What is a chelated form of fertilizer? Chelated fertilizers, types and application of microfertilizers in chelated form Phosphorus fertilizers in chelated form.

Chelates are called organic compounds that affect all living organisms in the soil. And metals enter living organisms in the chelated form. The benefits of chelates are clear. Firstly, plants assimilate without much difficulty, because chelates do not react with the soil and do not bind to it. Therefore, chelated fertilizers are absorbed by plants by 90%, and not by 30%-40%, as is usually the case when applying conventional fertilizers.

Metal ions remain in a soluble state until they enter the plants due to the chelating agent.

Now it is especially important to provide plants with good nutrition, because in recent years the area under cultivation of legumes and green manure crops has been decreasing at the speed of light, and the fertility of the soil and its humus content has come to naught.

Particularly acute is the issue of mobile forms of elements, as well as elements-antagonists. As you know, phosphate fertilizers in high doses can reduce the absorption of zinc, potash and calcium fertilizers are not "friends" with boron, and nitrogen enters into a counter-reaction with copper and molybdenum.

And it is chelated fertilizers that allow plants to receive good nutrition and all micro and macro elements, on which their vital activity directly depends.

Trace elements are called the elements of life when it comes to plants. The main trace elements needed by the plant are iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, molybdenum and cobalt. And all of them are contained in chelated micronutrients for plants. At the same time, you will not be able to replace trace elements with anything, even the best mineral fertilizers. But with each harvest of the next crop, their number in the soil only decreases. Therefore, top dressing with chelated fertilizers is not a luxury, but a vital necessity.

If you do not do this, all vital processes in the plant will slow down dramatically. At a minimum, the synchronism of their flow will suffer. At best, you will experience a decrease in yield, and at worst, the death of plants.

How to use microfertilizers correctly and as efficiently as possible?

Start with pre-sowing seed treatment. You will give them the energy necessary for full and rapid germination. In addition, field germination is improved and a significant increase in resistance to diseases and environmental stressors is observed.

The second treatment is carried out in the form of foliar top dressing. Its advantage lies in the fact that microelements are assimilated by at least 80% -90%, while when fertilizing the soil, this figure is no more than 30%. If chelated fertilizers are applied as foliar top dressing during the growing season, when drops fall on the leaf surface, they penetrate into the tissues and enter into a number of biochemical reactions responsible for metabolic processes in the plant.

And finally, drip irrigation. In his process, microfertilizers are applied through drip irrigation systems. It is especially effective when applied to vegetables and fruits due to the delivery of trace elements to the root system of plants. Moreover, the composition of chelate fertilizers is thought out in such a way that the balance of its composition fully meets the needs of specific plants.

Molybdenum fertilizers
Soil nutrition of vegetable plants - the main macro and microelements
Microfertilizers: types and methods of application

Of course, you may wonder if the plant really needs repeated application of chelated fertilizers? And whether one application will be enough for plants. The fact is that the plant needs trace elements throughout the entire development cycle, starting from the moment of germination of planting material.

By the way, when using chelated fertilizers for plants for the purpose of preplant seed treatment, you can use a smaller amount of protectant. After all, some trace elements are characterized by fungicidal properties. In addition, with the help of chelated microfertilizers, the penetration of the protectant into plant tissues is significantly enhanced.

In most cases, chelated fertilizers for plants are perfectly combined with other preparations, including insecticides, but it is still worth checking the preparations for compatibility before mixing them.

Naturally, chelated fertilizers, as well as conventional ones, are more convenient to purchase immediately in liquid form. This will free you from the need to spend time preparing a working solution, and it is much easier to measure the right amount of the drug in liquid form.

And do not console yourself with hopes that microfertilizers can be fully replaced by macrofertilizers. Each nutrient has its own function that nothing can perform for it. It is optimal to combine the introduction of micro and macro elements at the same time. Moreover, at the expense of trace elements, the digestibility of essential nutrients is significantly increased.

