Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Heavy Metals?

"Are the products such as 11-52, 18-46, 46-0-0, 21-0-0-4, contained with heavy metals?
If so are they what is causing the high Electrical Conductivity that we are seeing?
If that us true, then will organic fertilizers (better know as nutrition) help neutralize these heavy metals, or will they always be there? "
Thanks

"That's a pretty heavy question for late last night or early this morning!

https://www.google.com/#q=heavy+metals+in+farm+ferti...

There are some good answers above. Heavy metals have "five times the specific gravity of water." Lead has been the main one our country has went after. Arsenic is another but only produced by smelting metals so not as big a concern. Zinc, copper, manganese are others but needed for crop growth so pretty much a wash. Any mined fertilizer is going to have minute amounts, are tested and considered safe.

If I add "high electrical conductivity" to the above search, I get this:
https://www.google.com/#q=heavy+metals+in+farm+ferti...

Now waste water and organic comes up more often in the search.

I've worked with about every kind of situation that is out there in the last 40 years from granular to liquid to manure, sludge, organic. Sludge applied fields are among the highest yielding in this area and they do test higher in metals though I know of no real toxic ones from testing.

Granular fertilizer is what I use for most of my nutrient source and I will keep using it as long as it's the cheapest, most efficient way to fertilize my soils.

I hope this answers your question a bit, it's a vast topic. "

Ed Winkle


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