20 Litre Limate

Chelated minerals are generally not recommended for compost tea production. However, limate has been quality tested to show a positive result on soil microbiology. Limate is a calcium nitrogen blend and comes in a liquid form.

Application:

Best applied through BioActive compost tea.

Dr Elaine Inghams Research and Technical Advice

CHELATED MINERAL ADDITIVES

Any additive to soil, compost or compost tea should be in an organic or chelated form. Chelation means, in a practical sense, complexed with a protein. Another way to think of this is that an ionic form has been complexed with an organic molecule.

Addition of any salt (ionic or inorganic forms are salt forms) has the potential to harm the biology through osmotic effects, so inorganic additions to soil, compost or compost tea should be avoided to the greatest degree possible. Complexing salts with organic matter solves this negative effect.

Calcium

Calcium has been added to soil for a long time, as far back as early records of agricultural practices, calcium in the form of bones and rock powders have been used. Chelated calcium has shown to be much more beneficial to biology than adding the salt forms of calcium, or indeed, any other nutrient. Each formulation enhances different sets of organisms, so data are required to know what will benefit with each product.

Product:

Limate or Chelated Calcium Nitrate

Mineral calcium nitrate chelated to reduce and prevent damage to the biology.

Care needs to be exercised to add the maximum amount of the lime needed without harming the organisms. Testing will be critical to perform.

Biological Response:

The lower concentration improved total bacterial biomass, active and total fungal biomass, while the higher concentration resulted in a decrease in all organism groups. Actinobacteria were reduced in both treatments. Protozoa were reduced by 5%. This suggests the chemical composition was imposing salt-effects or a direct concentration problem.

Limeate Test Results