Use of the stable isotope (57) Fe to track the efficacy of the foliar application of lignosulfonate/Fe(3+) complexes to correct Fe deficiencies in cucumber plants.

Background: During the last decade, environmental concerns regarding the use of recalcitrant synthetic chelates to overcome iron chlorosis has increased and new ligands such as lignosulfonates (LS) have been evaluated. However, the efficacy of these products is variable. In this work a hardwood (eucalyptus) and softwood (spruce) LS were compared to try to relate their physico-chemical characteristics and their efficacy.

Iron supply to soybean plants through the foliar application of IDHA/Fe3+: effect of plant nutritional status and adjuvants.

Background: Synthetic Fe chelates are commonly used to overcome Fe deficiencies in crops, but most of them are scarcely biodegradable. Iminodisuccinic acid (IDHA) is a biodegradable chelating agent that is currently being evaluated as an alternative to EDTA. In this work, the efficacy of the foliar application of IDHA/Fe(3+) to soybean chlorotic plants under controlled conditions was studied, testing the influence of the adjuvant used and of the plant nutritional status.

Revalorization of a two-phase olive mill waste extract into a micronutrient fertilizer.

Micronutrient deficiencies in plants may be treated using metal complexes. A modified two-phase olive mill waste (OMWm) was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy. A study was also made of micronutrient (Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu) complexation and the stability of complexes.