Adjufirst: Tradecorp‘s adjuvant range for use with fertilisers

An adjuvant is a product that optimises the efficacy of another. The adjuvant itself does not actually contain the component that it is boosting the efficacy of. Tradecorp’s Adjufirst range is specifically recommended for inclusion with fertilisers during their application to improve their uptake and efficacy.

There are obvious benefits:

- Benefits to the environment: more of the fertiliser applied is taken up by the plant and therefore not available to leach into waterways

- Benefits to the crop: nutritional management will be improved

- Benefits to growers: the money invested on fertiliser inputs has the maximum chance of improving crop yield, quality and thus the grower’s profitability

Unfortunately, fertilisers are sometimes overapplied when their use efficiency in the crop is low. The Adjufirst range allows for more of the applied fertiliser to be absorbed by the crop enhancing yield potential, or alternatively due to higher uptake the grower may decide to reduce the quantity of their fertiliser inputs. Both of these positive outcomes fit with Tradecorp´s goal of helping growers produce more with less, as part our goal of promoting “Well Balanced Agriculture”.

How do adjuvants work?

Adjuvants like Adjufirst work by helping to reduce the limiting factors that occur during product application, most typically during foliar spray applications and also increasingly during soil applications. Factors that can limit successful applications of fertilisers include:

- Adverse climate / weather

- Poor water quality

- Specific agronomic management practices

- Incorrect droplet size

- Lack of sprayer maintenance

Adjuvants offer solutions for growers in three beneficial areas:

1. Technical benefits

Reducing factors that limit successful treatments in the field e.g. reduced water volume (Figure 1)

2. Economic benefits:

Higher Return on Investment (ROI) across the board

3. Environmental benefits:

More of the applied product ends up where it is supposed to be

Figure 1. Foliar spraying coverage comparing different volumes of water vs water + adjuvant

Benefits derived from using adjuvant products like Adjufirst are applicable in the fertiliser spray or fertigation tank, during spraying or during soil application, as well as directly on the crop.

In the treatment tank, adjuvants mainly act on two factors.

1. They directly influence protection of the fertiliser from interactions in mixes due to adverse pH control of the treatment broth and water hardness.

2. They act and modify the nutrient complexation process, for example helping to prevent cations in hard waters (Ca++, Mg++, Fe+++, Si++++, etc.) from interacting with fertiliser components

During the spraying process, adjuvants improve the physicochemical characteristics of the application. For example by influencing or improving:

- Spreading – via reducing the surface tension of droplets (Figure 2)

- Penetration – facilitates improve passage of the fertiliser into plant tissue

- Retention – reduces runoff and losses of foliar fertiliser into the soil

- Sticking – sticks nutrients to the leaves

- Moistening – captures humidity from the air and extends droplet lifespan increasing available absorption time

- Diffusion – facilitates plant translocation of nutrients

Drift control – improves the performance and precision of spray applications via optimum droplet size

- Anti-leaching – protects from rainfall

Figure 2. Differences between a drop water (left) and a drop water + adjuvant (right)

Finally, the adjuvants improve fertiliser efficiency directly in the crop via:

- Better retention in irregular / non uniform plant shape

- Improves spreading on the foliar surface

- Adds penetration properties on foliar cuticle / thickness

- Facilitates spreading, wettability and retention on hydrophobic crop leaves (Figure 3)

- Persistence which improves fertiliser uptake efficacy along with for a longer period of time. This helps limit other adverse factors (long flight distances, humidity, cuticle waxes, etc.).

- Reduces the risk of drift away from the crop

Figure 3. Drop effects on a hydrophobic leaf surface; Right leaves show only water, left leaves have adjuvants

Tradecorp International has a wide range of agricultural adjuvants, with the objective of improving the range of agronomic options available to Growers. This is all within a consumer and agricultural market that is increasingly demanding. This will further strengthen Tradecorp´s agricultural solutions portfolio demonstrating our clear commitment to continue being the benchmark in the bionutrition market

Adjufirst range

Adjufirst Pre

A super spreading adjuvant for the increasingly dynamic soil application market that:

- improves soil penetration

- ensures horizontal and vertical fertiliser distribution on the ground, improving coverage with less water volume.

Adjufirst Fol

A triple use adjuvant, combining spreading, retention and penetration with high performance on hydrophobic leaves and safer for crops than classic oils.

Adjufirst Oleo

Organically-sourced vegetable adjuvant. It is made from sunflower (oil properties) and sugar beet (adjuvant properties).

Adjustar 2 in 1

Dual-action adjuvant: water corrector + adjuvant.

- Helps to solubilise fertilisers in mix tank

- Safeguards compatibility and stability

Adjustar Ancora

Ultra-concentrated sticker adjuvant containing pine terpene. Its high concentration allows for a low dose rate of 0.05% (2.8 – 4 times lower dose /ha compared to other similar products).