Friday, February 6, 2009
DOLOMITE VERSUS BORREPLEX CA (Calcium Lignosulfate)
Calcium is critical to plant health and the building of strong cell walls. Calcium also regulates intake of other nutrients. Gardeners and farmers seek inexpensive source of calcium and historically have applied lime rock (calcium carbonate), dolomite or gypsum. Aside from the fact that overtime, the use of these products will increase the pH of the soil, how effective is dolomite, for example, as a source of calcium for the plant compared to BorrePlex Ca?
If you are not familiar with BorrePlex CA, it is a blend of wood sugars and modified calcium lignosulfate. I take the liberty of using the trade name because there is only one manufacturer of this product approved for agricultural use in the US. This is not ment to be a plug for the manufacturer. It is an organic labeled product (OMRI) which is a byproduct of the pulp industry. Lignin which compromises 30% of all plant mass is the back bone of BorrePlex Ca. More on that later.
Without getting too technical, the solubility of calcium carbonate (Ca CO3) is dependent on the soil pH and partial pressure of CO2. Assuming the we focus on pH only, the following molar solubility table will provide some answers.
pH Mol
2 170
4 1.7
6 0.02
8 0.0011
At a soil pH of 7, solubility of calcium carbonate is around o.oo5. This means that if one ton of dolomite (2,000 lbs) is applied per acre, at best only 2.17 lbs of soluble calcium (Ca++) is available to plants, (assuming 100% water saturation). 2000 lbs x 0.005 = 10 lbs x 0.217 (21.7% molar concentration of Ca++ in CaMg(CO3)2 = 2.17 lbs.
This of course assumes that:
1) Particle size of the dolomite is extremely small to interact with water.
2) The dolomite is 100% pure.
3) The dolomite is immersed in water at all times in order to dissolves.
4) There is no precipitation of the calcium with phosphates or any other chemical reactions which may tie up calcium.
The reality is that none of these caveats apply. Particle size vary considerably depending on the source, dolomite is rarely pure, 100% moisture also implies water logging of roots which ultimately kills the plant. lastly, calcium will bind to other atoms or molecules such as phosphate.
In a perfect environment, assuming that the phosphate is already tied up in the soil and will not react with additional calcium input, a realistic 10% soil moisture, and extremely fine powder of 100% pure dolomite, at best 0.217 lbs of Ca++ is available to plants (based on soil moisture). Note that the rate of solubility of calcium is also dependent on the rate of absorption by the plant and the rate at which it binds to other atoms or molecules.
Compare this with the use of Calcium Lignosulfate, an organic source of calcium and sulfur. The recommended rate of 8.5 lbs of BorrePlex Ca, with a 5% concentration of calcium will provide 0.425 lbs in a complexed form which the plant can readily absorbed.
Assuming dolomite is purchased at $26/ton, and one ton is applied per acre, the cost per acre of Ca++ potentially available to plants = $119.81 ($26/0.217 lbs).
The cost per acre of Ca++ from BorrePlex Ca = $51.24 ($21.78 for 8.5 lbs/0.425 lbs), more than half the cost of dolomite.
Borreplex Ca offers a lot more:
1) It is an OMRI approved source of calcium.
2) Its lignin backbone is highly charged, as a result, it complexes (binds) nutrients which would otherwise be tied in the soil particles.
3) It also contains wood surgars which feed and therefore increase microbial populations including rhizo bacteria which fixate nitrogen to roots.
4) It also binds bacteria to root zone causing auxin response by plants, thereby increasing yield.
Bottom line: Studies after studies on a wide range of crops through out the world have shown that Calcium Lignosulfate increases yield from 10% to 30% depending on quantities applied.
One of the best products available for growers interested in higher yields and healthier plants.
If you are not familiar with BorrePlex CA, it is a blend of wood sugars and modified calcium lignosulfate. I take the liberty of using the trade name because there is only one manufacturer of this product approved for agricultural use in the US. This is not ment to be a plug for the manufacturer. It is an organic labeled product (OMRI) which is a byproduct of the pulp industry. Lignin which compromises 30% of all plant mass is the back bone of BorrePlex Ca. More on that later.
