ISSUE 37: 2017

Wolf Trax™ DDP® Nutrients Increase Yields in Rwanda Part 3: Wheat

Wolf Trax DDP Nutrientsfeature three proprietarytechnologies that ensureeffective delivery of nutrition:

EvenCoatTM

Technology

Fertilizer coating technologyallows for blanket-likedistribution and more points ofinterception for young roots.

PlantActivTM

Formulation

Physically and chemicallydesigned – the Wolf Trax DDPparticle size is optimum forplant uptake.

Wolf Trax Innovative Nutrients are unique, research-tested and field-proven micronutrient and secondary nutrientfertilizers. By making nutrients more accessible to plants when they are needed most, Wolf Trax products simplifynutrient management, boost crop performance and enhance the return on farmers’ fertilizer investment.

wolftrax.com

DUAL ACTIONTM

Each DDP Nutrient is formulated with atleast two forms of the mineral, providingimmediate nutrient uptake as well asextended feeding over time.

In 2015, a multi-site, replicated field trial was conducted in Rwanda to

evaluate the performance of Wolf Trax DDP Nutrients as part of an early

season fertiliser program for wheat production. Alternate micronutrient

strategies were also implemented for comparison purposes. Under the conditions

of this study, micronutrient strategies including Wolf Trax DDPs resulted in

significantly higher wheat yields than the current fertiliser practice.

BACKGROUNDSoil fertility is often a limiting factor in crop production throughout Rwanda due to

erosion and parent material that is inherently low in nutrient content, and soils often

require high levels of soil amendments in order to optimize crop production. Interest

in application of micronutrient fertilisers to complement current fertiliser practices

has increased in recent years. The purpose of this series of trials is to compare

different micronutrient fertiliser strategies in three crops throughout Rwanda:

maize, beans and wheat.

Wolf Trax DDP (Dry Dispersible Powder) Nutrients are micronutrient fertilisers that

feature EvenCoat™ Technology. By coating each granule of the fertiliser blend, DDP

Nutrients can be placed closer to the roots for easier access and earlier availability.

EvenCoat Technology allows dealers to better serve farmer customers by providing

customized ratios of micronutrients to suit individual fields. In addition to improved

field distribution, Wolf Trax DDP Nutrients also feature the patented PlantActiv™

Formulation and are both physically and chemically formulated to resist soil

tie-up for improved plant uptake.

Application of micronutrient fertilisers significantly increased wheat yields relative to the current fertiliser practice.

Yield increases with all micronutrient strategies were comparable, with the exception of Ferticoat which resulted

in significantly higher yields than all other treatments. This could be due to the plant growth stimulant (humic/

fulvic/amino acids/organic stimulants/growth hormones) component of Ferticoat.

SUMMARY

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Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved - Compass Minerals Manitoba Inc. Wolf Trax and Design, DDP, EvenCoat and PlantActiv are trademarks of Compass Minerals Manitoba Inc. Compass Minerals is the proud supplier of Wolf Trax Innovative Nutrients. Not all products are registered in all areas.Contact wolftrax@compassminerals.com for more information.

RESULTSAcross all sites, micronutrient treatments

significantly increased yield relative to the

‘Current’ fertiliser practice (Figure 1).

Application of Wolf Trax DDPs resulted in

yields that were comparable with granular

and foliar micronutrient strategies, while

application of Ferticoat resulted in significantly

higher yields than all other treatments

(Figure 1).

METHODSThis study was conducted by IFDC at 41 locations with varying soil properties

in three provinces and throughout nine districts in Rwanda. Wheat was

planted and maintained according to regional agronomic practices. The

‘Control’ treatment did not include fertiliser, the ‘Current’ treatment

included 100 kg/ha DAP at planting and a top-dress application of 50 kg/ha

urea, and all micronutrient treatments included 100 kg/ha DAP as well as

200 kg/ha dolomite and 60 kg/ha sulfate of potash applied at planting and

a top-dress application of 100 kg/ha urea. Wolf Trax DDPs and Ferticoat™,

a liquid fertiliser that contains plant growth stimulants derived from humic,

fulvic, amino acids, organic stimulants and growth hormones in addition

to Zn, B and Cu, were applied to evenly coat the granular fertiliser blend.

Granular micronutrients were incorporated into the fertiliser blend and

foliar fertilisers were applied at the appropriate timing (Figure 1).

Treatments that were intended for comparison of liming sources were

omitted for the purposes of this report. The crop was taken to yield and

data was analyzed using general linear models (P≤0.10) and treatment

values were separated using Fisher’s LSD tests.

2.6

4.0

5.15.4 5.3

5.7

Control Current Granular(Zn, B, Cu)

Foliar(Zn, B, Cu)

DDPs(Zn, B, Cu)

Ferticoat(Zn, B, Cu &

Plant GrowthStimulants)

b

d

e

ca

bc

Whw

at Y

ield

(ton

/ha)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Figure 1. Wheat yields under varying micronutrient fertiliser strategies. P=0.0001.

1 Control - - -

2 Current - - -

3 Granular 2.5 1.0 0.3

4 Foliar 0.2 0.2 0.1

5 Wolf Trax DDPs 0.4 0.2 0.3

6 Ferticoat 0.5 0.3 0.2

Table 1. Fertiliser Treatments Applied to Wheat

Elemental kg/haTrt # Treatment Zinc Boron Copper