Material prepared by: Yuri Zelikovich, teacher of the Department of Geoecology and Nature Management

Iron chelate is a modern highly effective microfertilizer. Its action is specific, i.e. iron chelate contains only one microelement, but it is very important - ions of 2-valent iron Fe (II). Chelated iron treatment allows:

Quickly and without fear of an overdose, treat non-infectious chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves), even in a very advanced form. Plants, seemingly already dead, literally turn green again in the morning.
Carry out preventive measures against chlorosis and the most inexperienced gardeners, see below.
Without fear of overfeeding with the main nutrients, intensify plant photosynthesis in unfavorable cultivation conditions - poor soil, lack or excess of light, cold, heat, dryness.

The micro-fertilizer with iron chelate is especially effective in combination with boron for such demanding and highly depleting crops as strawberries, radishes, etc. In this case, the reclamation of the soil after them is also simplified. Strawberries regularly treated with iron chelate together with boric acid, for example, give stable yields on the same plot for up to 8 years in a row (!). Who knows that marketable and just good strawberries need to be rejuvenated and transplanted to another place for 3-4 years after planting, it’s unlikely to be so easy to believe, but try it, at least on a dozen bushes to start with. How iron chelate is used for strawberries along with boron, see the video below:

Video: using iron and boron chelate for a good strawberry harvest

And why?

Iron chelate is especially good in small areas, 6-40 acres. Here, in capable hands, it can be a truly miraculous remedy. Why is that? What is this panacea?

Iron chelate for plants is an ideal supplier of Fe(II) necessary for the synthesis of chlorophyll. In fact, iron in the soil is always in abundance, or even in excess, but - 3-valent Fe (III), which forms the well-known hydroxide - rust. Fe(III) is of little use to plants and can even be harmful; Fe(II) is needed to produce chlorophyll. This is explained by the fact that iron ions Fe++ are much more active and migrate faster in plants. But 2-valent iron very readily turns into 3-valent iron, especially in the presence of oxygen and hydroxyl ions OH–. In the chelate form, Fe(II) can, in principle, exist indefinitely; really - until the chelate complex itself disintegrates, see below. And what is especially important for crop production, under natural conditions, chelates decompose approximately at the rate of Fe(II) assimilation by plants. That is, the iron chelate feeds the plants with Fe(II) just in moderation, “according to their appetite”. This is a common property of all chelated fertilizers, see also at the end.

Note: the disintegrated chelate complex does not give ballast, tk. in its composition, in addition to iron - carbon, oxygen, hydrogen; sometimes nitrogen. The decay products of the chelate shell are carbon dioxide and water, which are by no means harmful to plants and do not clog the soil.

What are chelates

Chelated iron is an Fe++ ion “packed” into a ligand shell of weak organic acid residues, on the left in Fig. For Fe++ chelation, citric acid is predominantly used. There is no covalent bond between Fe++ and ligand elements, so the iron ion in the chelate cell retains its valency until the ligant disintegrates: the chelate shell does not allow negative ions and active molecules to reach it, which can convert iron into the Fe+++ form. But the positive charge of Fe++ is enough to neutralize the weak acidic properties of the ligand, so it is difficult to achieve a chemical burn of plants with an overdose of chelates: you need to literally pour the plants with a working solution. Then the negatively charged residues of the decomposing ligands will have time to burn the plants before they decompose completely, but if the processing conditions (see below) are observed, this is impossible.

Forms of release and workers

In the form of a powder and in other pure solid forms, iron chelate is unstable in air and light; therefore, it goes on sale either in the form of tablets with binders and stabilizers, or in vials with a concentrated mother liquor, in the center in Fig. Both can be stored in their original packaging for up to a year. Opening the package does not reduce the shelf life if it was immediately corked after taking the portion. The iron chelate stock solution (which you can make yourself, see below) is a dark brown liquid (on the right in the figure); worker - light brown or orange. The mother liquor in a covered (not hermetically sealed) or incompletely filled large container, for example, a plastic bottle, is stored for 2 weeks; working solution should be used immediately.

