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ICL (NYSE and TASE: ICL), a global manufacturer of products based on specialty minerals that fulfill essential needs of the world’s growing population in the agriculture, processed food and engineered materials markets, announced today that its ICL Fertilizers segment (“ICLF”) has launched its new fertilizer in Brazil -PolySulphate™.
PolySulphate™, derived from the mineral Polyhalite found at ICLF’s mines in the UK, contains four nutrients – Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Sulphur (S) – and is environmentally friendly in its natural form, approved for organic agriculture and suitable for chloride sensitive crops. It is also a unique and effective solution for sulphur-depleted soils.
ICLF is the world’s sole producer and marketer of PolySulphate™, and initial customers for the new fertilizer, which ICLF is launching in selected agro markets around the world, have responded enthusiastically to the technical and agronomic benefits of the new product, as well as its unique characteristics and special nutrient release pattern.
In Brazil, agronomic research on PolySulphate™ conducted by Dr. Fabio Vale from Adubai Consultoria has underlined the new fertilizer’s application flexibility (banding or broadcasting) and its supply of four essential nutrients. Controlled experiments using PolySulphate™ on soybean, rice and corn demonstrate the effective uptake of nutrients from its use. In addition, the fertilizer provides blending options, for example, together with TSP and MAP for use on soybean crops. PolySulphate™ also meets the high S required by cotton, the high K supplement required for coffee crops, and it also effectively provides the Mg and Ca needed to improve the quality of citrus and tomato crops.
ICL continues to conduct large-scale experiments using PolySulphate™ in various agro-ecological zones with preliminary results indicating that leaching of Polysulphate™ is less than for an equivalent product mixture of SOP, kieserite and gypsum. ICLF intends to create further awareness of PolySulphate™ and conduct additional research in cooperation with the International Potash Institute and in collaboration with Brazilian research centers.
Last week, ICLF hosted an official launch of Polysulphate™ for its customers and others in Brazil during which over seventy industry blenders and distributors met to discuss developments in Brazilian agriculture and were introduced to ICLF’s new PolySulphate™ product. During the event, Paulo Ruivo, Commercial Director of ICLF Brazil, reviewed field crop experiments using the new fertilizer and the potential for PolySulphate to be integrated with other ICLF products that are currently used on major Brazilian crops. Paulo Ruivo predicted that ICLF PolySulphate™ sales in Brazil and other LA countries will reach over 500,000 tons within a few years. Dalmo Caserato, Commercial Manager for ICL Brazil, described ICLF’s broad portfolio of specialty fertilizers, including its controlled release fertilizers (CRF), fertigation and foliar grades, and products suitable for the ornamental market. Nissim Adar, President of ICL Fertilizers, also provided an overview of ICL’s major fertilizer activities around the globe, including its expansion of potash resources in Ethiopia and Spain, its phosphate resources in China, and PolySulphate™ in the UK, as well as ICLF’s business development activities in Latin America.
