Custom Blending with Guano Gold

Guano Gold has many roles in the farming system due to its ability to blend with other fertiliser products. Read on to find out about some of the most common blends used for both conventional and organic growers.

In previous articles we have discussed at length the benefits that Guano Sea Bird fertiliser has to offer the organic and conventional farmer. The citric soluble phosphate that drip feeds the plants with phosphorus while still providing enough starter P for most crops and pasture.

We investigated the benefit of elemental sulphur and calcium in the farming system. We also took a broad look at silica; a much under used beneficial element for both assisting the plant overcome stress as well as its function in the soil to buff iron and aluminium and allow phosphorus to stay plant available longer.

The Guano Gold® high C.E.C (Cation exchange capacity) and the organic carbon content as well as the fungi that colonies the Guano Gold granule where mentioned. What we need to look at now is the mutual beneficial advantages of blending Guano Gold with other fertilisers.

In Australian farming systems, the three most common used blends of fertiliser used with Guano Gold; conventional systems are single super, sulphate of ammonia and KMS and/or Muriate of potash.

With single super the 50/50 blend creates a real “split phosphorus” as well as maintaining calcium level. In respect to sulphur the blend gives a 50/50 amount of acidic and elemental sulphur as well as 10% soluble silica.

By splitting the phosphorus we are referring to, the blend would contain 4.5% water soluble P and 6% citric soluble P. When this mix of P is combined with the 10% silica in the blend the phosphorus released has the best chance of being utilised by the plant for the whole growing season.

The 50/50 blend with sulphate ammonia gives 10% nitrogen while maintaining 6% P, sulphate and elemental sulphur at 16% plus calcium and silica. This makes it ideal as a starter for non-legume crops. The third blend normally includes 20 to 30% kms or Muriate of potash to give available potassium in crops this is required. Apart from the blends mentioned other blends include added boron, zinc, sulphate of potash and DAP or MAP.

In organic blending the product is most commonly mixed with KMS a potassium, sulphur and magnesium certified granular that adds potassium for horticultural crops plus being used in highly productive pasture and cropping. The Guano Gold is also blended with granulated gypsums or chicken pellets for ground spreading.

Custom fertilizer blending with seabird guano fertiliser is common practice within Australian farming.

Overall the Guano Gold product has many rolls in the farming system either as a straight product or in custom made blends, it is this versatility whether it be in organic, sustainable or conventional farmers to use Guano Gold in direct drilling, minimum tillage, full tillage, bed forming or in broadcasting to gain the full benefit of citric soluble phosphate, silica, calcium and sulphur.

Robert Drewitt, BcSc(Ag) | Agronomist
Agronomy Services Australasia Pty Ltd

October 2019
© 2019 Guano Australia Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Custom Blending with Guano Gold

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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY