than a powder form. Later on the product became a little more refined, so we could put it through our air-seeder. We also broadcast some of it, prior to seeding, when we are cultivating ground. The products have great characteristics in relation to phosphate and silica, which is exactly what we need for flax.Waltanna Farms flax-seed farmer & Ambassador for Guano Australia, Michael Nagorcka