May 17, 2023

Balchem obtains registration for organic foliar products

Balchem Plant Nutrition has received registration for two organic foliar products that aim to aid growers of organic fruit and vegetables.

Balchem has won registration for Metalosate Calcium-Potassium and Metalosate ZMI, a combination of zinc, iron and manganese. The products are an extension of Balchem’s current Metalosate Organic product line and allows growers to customize sprays more effectively than by mixing multiple ingredients into one application, according to the release.

The new product combinations provide convenient, safe solutions for organic fruit and vegetable growers, according to a news release. Balchem’s products service conventional and organic vegetables including tomatoes, onions, carrots, sweet corn, grapes, berries, melons, potatoes and tree nuts.

“Bringing more convenient solutions to bear is critical for the ever-growing organic produce segment,” Balchem officials said in the release. “Balchem Plant Nutrition’s research team found that applying the minerals in each combination can give a synergistic effect.”

The USDA projects agriculture applications alone can cost anywhere from $10 to $15 per acre for aerial applications, and approximately $300 per acre for backpack applications. For farmers, reducing the number of applications becomes vital in maximizing efficiencies and maintaining profit, according to the release.

Reducing applications include maximizing the number of products in a tank, compatibility and targeted solutions to address specific challenges in the least number of passes through a field.

“We understand how important it is to minimize passes in the field, but that should not be a reason to sacrifice quality, or the ability to target particular applications for your spray program,” Jeremy O’Brien, Balchem’s Plant Nutrition global director, said in the release.

“In conventional crop production, these mineral combinations gave excellent results, so we wanted to bring the same benefits to organic growers. Our product development team took the time to find the correct balance of minerals and takes the guesswork out of product mixing. That provides peace of mind since growers can feel confident the application is safe and effective.”

The products provide organic farmers with more solutions to supplement crops in a more financially and environmentally sustainable way, according to the release.

“As an extension of the current Metalosate product line, they provide an added level of convenience, backed by the rigor of Balchem’s scientific research and development,” Balchem officials said.

Metalosate products implement technology that has been utilized for more than 50 years in more than 300 crops. Metalosate’s organic products are certified via OMRI, Kiwa, California’s State Department of Agriculture, and Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Based in Montvale, New Jersey, Balchem Plant Nutrition develops, manufactures and markets products for conventional and organic vegetables and tree and vine crops as well as field crops, ornamental trees, and other plant nutrition markets.

In vegetables, Balchem’s agronomists work in tomatoes, onions, potatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts.

In fruit, Balchem products service apples, cherries, grapes, peaches and other stone fruit as well as berries. In tree nuts, Balchem services almonds and walnuts and other nuts.