Application to beans, brassicas, capsicums, carrots, chilli peppers,cucurbits, herbs, kumera, lettuce, peas, potatoes, pumpkin,squash, tomatoes, etc

Mix Nitrosol with water as a 1:200 dilution (5 ml per litre of water) and use as the wateringfluid weekly, or add to the spray tank as the last ingredient, in conjunction with crop protectionmaterials, and spray to the drip point. Alternatively, apply 2 - 8 litres per hectare in conjunctionwith each application of plant protection or disease control materials. When mixing with othermaterials be sure to check for compatability first and add Nitrosol to the spray tank as the lastingredient.

Irrigation or fertigation systemsAs a booster, add Nitrosol to the liquid feed concentrate tank at the rate of 1 litre of Nitrosolper 200 litres of soluble salts concentrate. It may also be used as the primary source ofnutrients in liquid feed systems. Nitrosol diluted to 1:200 with water will yield a CF (conductivityfactor) of approximately 20. Note: Nitrosol is a colloidal liquid suspension that has beenscreened through 60 mesh, and therefore it contains finely ground particles up to 250 microns,that could block fine drippers. It is recommended that filters be checked and cleaned regularlyand fertigation lines be flushed with plenty of water, after using Nitrosol.

Specific trace element deficienciesWhere observation or foliar analysis identifies a specific nutrient or trace element deficiency,the deficient element may be supplemented by the addition of small quantities of the relativelyinexpensive sulphate form. For example, copper sulphate for a copper deficiency, Solubor™or Timbor™ for a boron deficiency, zinc sulphate for zinc deficiency etc. In this situation,Nitrosol acts as the carrier to chelate and convey the deficient trace element effectively intothe affected plant.

Important user information• Nitrosol may settle in its container over time. Contents should be agitated before using.

This is best accomplished by rolling the drums back and forth several times on a flatsurface.

• To decant, place the 200 litre drum on its side with the bung at the 12 o’clock position.Open the bung and pour into a bucket or pail, moving the drum sideways as the levelreduces.

• Ask us about the ‘Ugly Pump’ that uses water pressure from your tank filling hose to pumpNitrosol or PhloLime directly from a 200 litre drum or 125 litre barrel, into the spray tank.

• Nitrosol should be stored away from extremes of temperature as the material may expandwith heat and cause leakage. Storage in very cold conditions may cause the formation ofcrystals. Where this is suspected to have occurred, be sure to strain the material as it isadded into the spray tank.

• Do not store product that has been mixed with water, as it will not keep.

• Nitrosol is harmless to birds, bees and animals when used as directed.

• Notice: Nitrosol Original may not be fed to sheep, cattle, deer, alpacas, goats or otherruminant animals in accordance with the ruminant feed ban regulations.

fact file: vegetable cropsPRODUCT NITROSOL

NITROSOL LIQUID FERTILISERS AND PHLOLIME ARE MANUFACTURED AND MARKETED BY RURAL RESEARCH LIMITED

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Telephone 0800 80 30 60 for more information CONTINUED OVERLEAF

about nitrosolNitrosol is a one step colloidalliquid suspension organic basedfertiliser containing:• A balanced NPK (8.3.6.) to feed

through both foliage and roots.• A balanced formulation of trace

elements and minerals toaddress deficiencies andimbalances.

• Organic matter includingprotein, amino acids, albumin,globulin and cholesterol to feedand nurture the organic activityin the soil.

• Two naturally occurring growthpromotants to stimulate plantsto take up and use all theavailable nutrients, traceelements and minerals.

nitrosol originalMade from ovine (sheep) bloodand bone, Nitrosol Original hasbeen widely used since 1971. Ithas gained an enviable reputationfor producing strong, healthy,disease resistance plants as wellas top quality flowers, fruit andvegetables.

nitrosol oceanicNitrosol Oceanic is made fromorganic material sourced fromdeep-sea fishing operations. Itis ideal for use on pastoral grazingland with no stock withholdingperiod, and in horticulture.Nitrosol Oceanic has the sametypical analysis and will producethe same results as NitrosolOriginal.

nitrosol organicNitrosol Organic, with an NPK of3.3.6., has been certified by Bio-Gro for use in agriculture andhorticulture by certified organicgrowers. With a higher organiccontent, Nitrosol Organic will helpto produce healthy biologicallyactive soil as well as highlynutritious and flavoursome fruitand vegetables. It will also helpto produce healthy feed forgrazing animals.

about phlolimePhloLime sprayable rapid actionlime will help to raise the pH andsweeten the soil adding calcium,one of the most importantminerals for healthy soil, plants,animals and humans. PhloLimecontains 98% calcium carbonateon a dry matter basis. With anaverage particle size of only 5microns, PhloLime will move intothe soil profile rapidly where itcan begin to raise the pH. It canbe applied in conjunction withNitrosol.

