Solutions
Water-Soluble Grades for Foliar Feeding Programmes
A foliar programme asks more of a fertilizer than a soil application does. The product has to dissolve completely in the spray tank, stay in solution through the nozzles, and do it without scorching the leaf it is meant to feed. A foliar fertilizer manufacturer is therefore selling solubility and consistency first, and nutrients second — which is why this page starts with figures rather than with a formula.
Our macro-element water-soluble fertilizer is produced to NY/T 1107-2020 in 19-19-19 + 2MgO + TE and 20-20-20 + 2MgO + TE grades, at total nutrients of 57% and 60% minimum respectively, with water-insoluble matter at 1% maximum, moisture at 3.0% maximum and a working pH of 3.0 to 9.0 at 250-times dilution. Anhydrous magnesium sulfate at 98% minimum MgSO4 is supplied alongside where a magnesium foliar application is part of the programme.
This page is written for distributors and for the technical people behind a spray programme: the agronomists who set the tank mix, the buyers who compare three quotations against each other, and the operations that need a grade that behaves the same way in week ten as it did in week one.
The problem
What this page is here to solve
Scorch on the leaf after a spray
Leaf burn after a foliar application usually traces back to concentration, tank-mix order or the salt load in the product — not to the nutrient ratio. Working pH, water-insoluble matter and the impurity profile are the figures that decide how aggressive a mix is, and they are the figures we state on the technical data sheet with each grade.
Residue that blocks the filters and nozzles
Undissolved material in a sprayer is expensive twice: once in the blocked nozzle and again in the strip that gets no coverage. Complete dissolution at the dilution actually used is the requirement, and a stated water-insoluble figure is how a buyer checks it before the season rather than during it.
Grades that change behaviour between batches
A foliar programme is repeated many times a season, and each repetition multiplies small differences. What a buyer needs is a grade whose figures do not move: same dissolution behaviour, same pH range, same reading on the certificate of analysis. That is why the batch certificate travels with the shipment and the technical data sheet states the standard.
Trace elements the programme cannot see
A foliar programme that carries a trace-element package needs to know what is in it, because the same elements may already be arriving through the soil programme. We declare magnesium as MgO and state the trace-element package, so the secondary and micronutrient contribution can be balanced rather than guessed at.
Recommended configuration
Recommended configuration for a foliar programme
Most foliar programmes run on one water-soluble grade repeated through the season, with a magnesium input added where the crop or the soil calls for it.
| Input | Confirmed grade & figures | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Macro-element water-soluble fertilizer | 19-19-19 + 2MgO + TE · total nutrients ≥ 57% · biuret ≤ 0.9% · water-insoluble matter ≤ 1% · pH 3.0–9.0 at 250× dilution · NY/T 1107-2020 | Balanced grade for a repeated spray programme through the season |
| Macro-element water-soluble fertilizer | 20-20-20 + 2MgO + TE · total nutrients ≥ 60% | Higher-nutrient grade where a stronger analysis is wanted in the same spray programme |
| Anhydrous magnesium sulfate | MgSO4 ≥ 98% · water-insoluble matter ≤ 0.10% | Magnesium input for programmes that correct a magnesium shortfall through the leaf |
| Packing for spray operations | 25 kg or 50 kg PP woven bags with PE liner · 1000 kg FIBC with PE liner | Bags for field mixing and small blocks; jumbo bags for central mixing and large areas |
Specifications shown are indicative; the controlling values are those in the technical data sheet (TDS) and the batch certificate of analysis issued for your order.
Why work with us
Written into the quotation, not into an advert
A foliar programme is only as repeatable as the grade behind it. These are the points we put in writing for spray customers.
- Solubility, water-insoluble matter, moisture, biuret and working pH stated with the grade
- Batch certificate of analysis with every shipment, so the figures can be checked batch by batch
- Magnesium declared as MgO with the trace-element package stated, not implied
- Two confirmed grades in the same handling, so a programme change does not change the mixing
- Technical data sheet available before the order, for the agronomist as well as the buyer
- We do not publish spray rates: the programme belongs with your agronomist, and we say so
FAQ
Questions buyers ask about this
- What should I check before choosing a foliar fertilizer?
- Solubility at the dilution you use, water-insoluble matter, working pH and the impurity figures — biuret and heavy metals — because those decide how the mix behaves on the leaf. The confirmed grades here state water-insoluble matter at 1% maximum, biuret at 0.9% maximum and a working pH of 3.0 to 9.0 at 250-times dilution.
- Which grades do you supply for foliar feeding?
- Two confirmed macro-element water-soluble grades — 19-19-19 + 2MgO + TE at 57% minimum total nutrients and 20-20-20 + 2MgO + TE at 60% minimum, both to NY/T 1107-2020 — plus anhydrous magnesium sulfate at 98% minimum MgSO4 for programmes that need a magnesium input.
- Do you publish spray rates and timing?
- No. Rates and timing depend on the crop, the growth stage, the tank mix and local conditions, and a number published by a supplier is not a recommendation for your block. We state what the product contains and how it behaves in solution; the programme itself belongs with your agronomist or extension service.
- Can these be tank-mixed with other products?
- That depends on the specific products, the water and the order of mixing, and it is not something we can confirm at a distance. Checking the working pH of the fertilizer against the other product is the first step, and compatibility testing is work for you and your agronomist.
- What packing do you supply for spray operations?
- 25 kg and 50 kg PP woven bags with a PE inner liner for field mixing and smaller blocks, and 1000 kg jumbo bags for central mixing and larger areas. Ballotini or soluble-bag formats are not part of our confirmed range, and we will tell you so rather than quote around it.
Related
Specifications, documents and buying notes
Macro-Element Water-Soluble Fertilizer
Water-soluble NPK grades 19-19-19 and 20-20-20 + 2MgO + TE for fertigation and foliar feeding.
Anhydrous Magnesium Sulfate
Anhydrous MgSO₄ ≥98% — magnesium raw material for fertilizer, desiccant and industrial use.
How to Compare Magnesium Sulfate Quotations — Hydration Form and Purity Basis
Three magnesium sulfate quotations that look comparable often are not. The hydration form and the purity basis decide how much magnesium you actually receive per tonne.
Related applications
Other application pages on the same theme
Organised the way buyers ask about them — pick whichever page is closest to your situation.
Application
Fully Water-Soluble Fertilizers for Drip and Fertigation Systems
Fully water-soluble NPK grades for drip, micro-sprinkler and fertigation systems, quoted on solubility figures.
Protected culture
Water-Soluble Fertilizer for Greenhouse Vegetables
Fully water-soluble NPK grades for protected culture, quoted with the solubility, pH and impurity figures a house depends on.
For importers & distributors
Water-Soluble & Compound Fertilizer for Importers and Distributors
Bulk water-soluble and compound fertilizer, quoted against your written specification and shipped with a batch certificate of analysis.
Ask for the figures on a foliar grade
Tell us the crop programme and the dilution you work at. We will send the technical data sheet with the solubility, pH and impurity figures so your agronomist can check them.