The Complete in Soil Nutrient Management Solution
VolcaMin works as a fertiliser battery, charging when free nutrients are available, holding them from leaching and releasing them to plant demand as required. Volcamin is not effected by temperature and reduces the leaching of nutrients under hot tropical conditions, holding them for use by the plant instead.
Volcamin is also an excellent capillary distributor of water due its highly porous properties, assisting infiltration, holding water higher in the pot and distributing water and nutrients more evenly through the mix which is important especially under drip irrigation. It is used in several leading wetting agents.
Use of Volcamin will soak up excess ammonium and other cations in mixes often released under hot conditions, preventing root burning. Volcamin is marginally alkaline and a source of available calcium so its use with fertilisers can help buffer pH levels thus reducing the need for lime applications.
Volcamin carries a negative ionic charge which naturally attracts positive charged cations like ammonium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The open crystalline structure of Volcamin has many storage sites for these ions which hold naturally through a loose chemical bond. These fertiliser ions are available to plants. Volcamin has a very high cation exchange capacity and thus increases the mixes ability to hold and release nutrients. As cations are water soluble they escape from mixes by leaching. Volcamin is the perfect planting partner as it is a natural wetting agent and distributor of water as well as an electrically charged fertiliser magnet.
It helps water penetrate sandy non-wettable soils and will evenly distribute water around drippers and soak lines. It should be used in planting holes, mixed with the top 10-15cm of soils or a mulch.
As a planting amendment, it makes a permanent difference as it won’t break down or be eaten by microbes in the soil. Volcamin has ten times the nutrient holding capacity per litre than peat and helps prevent environmental leaching of nutrients into waterways.
VolcaMin Nutrient Efficiency System for Agriculture & Plantations
The Complete in Soil Nutrient Management Solution
Incorporating VolcaMin into your soil conditioning and fertiliser program is a long term investment in the productivity of your soils and return on your fertiliser investment. Mixed into holes at planting, banded or applied around existing plantations or mixed with fertiliser blends, VolcaMin will improve plant available nutrient uptake and conversion to yield. Volcamin dramatically improves poor soils and as it doesn’t break down and is not consumed by microbes it is a permanent amendment and conditioner.
- Reduces leaching dramatically
- Selective for ammonium potassium calcium & magnesium
- Stores up to 2% of its own weight in molecular ammonium, potassium, calcium & magnesium
- Improves nutrient availability
- Volcamin improves water infiltration
- Volcamin improves capillary distribution through the soil
- Drains freely, won’t clog the soil
- Solution to poor soils under tropical rainfall
- Stores nutrients that are normally washed away
- Reduces environmental impact on streams & rivers from reduced farm nutrient run off
Malaysian Mangoes
20th Aug 07 3 months later
Enables better growth through permanently improved water & nutrient retention
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Without Volcamin Inclusion | With Volcamin Inclusion | ||
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Improved Nitrogen Uptake
VolcaMin particular affinity to attract and hold ammonium enables it to catch and hold nitrogen fertilisers from leaching through the soil for maximum plant available nutrition. Plants readily extract the stored nitrogen they require from the Volcamin by active root uptake.
University of New England; Department of Agronomy & Soil Science. Test of Lettuce and Reseda odorata into potting mixes at 8% by weight and Uralla (sandy granitic) soil
Conclusions:
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Improved Nitrogen Recovery from plant tissue
Cornell University USA
- Recovery of applied Nitrogen from grass in Volcamin amended sand profile
- For the sand profiles, the percentage of applied fertilizer N that was recovered in grass clippings ranged from
- 62% to 70% of the applied N
- The addition of 10% Volcamin to the sand resulted in a greater amount of the fertilizer N ending up in the bent grass clippings
- 75% to 93% of the applied N.
- This difference was most noticeable at the lower N application rate.
- Adding 10% Volcamin to sand also resulted in substantially less nitrate leaching.
- Leaching of NO3 reduced by 88%
- Leaching of NH4 reduced by 99% VolcaMin with VolcaMin
Improved Potassium Uptake
Potassium is a vital nutrient for flower and bud initiation and is one the most expensive nutritional element. VolcaMin particular affinity for potassium enables it to be stored in the soil for efficient plant use. Potassium is often critical to yield.
Trial work confirms VolcaMin impact on potassium availability and uptake.
Trial in a Commercial Trellis Tomato Crop, Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture Tatura Victoria 2003 The effect of Volcamin banded pre-planting at a rate of 1.4t/ha on a crop of indeterminate tomato (cv Red Ruby) Shepparton Fine Sandy Loam soils was investigated in the Goulburn Valley |
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Improved Trace Element Nutrient Uptake
University of Colorado Soil Science Dept trials, Sorghum Sudan grass with VolcaMin
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Naturally extracts Phosphorus
VolcaMin can naturally assist in releasing phosphorus from soil lock ups or mineral apatite’s. Plants extract the stored ammonium and potassium from the Volcamin by active root uptake, exuding hydrogen ions to replace the nutrient on the Volcamin structure. This loosely bonded hydrogen then exchanges back into the soil as the Volcamin more strongly attracts calcium ions, even breaking the bond of phosphorus and calcium to pull the calcium onto the Volcamin, releasing the phosphorus to plants.
- Formula US Geological Survey Research
- Phosphate rock + NH4-Volcamin < = > Ca-Volcamin + NH4 + H2PO4
- Naturally extracts phosphorus from applied P locked up in the soil
- Extracts calcium from phosphates
- Releasing Phosphorus for the Plant
- Partners to fertilisers MAP DAP Urea & Potassium’s
- Buffers and holds ammonium & Urea
Improved Fertiliser Conversion
A trial effect of Volcamin on Clipper malting barley, was carried out by Australian Agricultural Technology at Barooga, NSW
- Incorporation of the VolcaMin increased the barley yield
- With DS by 16% and with DAP by 18%.
