A new fertilizer of zinc and manganese extracted from used batteries should appear in the UK this month.
The ZM-Grow product was developed by Finnish manufacturers Tracegrow using a “special process”. It is believed that this is the only process in the world that can produce zinc and manganese necessary for fertilizers purity from such sources.
Due to its source material, the product is certified as OF & G Organics organic fertilizer. The product received a gold medal at the 2018 Helsinki Agricultural Trade Fair for its importance to agriculture, its impact on profitability and processes, environmental friendliness and energy efficiency, as well as its impact on workloads and safety.
“The result is a very flexible liquid fertilizer containing key nutrients for a wide range of crops,” said David Harrod, owner of Badger Crop Nutrition, the only UK distributor of ZM-Grow.
While zinc deficiency is observed in 10-15% of UK field crops, often on sandy soils with high pH and phosphate status, manganese is the most common micronutrient deficiency.
ZM-Grow is diluted with concentrate and is usually used from February to June. Depending on the type of crop and requirements, as well as the recommendations of agronomists, 2-3 liters of concentrate per hectare are recommended, providing 120-180 g of zinc per ha and 124-186 g of manganese, as well as 156-234 g of sulfur.