Chelate or sulfate?

An alternative supplier of Fe(II) to plants is iron(II) sulfate FeSO4. Its advantage is considered cheap, but in reality it is not:

Iron (II) sulfate is often confused by ignorant buyers (and sellers) with ferrous sulfate (III) (Fe) 2 (SO4) 3 - ferrous sulfate. It is iron (III) sulfate that is several times cheaper than chelate, but it is also much less useful for plants than danger: during the decay (very slow) of (Fe)2(SO4)3 ions, Fe ++ is formed in an insignificant amount, even by the standards for microfertilizers, and highly active SO4 ++ ions are very capable of harming plants. As for FeSO4, it is much more expensive than iron (III) sulfate;
The rate of release of Fe++ during the decomposition of FeSO4 does not correspond to the rate of assimilation of 2-valent iron by plants, therefore, most of the active substance from FeSO4 is lost;
FeSO4 as a fertilizer gives a lot of sulfur ballast - much more than sulfur is needed for plants, therefore, with an increase in the dose of iron (II) sulfate as a fertilizer, plants are poisoned with sulfur, and in combination with item 1, a chemical burn also occurs;
Iron (II) sulfate, unlike iron chelate for plant nutrition, is ineffective on poor soils, in summer and in difficult weather conditions.

In the end, it turns out that, if converted to the amount of active substance absorbed by plants, then when manually processing small areas, iron chelate turns out to be cheaper iron(II) sulfate. Especially if a homemade working solution is used, see below. The only possible exception is the treatment of an adult who has reached a stable fruiting garden with an area of 10-12 acres by an experienced gardener who knows how to spray tree crowns in hot weather. Processing gardens up to 12 acres and greenhouse crops with iron chelate is definitely more profitable than with iron (II) sulfate.

Application

The use of iron chelate in horticulture and horticulture is not difficult due to its low danger to plants. and is carried out simply according to the schedule: vegetables are sprayed with a 0.5% solution (5 g per 10 liters of water) at the rate of 1 liter per 10 square meters. m of green area in the phase of 3-4 true leaves and after 2 weeks or, for flowering during the growing season, at the very beginning of budding. Fruit trees are watered with the same solution, 2 liters per 1 sq. m of the near-stem circle at the beginning of leaf blooming and also at the beginning of budding, because. arboreal canopy treatment with iron chelate is less effective due to their different physiology compared to herbaceous ones. Emergency treatment for the treatment of vegetable and fruit chlorosis is carried out by spraying with a 1% solution at a double rate.

Note: other dosages can be found in the instructions for use of tableted and liquid branded iron chelate. This is explained by the presence of ballast substances in tablets or a solvent. If converted to the active substance, the concentration will be the same.

Iron chelate is a substance of the 3rd hazard class for people, so they need to be processed using PPE. The rules for spraying and top dressing under the roots are common for micronutrient fertilizers:

Spraying and watering are done in the evening; preferably in warm cloudy weather.
The sprayer should give a misty drizzle without clearly visible splashes.
The processing of the next section is stopped when the smallest dew settles on the leaves; the appearance of rolling drops is unacceptable.
Fertilizing watering with iron chelate is carried out on well-moistened soil in advance.

Do-it-yourself iron chelate

You can prepare a working solution of iron chelate yourself from cheap iron sulfate. In this case, the circumstance is used that during the dissociation of ferrous sulfate in an aqueous solution, Fe ++ ions are partially formed, which are immediately captured by the chelating agent; it is not greedy for Fe+++ ions. The working solution is as effective as from purchased reagents, but contains quite a lot of ballast, so it must be processed exactly according to the norm, and it is unsuitable for urgent treatment of chlorosis, but it is quite applicable for preventive top dressing. A home-made working solution of iron chelate is being prepared next. way:

In 2 liters of warm pure water (preferably distilled) dissolve 8 g of ferrous sulfate;
In a separate bowl, 5 g of citric acid is dissolved in the same amount of water;
A solution of ferrous sulfate is poured into a solution of citric acid in a thin stream with stirring;
Also, while stirring, pour in another 1 liter of pure water with a stream.

