Getting to know Yara’s Premium Crop Nutrition Solutions

By Zac B. Sarian

Yara is the world’s largest fertilizer company. The products are fertilizers all right but they are not the ordinary type. That’s why they are best called Crop Nutrition Solutions because they are very much different from the ordinary traditional fertilizers that local farmers are applying to their crops today. Crop nutrition solutions because of the complete and balanced nutrition they provide to crops.

Take, for instance, YaraVera Viking Ship Zn. It is urea with procote zinc technology, even with just a little amount of zinc but when used to fertilize rice plants, the increase in yield is very significant. In a two-year experiment at the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), YaraVera Viking Ship Zn, increased rice yield by 22 percent. On the other hand, a PhilRice report reveals that if the zinc deficiency in lowland rice is addressed, the potential yield increases up to 1 ton per hectare. That’s equivalent to 20 cavans of rough rice.

Three other groups of Yara powerbrands

Aside from YaraVera, Yara has three other power brands of formulations that address the requirements of crops under different situations that are available in the country, these are the YaraMila¸YaraLiva, and YaraVita.

YaraMila offers big advantages over their traditional counterparts. The nitrogen in traditional fertilizers is in the form of ammonium. The ammonium has to be converted into nitrate form before it is absorbed by the plants. In the process of transformation into nitrate, as much as 50 percent of the nutrients are lost. Also, the traditional fertilizers, because its nitrogen is in ammonium form, makes the soil acidic, which is bad for plants and the soil.

The nitrogen in YaraMila, on the other hand, is in the form of nitrate so that it is readily absorbed by the plants and does not make the soil acidic. It is therefore environment-friendly as it does not damage the soil.

Furthermore, most other complete fertilizers in the market, for instance, contain only Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). On the other hand, the YaraMila’s formulations are complete with the macro elements plus the necessary micronutrients. Micronutrients are in very small amounts but they pack a lot of power. All these marco and micronutrients are packed in one prill. YaraMila is consistent in particle size and composition. It has an even size distribution for accurate spreading during application and has a quick dissolving property when in contact with soil.

Under this group are YaraMila Aktibo, YaraMila Grower, YaraMila Winner, YaraMila Unik 16, YaraMila Hydran, and YaraMila Palmae.

YaraMila Aktibo is 21-6-12 NPK grade with added micronutrients – Sulfur, Magnesium and Boron. It promotes faster growth, strong and unblemished stems, excellent vigor, and good grain filling. YaraMila Aktibo is best recommended for rice grown in irrigated farms and corn.

YaraMila Grower is 13-11-21 NPK grade with Magnesium and Boron. It promotes faster growth and vigor, strong stems that prevents lodging and less unfilled grains. This fertilizer is recommended for the following crops: rice, corn, vegetables, and various crops.

YaraMila Winner is really a Winner. It has an excellent combination of NPK, 15-9-20 with Sulfur, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc and Boron. It helps ensure the crop the best opportunity for rapid growth, higher yields and larger produce. YaraMila is highly recommended for vegetables.

YaraMilaUnik 16, on the other hand, is also a complete fertilizer which contains 16-16-16 NPK. It helps in plant development and improves plant tolerance to stress and diseases. YaraMila Unik 16 is recommended for vegetables and all other crops.

YaraMila Hydran is 19-4-19 NPK grade plus Sulfur, Magnesium, Zinc, and Boron. It results in faster growth, higher yield, bigger and heavier produce. YaraMila Hydran is best for banana.

YaraMila Palmae is13-11-21 NPK grade with Magnesium and Boron. As the name implies, Palmae for palms, this is recommended for oil palms. Its use results in bigger plants, heavier produce and high oil extraction rate (OER).

YaraLiva is Yara’s power brand for Calcium Nitrates. Under this power brand are YaraLiva Tropicote (field-grade), YaraLiva Nitrabor (field grade with Boron) and YaraLiva Calcinit (superior soluble grade for fertigation).

The Nitrate-N is directly available for plant uptake, resulting in fast and predictable growth responses. It is non-volatile and is not absorbed in the soil particles, leaving it directly available to the plants.

The readily available Calcium improves the cell wall strength and helps prevent the occurrence of most common diseases leading to better quality, longer storage life, thus, increasing marketable crop yields. Also, these are highly water-soluble fertilizers and are the leading products that are used for mango flower induction.

Lastly, YaraVita is the power brand for single or multiple micronutrients foliar fertilizers. Under Yara Vita are the following:

• YaraVita Bortrac 150 (15% Boron)
• YaraVita Zintrac 700 (70% Zinc)
• YaraVita Magtrac 300 (30% Magnesium)
• YaraVita Caltrac (16% Calcium)
• YaraVita Crop boost (combination of Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, and Magnesium)
• YaraVita Teprosyn NPZn (seed fertilizer containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Zinc)
• YaraVita Glytrel (combination of Phosphorus and Zinc) – to be launched for corn.

Now, you see why Yara’s Premium Crop Nutrition Solutions are far superior to the traditional fertilizers most Filipino farmers know and use in their farms. Next time you buy fertilizer, remember Yara’s crop nutrition solutions.

For more information, visit the Yara Philippines.

This appeared in Agriculture Monthly’s November 2018 issue.