Nitrosol

Nitrosol

Nitrosol

PRODUCT NITROSOL

(continued)

fact file: vegetable crops

NITROSOL LIQUID FERTILISERS AND PHLOLIME ARE MANUFACTURED AND MARKETED BY RURAL RESEARCH LIMITED

www.nitrosol.com

Telephone 0800 80 30 60 for more information

Gibberellins - GAGA is widely distributed in flowering plants and is shown as C19H22O6. It is often usedby horticulturists on its own, to assist with the development and improvement of specificaspects of growing, for example stimulation of flowering, and fruit quality improvements.As a contribution to the efficacy of Nitrosol, its broad action is to aid in the growth ofcell size and to stimulate the plant to take up and use the available nutrients.

Triacontanol - TriaTria is a 30 carbon straight-chain fatty alcohol and occurs in certain waxes and thefoliage of some plants. It is shown as CH3(CH2)28CH20. Its effects on stimulating plantgrowth and crop yields, by increasing the growth in the number of cells, have beenstudied extensively in China, India, Japan and the United States. Tria has been shownto have beneficial effects towards improving the quality of fruit and flowers, in fruitingand flowering plants as well as enhancing plant health, vigour and root development.It has been demonstrated to stimulate photosynthesis within seven minutes of application.Tria is known to promote development of carbohydrates (sugars and energy) in plants.It will help stress recovery after adverse weather conditions, transplanting or applicationof a selective herbicide.

What Nitrosol will achieve for vegetables• Supplies crops with the right combination of nutrients at a rate appropriate to the

plant’s need.

• Combines with plant protection or herbicide materials where it acts as an effectivesticker and spreader to achieve better and more efficient application.

• Helps to produce vibrant healthy plants with good colour and strong root development.They become more resistant to attack from insect pests or disease often resultingin a reduced need for application of plant protection materials.

• Provides an ‘organic’ input where plants are grown in either soil or a ‘non-soil’ mediumresulting in better quality, better tasting fruit and vegetables with a longer shelf life.

• Rapid recovery for plants stressed by transplanting or adverse weather conditions.

• Maximise the cost effectiveness of fertiliser inputs to feed plants on the basis of ‘alittle and often’ to provide ongoing and balanced growth stimulus.

• The two natural growth promotants will stimulate plants to take up and use allavailable nutrients.

• It can more effectively address mineral and trace element imbalances and deficienciesbecause it is a liquid.

• Substantial freight and application cost savings because Nitrosol is shipped in ahighly concentrated form, adding water as the carrier at the point of application.

Nitrosol

Nitrosol

Nitrosol

did you know

Nitrosol has a specific

gravity of about 1.24 so one

litre weighs 1.24 kgs.

Because Nitrosol is a

col lo idal suspension

containing organic material,

it will not leach or wash away

even under heavy rain or

irrigation.

Nitrosol feeds via foliage

and roots meaning that it

can be applied directly to

plants and the surrounding

soil with excellent results.

T h e n a t u r a l g r ow t h

promotants in Nitrosol help

plants to use the available

nitrogen more efficiently

with less waste.

Nitrosol acts as an effective

sticker and spreader and

may help to improve the

effectiveness of plant

protection materials when

they are applied together.

Nitrosol is widely accepted

as an important part of

i n te g r a te d fe r t i l i s e r

programmes to improve soil

sustainability.

Nitrosol is exported from

New Zealand to Europe,

As ia , Nor th Amer ica,

Aus t ra l ia and South

Pacific Islands.