It turns out 5 liters of a 0.5% solution, which must be used immediately. An indicator of the suitability of the working solution for use is transparency (there should be no sediment and turbidity) and orange color. It is impossible to dilute the finished solution; if you need more, increase the initial amount of water and reagents.

Note: if the plants have signs of copper starvation, copper chelate will help to quickly correct the matter. It is prepared in the same way, the dry component needs 20 copper sulphate and 40 g of ascorbic acid.

More about chelates

More or less experienced growers know that summer top dressing is quite difficult - due to weather conditions, plants are easy to overfeed or burn. Therefore, leading manufacturers of agricultural chemicals for small farms produce special summer fertilizers in chelated forms, see for example. track. video.

Video: about chelated fertilizers

Chelated fertilizers - what they are: These are the same metals that are found in conventional mineral fertilizers, but contain a chelating agent - an organic shell that does not chemically react with the soil.

Such dressings are constantly ready for assimilation by plants. Neither the acidity of the soil nor the ambient temperature change them. Microfertilizers in the chelate form are absorbed by 90% compared to salt ones, the digestibility of which does not exceed 40%.

For garden and indoor crops, several especially important trace elements are distinguished, which take part in the development, growth, flowering and fruiting:

boron, with a lack of which there is a cessation of growth of young leaves and shoots;

molybdenum - with its deficiency, the leaves and inflorescences are deformed and fall off, spots or holes appear on the leaves;

iron - iron deficiency chlorosis is known when the leaves turn pale;

copper - with its deficiency, seeds suffer and lose their germination;

zinc affects the shape of the fruit and the overall growth of the shoots;

manganese - deficiency contributes to the early dropping of foliage, the color of which changes to gray or yellow.

These trace elements are found in chelated form in the soil. This is facilitated by bacteria that process organic matter and earthworms, which pass plant residues through their digestive tract, thereby creating that chelating agent that is a pass into the root system of plants.

Chelating agent - what is it

The chelating agent is nothing but humic acids. Humus is an indicator of soil fertility.

With intensive farming, its amount is reduced to a minimum if organic matter is not introduced, which is a breeding ground for soil bacteria and earthworms. Mineral complex fertilizers do not have such an effect, therefore they only affect the fruiting and appearance of crops.

Humates also contribute to the fact that the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals accumulates in the fruits. This makes fruits, berries and vegetables highly nutritious, unlike those grown on salt fertilizers. Outwardly, they look good, but in terms of nutritional characteristics they are of no value.

Humic acids are used for medical purposes to normalize human metabolism, to restore strength after operations or long periods of rehabilitation. It is impossible to artificially create humates - this is done only with the help of microorganisms and animals living in the soil layer, since their enzymes produce humic acids.

Benefits of Organic Coated Fertilizers

The main advantage of chelated microfertilizers is that fruit and vegetable products are environmentally friendly and absolutely harmless to humans. It is stored for a long time and does not deteriorate during transportation.

In the West, baby food for the smallest is produced from environmentally friendly raw materials - mashed potatoes, cereals. Animals fed with organic food provide healthy milk and meat. Such products cost 2-3 times more.

Due to the fact that chelated fertilizers are completely absorbed, they are applied in small doses, unlike mineral fertilizers, which require more, after which the soil inevitably deteriorates.

Of the shortcomings, only one can be named - the high cost. It is important to understand here that the chelated microfertilizer is five times better in digestibility, but it costs only twice as much, so the price of chelated fertilizers with micronutrients is not so high.

What plants are suitable for

Organo-mineral supplements are used for all types of plants - greenhouse, garden, indoor. Used for pre-sowing seed soaking to speed up germination. Especially useful for young plants.

