Are there any other iron additives that work in the soil? What about chelates?
There is one chelate, but it’s really expensive. It needs to be used mainly for high value crops. So it isn’t really economical. Iron sulfate is most economical to buy, but it doesn’t stay available in the soil too long. Q: That’s where you got involved with “gelled” fertilizers, too? That’s right. We will see potential, but they aren’t ready to market yet. Q: What are the most common micronutrient deficiencies in the Corn Belt? Zinc is the most widespread. Manganese would be next, then boron. Following this, we have iron and copper. Mainly, I’d be concerned with zinc, manganese, and boron for crops such as corn, soybeans, alfalfa, sugar beets and vegetables. Q: Foliar applying micronutrients on cotton seems to be a common practice. How does foliar fit into a sound fertility program? Foliar fertilization works well withcertain micronutrients. It’s a convenient way to apply them four or five times a year and get feeding all through the summer. The main ones for cotton are manganese and