Typical analysis (elemental w/w) of Original & OceanicNitrogen - N 8% Manganese - Mn 193 ppmPhosphorus - P 3% Zinc - Zn 67 ppmPotassium - K 6% Copper - Cu 90 ppmSulphur - S 1.7% Boron - B 192 ppmCalcium - Ca 1.3% Molybdenum - Mo 119 ppmMagnesium - Mg 0.2% Cobalt - Co 10 ppmSodium - Na 0.3% Selenium - Se 60 ppmIron - Fe 883 ppm Gibberellins 0.01 ppm

Plus Triacontanol (Tria) growth promotant and organic material

tomato information

PUBLISHED BY RURAL RESEARCH, PRODUCERS OF NITROSOL TELEPHONE 0800 80 30 60 TO PLACE ORDERS

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Gisborne tomato trialsWe commissioned trials on field tomatoes grown byCedenco in Gisborne, with a view to quantifying theresults of various applications of Nitrosol. Ourrecommendation for the use of Nitrosol in this cropis included.

Cedenco grows and harvests around450 hectares of tomatoes, which arethen processed into paste by themanufacturing division. Unliketomatoes grown for the table, eachpaddock must be machine harvestedin a single pass. Tomatoes areharvested at the rate of about 60-80tonnes per hour. This means that allthe fruit in a particular paddockshould ideally ripen on the same day,the percentage of reject fruit shouldbe minimal and the measure ofquality is a direct relationship of thebrix levels and the colour! The higherthe brix and colour, the higher thequality, the higher the value! Whenproduction runs at 50,000 tonnes of tomatoes in ayear, a modest increase in the brix level will yield asubstantial increase in the value of the crop to thegrower.

The trials were supervised by Jonathan BellConsultancy, an independent consultant based inthe district. Jonathan Bell ensured that the correctamounts of Nitrosol were applied in each of the trialareas. He inspected the various plots during theseason, and supervised the harvesting and resultstabulation of the trial plots and their associatedcontrols. The trial areas were each a part of a largerpaddock and this presented its own set of problemsbecause entire fields are harvested at one time andthis does not allow for a variation in the ripeningtime caused by trial treatments. Space precludes usfrom presenting full details of the various trials butwe can summarise the conclusions below. Foranyone specifically interested we are happy tosupply a copy of the full report document uponrequest.

Conclusions1. All Nitrosol trial plots showed a higher

colour value than the control plots. Thisindicates that the Nitrosol treated areawas ready for harvest a few days beforethe main part of the paddock

2. The Nitrosol plots in ‘Coxfoot’ and‘Parkers’ paddocks had higher averagebrix levels than the control plots.

3. All Nitrosol trial plots had significantlyhigher values of fruit classified as ‘rotsand disease’ than the controls.

4. The Nitrosol treated areas had a lowerlevel of ‘grass greens’ except for‘Bayleys’ paddock.

5. All Nitrosol treated trial plots produceda greater gross tonnage of tomatoes.Only the ‘Bayleys’ paddock displayed anegative net tonnage.

The above resultsindicate that Nitrosolhas a number ofeffects on growingtomatoes: • It enhances thecolour of the fruit thatwas shown in all thetrial plots. • Secondly there isthe strong possibilitythat it increases grossyield. The net yieldwas reduced by aconsiderable numberof ‘rots and diseases’(reject fruit).

• The level of reject fruit indicates that Nitrosolmay enhance the maturing of the fruit by severaldays. This would explain the higher level of ‘rotsand diseases’ as well as the lower level of ‘grassgreens’ found in the trial plots.

• Where complete paddocks are treated withNitrosol this problem will not occur because theycould be harvested together at the optimumtime.

We have always known that Nitrosol producesgreat results on tomatoes, because we sell somuch to growers of indoor tomatoes all yearround, but it is exciting to see results confirmed intrial data.

tomato information

PUBLISHED BY RURAL RESEARCH, PRODUCERS OF NITROSOL TELEPHONE 0800 80 30 60 TO PLACE ORDERS

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Nitrosol recommendationOutdoor cropsFollowing are recommended rates of applicationof Nitrosol to field grown tomatoes:

Dilution rate For low volume foliar spray application of 200 – 400litres of total spray mix per hectare – add 5 litres ofNitrosol. For higher volumes of 1200 – 2000 litresper hectare – add 6 – 10 litres of Nitrosol. The morewater used per hectare the better will be the result.Additional water after spraying may be fromirrigation or rain as Nitrosol will not wash off orleach.

