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INFORMATION
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Sulphurgain Pure
What is Sulphurgain Pure?
Features of Sulphurgain Pure
Sulphurgain Pure is a high-quality fertiliser supplying
fine elemental sulphur. It is made by combining molten
elemental sulphur with a clay (bentonite) and forming
it into evenly sized pellets.
• Sulphurgain Pure is an easy way to add elemental sulphur
to fertiliser blends
Sulphurgain Pure has been formulated for use in combination
with other fertilisers. It is not designed for application as a
straight-line product.
• The size of the pellets in Sulphurgain Pure means it is
physically compatible with a wide range of commonly
applied phosphate fertilisers, with little risk of product
segregation
Sulphurgain Pure must be stored in dry conditions in sealed,
lined bags and applied as soon as practicable.
SULPHURGAIN PURE
S content
90%
As elemental S
100%
As sulphate S
0%
Appearance
Khaki-brown, hemispherical
pellets
Bulk density (loose)
1.35 kg/litre
• The even-sized pellets of Sulphurgain Pure make it easy to
handle
• As Sulphurgain Pure is inert, it is chemically compatible with
a wide range of other fertilisers, e.g. DAP, urea, MOP and lime
• The particles of elemental sulphur that make up the pellets
are very fine, which means they are quickly degraded by
bacteria once in the soil, making the sulphur available for
plant uptake
• Sulphurgain Pure supplies sulphur to plants for an
extended period of time, compared to sulphate sulphur
Pellet size range (dry)
>4 mm
0%
2-4 mm
100%
<2 mm
0%
Size guide number (SGN)
300
Uniformity index (UI)
55
Fertmark registered
No
FIGURE 1
Sulphurgain Pure contains fine elemental sulphur formed
into easily handled, evenly sized pellets
and potassium needed to support pastures; an annual
application of Sulphurgain Pure will supply sufficient
sulphur to support growth throughout the year
Advantages of Sulphurgain Pure
Protection from leaching losses: plants can only take up sulphur
when it is in the sulphate form. However, sulphate sulphur is
vulnerable to loss by leaching during wet periods. Elemental
sulphur is not subject to leaching to any significant extent, so it
can be applied in high rainfall environments and still remain in
the soil, to become available to plants in the future.
Sulphur availability
When Sulphurgain Pure is spread on farmland, the pellets
will become soft and crumbly if they are exposed to enough
moisture. If the soil is damp or air is humid, the pellets will
absorb moisture and become soft, but they won’t disperse
into the soil. As soon as rain falls, the pellets will start to
break up and the elemental sulphur will get washed into the
soil. Field experiments conducted by AgResearch scientists
showed that the Sulphurgain Pure pellets had disintegrated
considerably after just 11 mm of rain. After 127 mm of rain
the pellets had almost completely dispersed into the soil.
Single annual applications: as the elemental sulphur in
Sulphurgain Pure is not lost by leaching, a single application
will provide sulphur for an extended period of time. If the
product is applied in spring, it will supply sufficient sulphur
to last the entire growing season. If the product is applied in
autumn, it will supply sufficient sulphur to last the following
spring and summer.
Rapidly available to pasture: the particles of elemental
sulphur that form the pellets of Sulphurgain Pure are small
in size, and this means that the sulphur is rapidly oxidised by
soil bacteria, and so quickly becomes converted to sulphate
sulphur, which can be used by plants
While Sulphurgain Pure pellets are on average 4 mm in
diameter, the particles of elemental sulphur that make up
these pellets are much smaller. The large size of the pellets
makes the product easy and safe to handle; the small size of
the constituent particles makes the product agronomically
very effective. The particle size range of wet Sulphurgain
Pure is shown in Figure 2. More than 50% of the particles are
smaller than 0.25 mm in diameter.
Using Sulphurgain Pure
Hill country
• Use on hill country that has a sulphur deficiency, i.e. where
sulphate sulphur levels are <8
As a result, in cold temperate regions (e.g. southern South
Island) around 55% of the elemental sulphur will be available
to plants in the year of application. In warm temperate
regions (e.g. northern North Island), 66% of the sulphur will be
available within a year of application.
• As the sulphur is in the elemental form, Sulphurgain Pure
can be applied to hill country at any time of the year
• Can be blended with DAP to provide a stable product
containing nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur that is suitable
for autumn application. This combination will help to boost
immediate pasture growth and long-term soil fertility
Aerial application
Sulphurgain Pure is suitable for aerial application in blends,
provided that it has not been subject to poor storage or
handling. The product is designed to be mixed with other
granular fertilisers, e.g. Superten, Sulphurgain 30S, DAP, Nrich
urea, MOP. It should form no more than 90% of any of these
mixes. If blended with fine-sized products (e.g. lime, RPR),
Sulphurgain Pure must comprise no more than 30% of the
mix. This reduces the chance of sulphur particles segregating
out of the mix during transport and handling.
• If phosphate is not required, Sulphurgain Pure may be
blended with urea and applied in autumn
• Sulphurgain Pure may also be blended with potash (MOP).
This is especially useful on south-facing slopes with
adequate phosphorus levels, when additional clover growth
is desired
Dairy farms
• Use on soils that have a low anion storage capacity (ASC
<60) and that also have high annual rainfall (>1500 mm)
Good storage (in waterproof bags) and handling is essential
to avoid degradation of the Sulphurgain Pure pellets. If fine
dust is released from these pellets it can pose a hazard during
aerial top-dressing operations.
• On these soils, applying urea and MOP every 1-2 months
during the growing season will supply the nitrogen
Sieve size
Amount
retained
0%
Hill country applications—dependent on flying conditions
2 mm
4.7%
1 mm
0.5 mm
Dairy farms
0.25 mm
0.15 mm
0.075 mm
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
www.ballance.co.nz • 0800 222 090
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
PAN
19%
21.4%
20.6%
16.7%
17.6%
FIGURE 2
The particle
size range of
Sulphurgain
Pure. This figure
shows the size of
the particles of
elemental sulphur
that would be
released into the
soil after rainfall has
dissolved the pellets.
Created 28 August 2013
ONYX 14526