What are Granusol Micronutrients?

Granusol micronutrients are soil dispersible plant nutrient granules produced by grinding down raw materials to a powder finer than talcum and then 'gluing' the powder together using a binding agent. Granusol is the trade name of the patented process whereby the micronutrient raw material is ground down to powder [<44 micron] and glued together again with an acidic binding agent so as to disperse upon contact with water or soil moisture.

What Grades of Granusol Micronutrients are Available?

But Aren't Soil-applied Micronutrients Locked-up at higher pH's?

Granusol micronutrients have proven to be more agronomically available under alkaline soil conditions than any other conditions. Traditionally, the soil application of micronutrients has been ineffective owing to the locking-up effect at high pH's above 7.4. The difference with Granusol is that the micronutrient particles are physically bound to the sugar binding agent. As the sugar is mildly acidic, the Granusol micronutrient is buffered and protected from the alkalinity in the soil and can remain available to the plant for the length of the growing season or longer.

Does The Granusol Micronutrient Leach?

Will Granusol work on highly organic soils?

What about Chelates and so-called Oxy-sulphates?

Are there any harmful impurities in Granusol Micronutrients?

All Granusol micronutrients are manufactured from pure new raw materials so there are no worries from hazardous waste products or heavy metals.

How Does it work?

Original US Patent, #U,S. 3,567,460 explains the initial chemical reactions of the sucrose binder with oxides of cations such as Mn and Zn.

When the finely ground raw metallic oxide material is mixed with the mixture of saccharides, only original agglomerations are formed. However, when the agglomerates of the proper porosity, hardness and size are subjected to the drying operation, the contained mixture of saccharides is introduced to heat. The heat not only drives off the moisture but also aids in the conversion of the polysaccharides. Concurrently, since monosaccharides are reducing agents and since the aldehyde disaccharides are reducing agents, the higher valence state elements are reduced to their lower valence states. If these elements are present in their oxide form, oxygen is released in the reaction. The reducing of saccharides become oxidized in turn and since oxidized saccharides or oxidized carbohydrates are unstable, they break down to release carbon dioxide and water.

Simultaneously, the crystalline portions of the saccharides, present during the drying process form a hard outer ernst which is somewhat porous, due to the mixture of polysaceharides in the binder. Hence, the released gas is entrapped in the now hardened granule, Thus, in addition to the element’s being reduced to its lower valence state the therthy adding to the plant nutrient availability, gas is entrapped in the granule to be released when the crystallized saccharides dissolve in water. This release of gas bursts the granule apart and disperses the micronutrient into fines throughout the soil.

In addition to the above described chemical reactions produced by the drying process, the mixture of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides tent to ferment in time or to ferment rapidly in the presence of heat to produce additional carbon dioxide. Using this type of carbohydrate not only furnished the carbon dioxide to burst the granule apart but also reduces the metallic oxides to the lower valence state which is best for plant utilization.