PRODUCTS Cee fies and Distributors and Growe There has been some confusion lately in Europe and jor many years foliar phosphate rocks. Phospho- North America, nove spreading to other paris of the Pret apa Tus is a component of world, over terms used for fertilizers and chemicals andsome trace elements DNA and RNA and an containing phosphorus. Distributors and growers have Such as Zinc, Copper and essential element for all been using phosphate fertilizers for many long years. Manganese have been used in living cells. Due to its high They ae lamiliae with formulations like single super guns Blant Pathogens. reactivity, eee Phosphate (SSP), triple super phosphate (TSP) rer, Naren A82 Rever found as a free ele~ 7 > Proved that eg. MKP (Mono ment in nature. It is very diammonium phosphate (DAP) but also MAP and MKP Potassium Phosphate) hase resctive ad rapidly com- (Monopotassium Phosphate). All of them provide. fungicidal activity, not only ines with other clements uhosphate derived from phosphoric acid (H3PO4). The MoroPotassium Phosphites! such as oxygen and hydro, Phosphate that plants usc is in the form HPO4 and So wheres the problem? Isit gen. When fully oxidized, H2PO4, which is quickly converted in soil from primarily thatthe plant pro- itis bonded with four oxy. fertilizers. Recently, new terms are being used including lection industry, which is gen atoms to form the well phosphorous acid (not phosphoric acid), phosphite (not being subject to tough and known phosphate mole- phosphate), and phosphonite or phosphonate. Unlike €Pensive regulation to mar- cule. If not fully oxidized, the phosphor aid that contains four oxygen atoms, KN Prods, including hea hydrogen occupies phosphorous acid (H3PO3) and the related compounds PesPiiie*based fungicides, the place of one oxygen is not happy with the plant atom and the resulting contain only thre oxygen atoms. 1s that ference of putton industy decaring molecule is called eh one oxygen atom very important? In facta clear and registering phosphite phite. The most important Hoteu ~ distinction exists between Phosphoric acd and based products as fertilizers Commercial use of phos. 0° phosphorous acid: the former is a plant nutrient and the gonerally at no cost and with. phorus-based chemicals ts 's primarily fungicide applications. It is thus very out any delay- even if they the production of fertiliz~ obvious that claims suggesting that either compound may have more fungicidal ers, based on phosphates. may exactly fulfill the functions of the other are Properties than nutritional Ih agriculture, an other misleading, Therefore, is the bottom line that on the one NPAC! _at the prescribed important use of phospho- side phosphates are what is needed for fertilizer bu will 4pPlcatioa cate? The plant rus-based chemicals is the have no effect on plant diseases and on the other side Protection industry may get production of fungicides en m us when the — based shosphites. that phosphites ate useful in managing diseases hut will {CSpanyiny. prowetonal Tras is all very simple but not provide plants with the phosphate they need? Maybe _iterature for euch products it becomes confusing and hot so simple! New Ag hntcrnational went to investigate describes them more as "bios. misleading when some among suppliers and sciemtsts to try sorting out what is timulants and. fortifying web literature of a compa. really true, untrue and partly true? Our findings: What is ingredients " or even “plant ny having pioneered the truc is that plants can absorb the phosphorous acid protectors” than as simple use of phosphites (deriv- compounds through roots and leaves. What is also trae Source of nutrients! ie a ee ¢ incapable g DIRECTLY th acid) as fertilizer, in its 's that plants ae incapable of using DIRECTLY the sug ees apy ee eee phosphorus acid as « nutrient source. What is partly true is that the phosphorous acid compounds can break down in the soil to available forms of P but this process PHOSPHORUS phorous to Phosphorus Phosphorus is the chemi- (what for?) and describes cal element that has the the latter as “A poisonous is very slow and will nt provide adequate P nutrition. Syubol Pand atomic num. nonmetallic clentent of the What is untrue is that they can complement and even per 15, A multivalent non- nitrogen group, obtained replace phosphate fenlizers in all instances. And what is metal of the nitrogen as a white, of yellowish, very true above all is that a number of people ftom group, phosphorus is com- translucent waxy sub- various bodies entertain confusion in the market! monly found in inorganic stance, having a character- NEW AC ISTERNATONALPRODUCTS Cees Could get confused V’. “e dd ut ‘ous phosphorus (P) con- taining compounds as fer- tilizers. It concluded that Phosphite was a poor source of nutritional Phos- phorus since plants treated by phosphite grew weakly. Therefore at this time phosphite couldn't find a niche in the market as a potential source of plant nutrient, Fourty years later, phosphites returned to the ‘market when it was found that they were very effi- cient against the Oomycota (Ge. species of phytophtho- ra and pythium). Today it is well documented that the toxic effect of phos phite to Phytophthora comes from the activation of defense mechanisms in plants or by direct action on this fungal-like organ- ism, and phosphorous acid compounds — (phosphite and phosphonites) play an important role in agricul- ture as active ingredients in fungicide materials. This market was pioneered by Bayer Cropscience with world-famous brands Aliette and Fosetyl-Al. When the patent for the trademark —_FosetyAl expired, several other fun- gicide manufacturers cre- ated phosphite-based fungicides by simple for- mulation of phosphite with potassium, ammoni- um, sodium, and alu- minum. Trademarks now also include, among others ProPhyt (sold by Helena Chemicals), Phostrol (Nufarm America), Phos- guard, , etc. Phosphite fungicides are first formu- lated as ethyl phosphonate by reacting phosphite with ethanol to form the ethyl phosphonate anion and an aluminum ion as the counter ion. The problem (see table 2) is. that where- as some of the phosphite ‘compounds are labeled as pesticides, which required the manufacturer /disteib- tutor to spend the time and money to register the com- pound, others, in North America but also ina num- ber of European countries pain, Italy, Germany, etc...) are advertised and registered as fertilizers, which of course bypasses the expensive and time consuming registration process, and are even now tested in organic farming production (@g. on grapes in France, Germany, Italy)! These phosphorous acid compounds, most of ther based on potassium phos- phites, although active against the Oomycota and some fungal diseases, are claimed to provide phos- phorus nutrition to the plant. ‘True, untrue, partly true? What is true is that plants can absorb these compounds through roots and leaves and once in the plant, the phosphorous acids compounds are very stable. What is also true is that plants are incapable of using DIRECTLY the phos- phorus acid as a nutrient source. What is partly true is that the phosphorous acid compounds can break down in the soil to avai able forms of P, but this