It is necessary to know for which soil with what acidity top dressings are bought, because the chelating agent is used differently in order to maintain stability in the soil, for example, with high acidity.

Video: Chelated fertilizers - benefits and income

There are the following types of chelates: EDTA, HEDF, DTRA, EDDNA. The instructions indicate for which type of soil this type of fertilizer in chelate form is suitable.

There are one-component microfertilizers with one nutrient element for plants. If the site is constantly deficient in iron, then you need to buy only iron concentrate. For periodic feeding of plants once a season, a complex preparation is suitable.

Quantity and terms of introduction into the soil

How to properly dilute the chelate form of fertilizers is indicated on the package or plastic bottle if the solution is liquid. And you need to make such food in the following cases:

when preparing seeds for germination;

at the stage of transplanting seedlings into open ground to support the plants;

before flowering to form more ovaries;

after treatment with chemicals from the fungus to relieve stress;

during fruit ripening - in this case, the product gains more nutrients and is stored longer.

Widely used preparations for growing ornamental plants for sale. After cutting, the flowers retain their marketable appearance longer.

Examples of top dressings that are available on the market

Names of fertilizers in chelate form, which can be bought in stores: Zeovit, Quantum, Arkop, Reakom, Uniflor, Helatin, Yara Mila Complex, Agrorise Pro, Crystalon, Omex, Ecoline, Activin and many others. In one brand, you can find both single-component and complex varieties of chelates. It is recommended to read the instructions in order to choose the right top dressing for the type of soil.

Recently, more and more often you can hear from friends or see such a phrase as “chelated fertilizers” in printed sources of information. And if this concept is familiar to specialists in the agricultural sector, then beginners in the agricultural sector may not know what it is and what is the purpose of this type of product.

Let's see what the term "chelated fertilizer" means, how the chelated form differs from the non-chelated one, and why, among the variety of fertilizers presented on the Ukrainian market, it is worth giving preference to chelated ones.

Chelated form of fertilizer

The word "chelate" itself has Latin roots and when translated into Russian means nothing more than "claw". This definition best conveys the essence of chelated fertilizers: they are easily absorbed by plants due to the fact that the inorganic substances they contain are in organic molecules. Their walls are formed by coating molecules with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a universal chelating agent.

Any plant perceives the resulting “capsules” with microelements as its own, so they are actively absorbed by a living organism.

An important feature of chelated fertilizers should be noted. On the one hand, the organic shell must be so tightly bound to the inorganic element that the nutrients are protected in it. And at the same time, this connection must be so weak that it does not interfere with the return of nutrients to the plant.

In addition to this specific feature, chelated fertilizers have a number of other characteristics that are inherent in them. Let's consider them on the example of domestic preparations of TM "REAKOM".

Specificity of chelated fertilizers and features of their use

The digestibility of chelated fertilizers is 10 times higher than inorganic salts, which can only be absorbed by 20-30%. So, when they enter the soil, chelates do not bind to each other, but turn into easily soluble compounds, the microelements of which are easily absorbed by the root system of the plant. And with foliar feeding, the chelate in the organic shell easily penetrates through the wax coating of the leaf into the plant and saturates it with nutrients.

Unlike the same mineral salts, which can be toxic, chelated fertilizers are 100% environmentally friendly. You can treat the plants with them in the evening, and the next morning feel free to try the harvest without risk to health.

However, keep in mind that not every chemical element can be chelated. The list of trace elements with this ability includes the following seven: zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and boron (B). Among certified preparations, you will not find phosphorus (F), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in the form of chelates. Therefore, be careful when choosing fertilizers and always study their composition before buying.

The result of using chelated fertilizers

Thanks to the feeding of plants with chelate fertilizers, the processes of their vital activity are normalized and a positive effect is observed in such areas as:

Activation of enzymes and photosynthesis processes.
Increased drought and frost resistance.
Strengthening immunity.
Strengthening the growth and development of plants.
Increasing the yield in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators.

