Australian fruit and vegetable growers now have the opportunity to better finish their crops and reduce multiple nutrient applications, with a unique new water-soluble fertiliser combining high calcium and potassium with low, ammonium-free nitrogen.

Marking the first time a low-nitrogen, potassium and calcium fertiliser has become available to Australian growers, Haifa Soluble Duo, from the renowned high quality global manufacturer, Haifa Group, offers an ideal nutrient combination for flowering and fruiting.

Its ammonium-free nitrogen also avoids cation antagonism and competition at the root zone, improving calcium and potassium uptake and, in turn, fruit and vegetable size and skin quality.

Haifa Soluble Dup contains 7 per cent nitrogen, 19.2 per cent potassium and 15.3pc calcium, an ideal ratio to meet plant requirements for fruiting, and it will be highly suited to berry and vegetable field crops, as well as fruit and nut tree crops.

Haifa Australia northern sales agronomist Malcolm Otto says many growers typically applied potassium chloride, potassium sulphate or potassium nitrate as well as calcium nitrate at the flowering and fruiting stage, whereas Haifa Soluble Duo would now provide all requirements in one application.

“Growers also have concerns applying potassium nitrate and calcium nitrate due to resulting high N levels which can disrupt nutrient balance, reduce fruit quality and shorten shelf life, so this will now allow those growers to get potassium and calcium on fruiting crops with reduced nitrogen,” Malcolm says.

“Typical fertigation programs at this crop stage are supplying around 15pc N, however (Haifa Soluble) DUO supplies only 7pc N,” he says.

“You can also avoid the chlorides and sulphates in traditional applications at flowering – and, hence, paying money for nutrients that you don’t need. (Haifa Soluble) Duo has near-zero sodium and chloride.”

He says many growers chose to use sulphate of potash to avoid applying nitrogen, however, there also had been some dissolving issues with the fertiliser.

Haifa Soluble Duo uses the manufacturer’s flagship potassium nitrate fertiliser, which is widely known for its excellent solubility.

The new potassium and calcium fertiliser has been developed from Haifa Group’s recently released, nitrogen-free calcium fertiliser, Haifa Cal Absolute, which has allowed growers to add calcium when required and at the rates needed, either by fertigation or foliar spray.

Compared with typical calcium nitrate products, Haifa Cal Absolute contains over 50pc more calcium and it can be blended with a wide range of nutrients.

Malcolm says the specific granule size achieved in the manufacturing of the new Haifa Soluble Dup fertiliser also aided its high solubility.

Haifa Australia southern sales agronomist Poh Chong says there is no other fertiliser product available in the country offering the particular combination of potassium and calcium that was free of ammonium.

“In granular calcium nitrate, generally 50pc of the total N is ammonium and the other 50pc is nitrate. The ammonium cations compete with other cations including potassium, calcium and magnesium,” Poh says.

“Calcium, potassium and magnesium, in particular, are most important for fruiting crops.

“We already know (Haifa) Cal Absolute improves nutrient uptake and (Haifa Soluble) DUO, being free of ammonium, will offer the same benefits. It takes out the headache of cation competition, allowing the potassium and calcium to be taken up freely with nitrates.”