West Central Launches New Broadcast Fertilizer Additive
July 15, 2019 
Steve Carlsen, Levesol and Crop Enhancement Portfolio Manager with West Central, explains the benefits of Trivar, a new broadcast fertilizer additive produced by West Central. The product makes phosphorus and micronutrients more available to the plant, according to the company.
It is estimated that around 47 million tons of phosphate fertilizer is applied to fields globally, costing growers $41 billion each year. However, research shows that 83% of growers are still concerned about phosphorus unavailability in their soils. And, current growers believe only 60% of the fertilizer applied is actually available to the crops, leaving them with a loss of 40% of their fertility investment. And, if soil conditions are challenging, those fertilizer deficiencies could be even greater.
To help combat these losses, West Central developed a new broadcast fertilizer additive, Trivar, designed to maximize phosphate fertilizer by increasing the availability of phosphorus and other key nutrients.
Trivar is the first of its kind chelating agent that can be added directly to a dry phosphate fertilizer and broadcasted on the field. Trivar delivers essential crop nutrients by utilizing three advanced modes of action: a proprietary blend of the strongest and most effective chelate to prevent nutrient tie-up, nutrient-focused enzyme to convert phosphorus to a plant available form, and plant critical micronutrients like zinc and boron.
“Trivar is effective on a wide range of soil types. It works in a wide pH range, including both low and high levels, when organic matter are present and with the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soil,” says Steve Carlsen, Levesol and Crop Enhancement Portfolio Manager with West Central.
West Central’s Steve Carlsen (left) and Jared Fender, a Field Technician with the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences, recap the day’s events at the June 26 LIFT Media Summit at the school’s Crop Physiology Lab in Champaign.
Protecting Key Nutrients
Powered by the Levesol chelating agent, Trivar’s first unique mode of action protects the key micronutrients in the soil from binding with phosphorus. This action leaves more nutrients available for uptake, increasing overall nutrient efficiency in the plant.
“By allowing these nutrients to more easily and effectively be taken in by the plant, we see healthier plants and improved yield,” Carlsen says. “Using Trivar helps protect costly phosphate fertilizer investments. When it’s added to the crop management plan, Trivar prevents nutrient tie-up and maximizes nutrient availability.”
Trivar’s second mode of action uses a nutrient-focused enzyme to convert organic phosphorus to plant available inorganic phosphorus. This phosphatase enzyme starts working in the soil immediately to free up the most unavailable phosphorus from the soil. Trivar contains trillions of concentrated enzymes, each with the ability to drive thousands of reactions.
To round out the benefits, Trivar’s last mode of action adds zinc and boron to every one of the product’s granules. These micronutrients are important to plant development because, “zinc is highly responsive in crops and drives critical plant growth and development and boron drives root development and helps regulate calcium, magnesium, copper and potassium,” Carlsen explains.
Use Rate and Benefits
Impregnate the low standardized use rate of 3-4 qt to each ton of phosphorus-based fertilizer for cropping systems that could benefit from additional nutrient availability. Trivar is effective in both fall and spring broadcast fertilizer applications. The formulation helps to minimize fertilizer dust and does not affect fertilizer flowability.
Another added bonus is that Trivar takes less time to impregnate on phosphate fertilizer than other commonly used impregnated products.
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