Thus, the use of chelated fertilizers allows you to carefully and effectively take care of the micronutrient nutrition of plants in the process of growing them.

Currently, a large number of fertilizers have appeared on sale, and among this variety, we prefer to choose environmentally friendly, safe, easily soluble and versatile preparations. I, Oktyabrina Ganichkina, want to tell in this article about the type and benefits of mineral microfertilizers.

Why do plants need trace elements?

Micronutrient nutrition is necessary for the normal life of plants and is one of the main sources of nutrition. For plants, 7 basic trace elements are isolated (iron - Fe, manganese - Mn, copper - Cu, zinc - Zn, boron - B, molybdenum - Mo, and cobalt - Co). They are directly involved in all important biochemical processes of the plant:

activate enzymes and photosynthesis processes
increased frost and drought resistance
increased resistance to many diseases
acceleration of plant growth and development
increases productivity
improves the quality of the grown crop.

What is a chelated form of fertilizer and why is it good?

Trace elements can be found in inorganic salts and in an organic chelate complex.

The chelated form of fertilizers is a modern solution for the careful and effective microelement nutrition of plants. Chelates are close to natural substances in their structure, they include, for example, vitamin B12, chlorophyll. Unlike preparations of the previous generation, in the form of inorganic metal salts, chelates have high biological activity and are absorbed by plants 10 times better than salts, and in the soil they turn into easily soluble compounds. Mineral salts, on the contrary, can be toxic and are absorbed by only 20-30%. Chelated trace elements are 100% environmentally friendly and safe and are used in organic cultivation. So after the evening processing of plants in the morning, you can eat the harvested crop.

By repeated studies, preparations of the Intermag Ogorod series of the Oktyabrina Aprelevna trademark have proven their high efficiency as a complete complex of micronutrient nutrition for all types of crops. The Intermag Ogorod microfertilizer line includes a specially selected composition for tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and raspberries, potatoes, root crops, greens, cabbage, bulbous and decorative flower crops.

"Intermag Ogorod" is presented in a convenient concentrated liquid and easily soluble form.

Can trace elements be replaced by other substances?

Classical methods of fertilization cannot make up for the proper amount of micro- and macroelements lost by the soil, necessary for the active and full development of the plant. For example, such a common disease as chlorosis (yellowing of leaves) can be eliminated by replenishing the level of iron. Therefore, it is rational to carry out fertilizing with microfertilizers. To achieve higher qualitative and quantitative indicators of plant growth and yield, the combined use of organomineral and mineral fertilizers is recommended. Therefore, the use of the drug "Intermag Ogorod" with Potassium Humate "Prompter" will ensure the maximum effect of the crop.

What methods of using microfertilizers are the most effective?

Macro- and micronutrient nutrition is necessary for plants from the very beginning of seed germination and throughout the entire vegetative development. Treatment of seeds and seedlings with organomineral fertilizer Potassium humate "Prompter" will enhance the process of photosynthesis and the energy of seedling germination, promote the development of a strong root system. Subsequent foliar and root top dressings with Intermag Ogorod preparations contribute to a more complete absorption of nutrients by the plant, accelerate flowering, improve pollination, increase quality indicators and plant resistance to diseases and adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, the greatest effect is the use of organomineral and mineral fertilizers for seed treatment, followed by foliar and root top dressing throughout the growing season. Recommended periods for feeding plants: when treating seeds, after seedlings, before flowering and during flowering, when treated with pesticides, when signs of chlorosis appear, after beating plants with hail or heavy rain, when fruits ripen.

What is the difference between fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and the required amount of trace elements?

Price. The production of preparations with basic elements is much cheaper than the chelate form of microfertilizers. Pay attention to the ratio in which inexpensive nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers contain trace elements. As a rule, this amount is not enough for proper nutrition of the plant and has a low percentage of assimilation.

Use fertilizers of the new generation "Intermag Ogorod" and potassium humate "Prompter" and enjoy a healthy and rich harvest on your table!