USING A POLYASPARTATE PLANT NUTRIENT ABSORPTION ENHANCER (AMISORB) WITH WHEAT, BARLEY, AND CANOLA IN ALBERTA

Abstract

In 1996, AmiSorb@ was introduced in the United States as a plant nutrient absorption enhancer claiming yield increases of 20-30% .Independently Alberta Agriculture and Agrium tested AmiSorb on barley, wheat and canola .Yield of all crops was increased with fertilizer but AmiSorb did not increase yield. In 1996, AmiSorb was introduced in the United States as a plant nutrient absorption enhancer. AmiSorb is derived from one of the amino acids used in Nutrasweete' (Anonymous, Ag Retailer, Jan. 1996) and is a salt of polyaspartic acid (copoly-((3-carboxyproponamide)(2-carboxymethylacetatamide)) (product's MSDS) .The product has been patented as a means of enhancing nutrient uptake but the mode of action is unknown (F.E. Below, 1996, personal communication). Reports in trade publications (Anonymous, Ag Retailer, Jan., March, 1996; Aylsworth, Farm Chemicals, Feb., 1996) indicated that AmiSorb increased the efficiency of applied fertilizer resulting in earlier emergence, faster growth and higher yield. AmiSorb was repotted to attract ions of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur (NPKS) and micronutrients and keep them available for uptake by roots. The polyaspartate polymers were also thought to help roots store moisture. Bernardo Rico with the Donlar Corporation (the parent company to AmiLar International which markets AmiSorb) said that growers could expect to see a 25-30% increase in yield or about a 3 to 1 return on their investment in AmiSorb (Aylsworth, 1996). Although extensive research supported the product's efficacy on wheat, AmiSorb had also been tested on corn, soybeans, vegetables, and cotton. Reported benefits of AmiSorb led Agrium to initiate field research trials in 1996 to determine if AmiSorb increased the yield of spring wheat and canola .In related but independent work, the Agronomy Unit (Lethbridge) of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) initiated field trials in 1996 to determine if AmiSorb affected the yield of wheat or barley .For both groups the manufacturer supplied the AmiSorb and provided information on application procedures and rates. The estimated cost (416 ad') of the recommended AmiSorb application rate (2 quarts acre-') was thought to be high for western Canadian farming situations .Consequently Agrium's 1996 field work included an AmiSorb rate component to determine if AmiSorb application rates and input costs could be reduced.

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