Sirflor 38 Blue Chip Fertiliser.
Sirflor AKA ‘Blue Chip’ is a slow-release fertilizer for turf grass based on ureaformaldehyde. It gives a long-lasting source of N to encourage root growth and sustain growth. It is perfect to be incorporated into any high performance turf fertilizer strategy.
-
One of the safest and longest lasting slow-release N fertilizers.
-
Extensive research.
-
SGN 125 means no mower pick up.
-
Ideal for golf fairways or sportsturf.
-
The N is from methylene urea (MU) and Ureaformaldehyde.
-
Over two-thirds of the N is WIN.
-
Use of Sirflor reduces thatch build up.
-
Ureaformaldehyde encourages beneficial soil microbes.
-
Sirflor gives consistent feeding for 16 weeks or longer.
-
Low leaching risk.
The release rate of ureaformaldehyde (UF) depends on the UF chain length. The release of N is temperature dependent, and relies on soil microbe activity. The optimum temperature for microbe activity is around 21 to 32°C.
Microbes break down methylene urea by the methylene urease enzyme. They feed on the carbon that links the urea molecules. Once the urea enzyme cleaves the urea molecules, they covert to ammonium and nitrate.
The Manufacture of Ureaformaldehyde.
The diagram below shows how all synthetic organic nitrogen fertilisers use urea as their base material.
The manufacture of Sirflor involves the reaction of urea with formaldehyde with a catalyst to form ureaform. Ureaform is white and contains around 38% nitrogen. Sirflor gets its distinct blue colour with the addition of a blue dye.
You can separate the UFs into several fractions based on their solubilities in cold (25°C) and hot (100°C) water. This gives rise to the terms Cold Water Soluble Nitrogen (CWSN), Hot Water Soluble Nitrogen (HWSN) and Hot Water Insoluble Nitrogen (HWIN).
The greater the percentage of long chain UF, the longer the release rate.
Reseach into Sirflor Blue Chip.
- Comparison of Slow-Release N Sources on Cool -Season Turfgrass Growth and Quality Response and N Leaching Losses Under Glasshouse Conditions.
- Comparison vs slow release fertilizer sources under field conditions on cool season turfgrass.
- N release study.
- N leaching on cool season turfgrass.
Benefits of Sirflor Blue Chip.
- Provides a slow release of N over 16 weeks to maximise turf growth without surge growth.
- It has an SGN of 125.
- Nutrient release is not sensitive to water. Sirflor 38 is ideal for areas of high rainfall/irrigation.
- Sirflor improves N efficiency and reduces leaching.
Sirflor 38 vs Mesa 30
Product | Total N | % Slow Release N | Water soluble N % | Urea N | SGN |
Mesa 30 | 30 | 16.5 | 10.5 | 3.0 | 195 |
Sirflor 38 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 2.5 | 125-150 |
Cold water-soluble nitrogen (N) in fertilizers refers to forms of nitrogen that readily dissolve in water, enabling quick nutrient uptake by plants, but also potentially leading to rapid leaching and loss. Hot water-soluble nitrogen" (HWSN) refers to nitrogen forms that readily dissolve in hot water, allowing for quick plant uptake and potentially leading to rapid growth. | |||||
Application Rate: 125 Kg/Ha.
If you have questions or concerns about the use of Siflor38, please feel free to contact a sports turf consultant or turf agronomist.
