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| 1 Crop Production |
| 1.1 Fertilizer, Plant Food And Soil Amendments |
| 1.1.4 Phosphorus |
| Phosphorus is vital for crop growth, root development, early maturation and crop quality. It is "fixed" or strongly held by iron, aluminum hydroxides and clays. The reactions are strongly influenced by pH. At low pH values (<5.5) phosphorus becomes fixed to Aluminum and Iron. The highest level of availability occurs in the pH range of 6 -7. Soil phosphorus does not leach, but erosion of the top soil can pollute water ways.
In the feed industry, phosphorus is expressed on the label as elemental phosphorus, while in the fertilizer industry it is expressed as phosphoric acid (P2O5). Phosphoric acid gives a much bigger number (2.3 times as big) for the same actual phosphorus content. Phosphorus is available from certain soil minerals; however, it tends to be in short supply in most soils and even if present, can frequently be unavailable to plants. There are several sources of phosphorus such as, bone meal, blood meal, and a variety of mineral phosphates including colloidal phosphate or calphos. |
| 1.1.4.1 Bone Meal (CGSB Allowed)* |
| Bone meal is the powdered processed waste of the slaughterhouse industry. High in phosphorus (27% total phosphate), bone meal also has minor amounts of nitrogen (2-12-0). Calcium content is usually around 24%. As a source of phosphorus, bone meal is slowly available to the plant and is most commonly used in potting mixes or during transplanting.
* In recent years, some certification bodies, particularly those in Europe, have prohibited its use, with the exception of organic sources, due to the risk of BSE contamination. The Canadian National Standards have also resticted its use except from organic or sterilized sources. There are currently no organic sources of bone meal on the Canadian market. For some North American certifying bodies, bone meal is still an approved input. |
| Products | Sources | OMRI | Origin | Bloom-a-long (0-12-0) | RainGrow |  |
Grounds Keepers Pride | International Compost | |
Bone Meal 2-11-0 | Gaia Green Products | |
Bone Meal 5-10-0 | California Organic Fertilizers |  |
Granulated Steamed Bone Meal | Pacific Calcium Inc | |
Granulated Steamed Bone Meal (2-14-0) | North Pacific Trading | |
Vita Soil - Steamed Bone Meal | LaBudde Group Inc | |
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| 1.1.4.2 Mineral Phosphates (CGSB Allowed) |
| Mineral phosphate refers to a range of naturally occurring mined minerals containing phosphorus. The mineral forms of phosphorus contain relatively large amounts of phosphorus; however, very little of it is actually available to the plant immediately after application. Like many mined minerals, they need to undergo the process of weathering before the crop can access nutrients. For this reason, mineral phosphates are chemically treated to produce soluble phosphorus fertilizers. These are not allowed in organic systems due to their rapid solubility and negative environmental impacts associated with the processing of the mineral. The unprocessed mineral is allowed for use as a soil amendment because its slow availability does not create a negative impact on soil life.
Mineral phosphates come in several forms. Phosphorus frequently occurs as a component of sedimentary clays. When mined, dried and powdered, these are known as colloidal phosphate, which means that the particles are small and readily available for plant use. Colloidal phosphate is also known as soft rock phosphate, calphos or colloidal calcium phosphate. Total phosphate is around 20% of which, 3% is available. The high calcium content of the clay also provides 23% calcium. Most rock phosphates come from ancient marine deposits that are comprised by as much as 30% phosphate; however, only about 1-2% is readily available. The term hard-rock phosphate refers to phosphorus sources derived from igneous volcanic deposits consisting of the mineral apatite. Although apatite contains about 40% total phosphate, very little of this is immediately available. Due to their slow availability, results from applying mineral phosphates may not be apparent in the first cropping year. In order to improve its availability, mineral phosphates are usually added to manure piles and composted. This not only improves the availability of the phosphorus, but also helps to retain nitrogen within the pile. |
| Products | Sources | OMRI | Origin | Calphos | Bio-Ag Distributors |  |
Mosher Limestone |  |
Homestead Organics | |
Mineral Phosphates | Mosher Limestone | |
Soft Rock Phosphate | Bio-Ag Distributors | |
Rock Phosphate | Engrais Naturels McInnes | |
Terratonic | |
Rock Phosphate | Sunworks Farm | |
E.E.G.A.L. Farm Service | |
Rock Phosphate 0-3-0 | Gaia Green Products | |
Montana Gray Rock | O-D Partnership | |
Montana Natural Rock Phosphate | Pacific Calcium Inc | |
Nutribalance G27 | Timac Inc | |
Rock Phosphate (0-2.8-0) | California Organic Fertilizers | |
Soda Springs Granulated Rock Phosphate | Soda Springs Phosphate | |
Soda Springs Powdered Rock Phosphate | Soda Springs Phosphate | |
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