Without getting too technical, the solubility of calcium carbonate (Ca CO3) is dependent on the soil pH and partial pressure of CO2. Assuming the we focus on pH only, the following molar solubility table will provide some answers.
pH Mol
2 170
4 1.7
6 0.02
8 0.0011
At a soil pH of 7, solubility of calcium carbonate is around o.oo5. This means that if one ton of dolomite (2,000 lbs) is applied per acre, at best only 2.17 lbs of soluble calcium (Ca++) is available to plants, (assuming 100% water saturation). 2000 lbs x 0.005 = 10 lbs x 0.217 (21.7% molar concentration of Ca++ in CaMg(CO3)2 = 2.17 lbs.
This of course assumes that:
1) Particle size of the dolomite is extremely small to interact with water.
2) The dolomite is 100% pure.
3) The dolomite is immersed in water at all times in order to dissolves.
4) There is no precipitation of the calcium with phosphates or any other chemical reactions which may tie up calcium.
The reality is that none of these caveats apply. Particle size vary considerably depending on the source, dolomite is rarely pure, 100% moisture also implies water logging of roots which ultimately kills the plant. lastly, calcium will bind to other atoms or molecules such as phosphate.
In a perfect environment, assuming that the phosphate is already tied up in the soil and will not react with additional calcium input, a realistic 10% soil moisture, and extremely fine powder of 100% pure dolomite, at best 0.217 lbs of Ca++ is available to plants (based on soil moisture). Note that the rate of solubility of calcium is also dependent on the rate of absorption by the plant and the rate at which it binds to other atoms or molecules.
Compare this with the use of Calcium Lignosulfate, an organic source of calcium and sulfur. The recommended rate of 8.5 lbs of BorrePlex Ca, with a 5% concentration of calcium will provide 0.425 lbs in a complexed form which the plant can readily absorbed.
Assuming dolomite is purchased at $26/ton, and one ton is applied per acre, the cost per acre of Ca++ potentially available to plants = $119.81 ($26/0.217 lbs).
The cost per acre of Ca++ from BorrePlex Ca = $51.24 ($21.78 for 8.5 lbs/0.425 lbs), more than half the cost of dolomite.
Borreplex Ca offers a lot more:
1) It is an OMRI approved source of calcium.
2) Its lignin backbone is highly charged, as a result, it complexes (binds) nutrients which would otherwise be tied in the soil particles.
3) It also contains wood surgars which feed and therefore increase microbial populations including rhizo bacteria which fixate nitrogen to roots.
4) It also binds bacteria to root zone causing auxin response by plants, thereby increasing yield.
Bottom line: Studies after studies on a wide range of crops through out the world have shown that Calcium Lignosulfate increases yield from 10% to 30% depending on quantities applied.
One of the best products available for growers interested in higher yields and healthier plants.
Labels: farming, fertilizer, gardening, Lawn Care, plant food, plant nutrition
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The BorrePlex seems like a great alternative to dolomite at a much smaller cost! AND It is all organic. Sounds great. The fact that it is all organic is so important. Now is the time to steer away from the inorganic fertilizers that leach into all our water bodies.
# posted by 
: February 10, 2009 at 5:25 AM
: February 10, 2009 at 5:25 AM
Does this come in just 8.5 lb bags and do you use the same amount for lawns as for a vegetable garden?
# posted by : February 10, 2009 at 8:59 AM
: February 10, 2009 at 8:59 AM
BorrePlex CA for agriculture comes in a variety of sizes from dry form in 50 lb bags to liquid in 250 Gal totes. The liquid is more economical and easier to apply. There is an equivalent 5.5 lbs of dry per gallon of liquid. It is very concentrated. The 8.5 lbs per acre is recommended at planting with an additional 2 to 3 lbs at flowering. This is for vegetables and turf (just the 8.5 lbs). The more is applied, the better the results. This has to do with the complexing ability of the lignin, the increase in microbial population in the soil and the binding of rhizo bacteria to roots.
For lawns and gardens for the home owner, it comes in 1 gallon container in liquid form. In this case, 6 teaspons mixed with a gallon of water cover a 10 ft bed. One gallon would cover approximately 28,000 square feet of lawn using a hose-end sprayer.
For lawns and gardens for the home owner, it comes in 1 gallon container in liquid form. In this case, 6 teaspons mixed with a gallon of water cover a 10 ft bed. One gallon would cover approximately 28,000 square feet of lawn using a hose-end sprayer.
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