Frequency of applicationUse the above dilution for up to six sprays perseason.

SeedlingsSoak or drench overnight in a dilution of 1 litre ofNitrosol to 200 litres of water i.e 1:200. Nitrosol isinstrumental in helping plants to overcometransplant shock quickly.

Planting out Use the seedling soaking solution or another 1:200dilution to inject into the soil adjacent to each newlytransplanted tomato seedling.

The above recommendation assumes that the areahas been soil tested and adequate bulk nutrientshave been applied during soil preparation.

First Nitrosol application As seedlings reach 15 cm high.

Second application Approximately 21 days later, at commencement offlowering.

Third application This application is important to enhance final colourand higher brix levels and should be approximately14 days after the second spray.

Remaining applications Further sprays at approx 21 day intervals will assistwith a more even sizing of the fruit and enhance thematurity of the crop.

Should the crop require application of insect pest ordisease control materials, be sure to add Nitrosol into the spray tank at the rate of 1:200 as the lastingredient and while filling with water to ensureadequate agitation. Caution: Nitrosol mixes wellwith most chemicals but please be sure to check thecompatibility first. Carry out a small pot test with allthe materials to be mixed in the same ratio as theywill be in the spray tank to ensure that noincompatibilities occur.

Nitrosol acts as an effective sticker, spreader, andpenetrant and therefore it will help to enhance theeffectiveness of the applied fungicide andinsecticide chemicals.

Advantages of using Nitrosol:• Nitrosol will not wash away or leach from the

soil. It will help to activate soil biological activity.• Expect the fruit to have a higher colour value

with fewer greens – better quality• Higher fruit brix levels may also be expected• Nitrosol may help to shorten the period to

ripening by several days.• Net weight tonnage per hectare should increase

significantly.

tomato information

PUBLISHED BY RURAL RESEARCH, PRODUCERS OF NITROSOL TELEPHONE 0800 80 30 60 TO PLACE ORDERS

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Indoor CropsFollowing are the recommendation for the use ofNitrosol on indoor crops. Growing tomatoes undercover uses a variety of methods including growing insoil, media or a combination. Sometimes a basedressing is applied to the growing medium whileothers rely totally on soluble nutrients fed directly toplants via fertigation or hydroponic systems. It is notthe intention of this information to comment on theadvantages or disadvantages of the variousmethods but simply to indicate how and why Nitrosolcan make a difference whatever particular method isfavoured and used.

Most growers of indoor tomatoes use a nutrientsolution made up entirely of soluble chemicals invarious combinations and fed to the plants via anirrigation system. While the results are usually greatlooking fruit, consumers often comment on the lackof flavour. We consider that the use of Nitrosol canlead to improved fruitflavour and enhancedkeeping qualities. We alsobelieve that Nitrosol canmake a significantdifference to the yieldproduced for a given area.

We believe the reason forthe improvements are thatNitrosol contains all thenutrients and traceelements necessary forhealthy growth anddevelopment of the plantsas well as providing a wholerange of ‘nutrients’ notusually associated withgrowing tomatoes. These include the components ofthe organic material present in Nitrosol, such asamino acids, globulin, cholesterol, protein,gibberellins and triacontanol.

These last two act to stimulate plants to take up anduse all the available nutrients as well as having adirect physiological effect on cell growth anddevelopment. One has been widely studied to showthat it stimulates the development of sugars inplants and this leads to an increase in brix levelsand ‘sweetness.’ The other is well known and oftenused on its own by growers of certain crops to createspecific effects or stimulate increased flowering.

For indoor crops the Nitrosol recommendation isvery simple:

Apply a 1:200 dilution as foliar feed, sprayed to thedrip point on a 7 – 10 day cycle from planting outright through harvest. Nitrosol may be added to

applications of plant protection materials providedcompatibility checks are made first.

Alternatively, add Nitrosol into the tank holding theconcentrated soluble plant feed solution. As a guidewe recommend adding I litre of Nitrosol for every 20kgs of dry powder used in the creation of a batch ofthe feed solution mixture.