- The DAP plus VolcaMin yield was 34% greater than the DS alone yield.
- Volcamin with DAP increased the seeds per head, filler number, yield and protein content of the Barley.
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Improves Soil Structure
Volcamin improves soil structure with its massive internal surface area and porosity. This surface area creates considerable surface tension with available water exerting a great capillary pull. This equates to a natural wetting agent effect with greater infiltration of water into soils and more even capillary distribution throughout the soil. This assists in holding more water higher in the soil profile and spreading available water more evenly from irrigation points. As the Volcamin is mildly alkaline, it has a liming effect on acid soils.
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Rates & Inclusion
Growing Mixes
- 2.5% of mix volume = 25Kg per M³
- 5% of mix volume = 50 Kg per M³
- 10% of mix volume = 100 Kg per M³
Field Application
- The efficiency of NPK fertilisers can be increased by the inclusion of Premium Horticultural Grade VolcaMin at 25%-50% of blend
- Soil Amendment 1-5 tonnes tonnes/Hectare
Tree Rates Tropics
- At Planting 5-10 Kgs per planting hole
- Circle Trenching 3-5 Kgs per tree
Volcamin will also remove ammonia odour from organic manures and improve the fertiliser value of Volcamin treated manures.
Echuca Tomato Trial
Property of Mick Cox
The trial was arranged through PIVOT representative Russell Nichol to evaluate the effect of addition of VolcaMin at the rate of 125 Kg/HA in addition to normal fertilizer program on processing tomatoes. The VolcaMin was added with Pivot 16 fertilizer at final stage of bed preparation prior to direct seeding.
Approximately 1 HA was treated (3 rows). No obvious growth response was noted and crop was mechanically harvested on 17th March 1992. Two control rows were harvested adjacent to treatment rows, the third being harvested further up the paddock where they had been operating before we harvested the trial.
RESULTS:
Row Number of Bins per Row Treatment Control 1 14.5 13.0 2 13.0 12.5 3 13.5 12.0 TOTAL 41.0 37.5 |
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Bundaberg Tomato Trial
TRIAL DESIGN:
The plants were grown in raised rows 9” wide with 27” spaces between rows. VolcaMin was applied within the rows at a rate of .5 tonne and 1 tonne equivalent per acre. The VolcaMin was incorporated with the fertiliser directly into the rows at the time of planting and watering was by trickle irrigation. The actual application rates for the trial where the rows only form ¼ of the total area, was 0.125 and 0.25 tonne per acre respectively.
YIELD ASSESSMENT:
A known length of row (75 feet) was picked by hand in the treated rows and in the adjoining untreated row and yields recorded.
First picking
VolcaMin at 1 tonne to the acre (equivalent) = 60 kgs Untreated adjoining row = 50 kgs Increase = 20% VolcaMin at .5 tonne to the acre (equivalent) = 45 kgs Untreated adjoining row = 40 kgs Increase = 12.5% |
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Total Harvest Results The one tonne per acre (equivalent) VolcaMin row yielded overall a 10% increase in fruit size with an accompanying 10-12% increase in yield weights.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS:
Average yields on tomato production in Bundaberg are 1500-2000 cases per acre. The 10% increase in yield produced an additional 150 cases of tomatoes per acre valued at $1500.
Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture
Trial in a Commercial Trellis Tomato Crop, Tatura Victoria 2003
- The effect of Volcamin banded pre-planting at a rate of 1.4t/ha on a crop of indeterminate tomato (cv Red Ruby) grown on Shepparton Fine Sandy Loam was investigated at Murchison East in the Goulburn Valley between January and May 2003.
- A significant increase in medium and large fruit grade fruit was observed in the Volcamin treatment.
- The improved yield may be related to nutrient uptake that was significantly altered when compared with an untreated control
- High potassium levels in petiole sap
- Lead to more flower, bud initiation & fruit
- Potassium is a key driver of flowering and yield
Potassium is a vital nutrient for flower and bud initiation and is one the most expensive nutritional element. VolcaMin particular affinity for potassium enables it to be stored in the soil for efficient plant use. Potassium is often critical to yield.
Crop performance & yield
The Volcamin treatment had a significantly higher number (P=O.007) and yield (P=O.003) of medium-grade fruit, as well as a significant increase in Iarge fruit yield (P=O.042). Total fruit number was significantly (P=O.071) higher in the Volcamin treatment, although there was no significant total yield increase.
Effect of Volcamin on small, medium, large and total fruit yield and number in indeterminate tomato cv. Red Ruby
Fruit category
Treatment |
Small |
Medium |
Large |
Total |
Number Yield |
Number Yield |
Number Yield |
Number Yield |
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(/m) (t/ha) |
(/m) (t/ha) |
(/m) (t/ha) |
(/m) (t/ha) |
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Volcamin |
136.7 59.4 |
76.5 67.4 |
2.4 2.8 |
215.5 129.7 |
Control |
116.4 57.8 |
58.1 48.9 |
0.9 0.8 |
175.4 107.7 |
Fruit size
Treatment |
Proportion in category (%) |
Average fruit |
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Small |
Medium |
Large |
size (g) |
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Volcamin |
43.0 |
54.6 |
2.4 |
90.2 |
Control |
51.0 |
48.3 |
93.6 |
Department of Agr
(562)