There are significant gains to be had when growers can apply both sulfur and phosphate in one pass – especially when those two critical nutrients come in one homogeneous granule. The advanced technology of Smart Nutrition™ MAP+MST® (9-43-0-16S) provides this option for growers in a convenient dry granule formulation.
Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is a unique way for growers to apply precise amounts of nutrients where and when the crop needs them. The Micronized Sulfur Technology (MST) delivers sulfur in a very small particle size for quicker elemental sulfur oxidization while providing sulfur throughout the growing season. Sulfur plays a vital role in plant development. Plants require sulfur to produce chlorophyll, which is needed for photosynthesis.
Phosphate also plays a critical role in photosynthesis, as well as plant development and energy transfer, but it does not move through the soil easily. Smart Nutrition MAP+MST integrates the micronized sulfur particles directly in the manufacturing process of mono-ammonium phosphate granules. This creates a uniform distribution of MST in each granule, providing maximum soil-to-fertilizer contact and an increased oxidation rate for quick crop use. The synergism between sulfur and phosphorus in plant nutrition helps enhance the efficiency of both nutrients.
There are significant gains to be had when growers can apply both sulfur and phosphate in one pass – especially when those two critical nutrients come in one homogeneous granule. The advanced technology of Smart Nutrition™ MAP+MST® (9-43-0-16S) provides this option for growers in a convenient dry granule formulation.
Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is a unique way for growers to apply precise amounts of nutrients where and when the crop needs them. The Micronized Sulfur Technology (MST) delivers sulfur in a very small particle size for quicker elemental sulfur oxidization while providing sulfur throughout the growing season. Sulfur plays a vital role in plant development. Plants require sulfur to produce chlorophyll, which is needed for photosynthesis.
Phosphate also plays a critical role in photosynthesis, as well as plant development and energy transfer, but it does not move through the soil easily. Smart Nutrition MAP+MST integrates the micronized sulfur particles directly in the manufacturing process of mono-ammonium phosphate granules. This creates a uniform distribution of MST in each granule, providing maximum soil-to-fertilizer contact and an increased oxidation rate for quick crop use. The synergism between sulfur and phosphorus in plant nutrition helps enhance the efficiency of both nutrients.
In general, elemental sulfur oxidation will lower soil pH over time in proportion to the amount of sulfur added and soil buffering capacity. The amount of sulfur in Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is relatively small compared with the total buffering capacity of most soils. We are not aware of internal or 3rd party testing of the soil pH response to Smart Nutrition MAP+MST but continued use over a period of time would be expected to contribute some incremental soil acidity.
No formal testing has been completed at this time. However, Smart Nutrition MAP+MST has shown to have superior handling characteristics such as high crush strength, low moisture absorption and low caking percentage. In addition, it has a low salt index for seed safety. These properties make Smart Nutrition™ MAP+MST an ideal fertilizer for banded applications.
MAP+MST 9-43-0-16S
AMS 21-0-0-24S
The sulfate form of sulfur in AMS is immediately available to the crop and immediately leachable like nitrate nitrogen. The sulfur in Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is a slow-release form which is much less susceptible to leaching loss. The sulfur in Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is “micronized sulfur technology”, a very fine elemental sulfur material. Average particle size of the sulfur in Smart Nutrition MAP+MST is 15 microns, the smallest particle size in the industry. Smaller particle size promotes faster oxidation (slow release) of sulfur into sulfate which is the plant available form. Smart Nutrition MAP+MST also has a low salt index making it much more seed-safe than AMS.
Smart Nutrition MAP+MST technology was first announced in September of 2018. Production and distribution began fall of 2019.
There is on-going research around adding this technology to other fertilizer sources such as nitrogen. At this time, no new products have been announced. Most retail locations across North America are set up to blend dry fertilizers and can add additional nitrogen sources as needed.