Caution: In this situation it is important to rememberthat Nitrosol is a colloidal liquid suspension andtherefore it contains a proportion of solids. Althoughthey are finely ground and screened through 60mesh they could be up to 250 microns in size andwill likely need to be filtered to avoid blocking finedripper systems. Despite filtering a proportion of thesolids, the remaining material will still have a verypositive contribution to make to the yield and qualityof the produce.

A MAF tomato trialFollowing is the summary of a large scale trialconducted by MAF Horticulture at Levin in 1992 inwhich some 25 different commonly availablefertiliser products were tested according to theirmanufacturers instructions. Included in the trialwere soluble granules, slow release types, drypowders and various forms of liquid feeds.

The growing medium used was low fertility Levintopsoil amended with 15% of good quality peat. Theplants were grown in a heated glasshouse with aminimum temperature of 14º C and ventilation at22º C. All plants were watered daily as required.

The results were advised to each manufacturer inthe form of their specific product(s) and compared tothe average results from all of the products tested.

tomato information

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MAF tomato trial continuedRate of feed: Nitrosol was used at the rate of 5 mlper litre of water (1:200) and the resulting dilutionwas used as the watering fluid.

Frequency and amount: One feed per week wasgiven at rate of 100 mls of the dilution, then 200mls per week from week 10, onto both the foliageand the growing medium.

Visual assessment: Scale 1 = poor, 5 = excellent.First assessment 6 weeks after transplantingSecond assessment 10 weeks after transplantingThird assessment 18 weeks after transplantingHarvest at 19 weeks after transplanting

1st assess 2nd assess 3rd assessNitrosol 3.2 4.8 4.8Mean of all 2.5 3.4 3.2

Fruit weight Plant dry weightNitrosol 614 grams 30.4 gramsMean of all 268 grams 18.7 grams

Conclusion: It is clearly apparent that Nitrosol hasproduced a yield significantly ahead (129% more!) ofthe average result of all 25 products tested.

Tomatoes in ahydroponics trialAn experienced hydroponic grower decided to useNitrosol as a main source of nutrients in a small cropof various tomato varieties he planned to grow in ahydroponic system using the NFT (nutrient filmtechnique) system.

Between the 25th of September and the 3rd ofOctober this grower planted 600 tomato plants intoa 3000 sq ft double skinned plastic house. The cropwas comprised of two varieties of cocktail tomatoesand five varieties of standard tomatoes althoughseveral of these are now considered to be obsoleteby most commercial growers.

The total number of growing days was 172, duringwhich time Nitrosol was used for 89 days, and asoluble mineral salts feed was used for 83 days.The plants were pinched out once they reached thewire, although the original intention was to lay themdown and continue with the crop.

Fulset was used to set the first five trusses andNitrosol was added to the spray tank for eachinsecticide and fungicide spray. Most plantsachieved about twelve trusses by the time theyreached the wire.

The grower commented that he noticed the stemswere significantly thicker in the first three weeksthan he would have expected. Some of the stemsreached 28 mm in diameter, which was probablyjust as well because the fruit loading caused someof the trusses to break under the weight. This wasparticularly noticeable in the Virosa andMoneymaker varieties.

To feed the crop he put 10 litres of Nitrosol into hisnutrient tank with 50 litres of water and then usedhis automatic Dosetronic system to meter thisconcentrated solution into the main feed tank tomaintain the pre-set Conductivity Factor of 22. Thesystem was operated at a pH of 6.3 using a mixtureof nitric and phosphoric acids to maintain the level.The grower found that his filters did require regularcleaning but he noted that some hydroponic systemshave no filters and nothing to block anyway.

The grower mentioned that in the beginning heapproached the whole exercise with a certain degreeof trepidation and scepticism about just howsuccessful the Nitrosol would be in this situation. Asthe weeks progressed his confidence grew andregular leaf analysis showed that he was on the righttrack. The results below really show that furthertesting of this system by other growers would be wellworth pursuing.

Following are the tabulated results for all varieties:

Variety Number of plants Yield/plant Total yieldYellow cocktail 50 151kg 3.02kgSweet 100 80 197kg 2.46kgVibelco 150 1794kg 11.96kgPotentate 52 369kg 7.09kgMoneymaker 52 398kg 7.65kgVirosa 165 1587kg 9.62kgDanny 50 399kg 7.98kg

The total yield from the non-cocktail varieties was4547 kg to give an average yield per plant of 9.7 kg,a most acceptable result.