Zinc deficiency is one of the most widespread micronutrient deficiencies in crops and pastures worldwide and causes large losses in crop production and crop quality. Zinc oxide is recognized as an essential micronutrient to plants and grains. It can substitute zinc sulphate in most of fertilizers’ formula as a source for the essential element zinc. The use of zinc oxide as an inorganic micronutrient fertilizer includes direct application to soils to correct the zinc deficiency, root dipping and seed coating before crop transplant but also as ingredient for foliar applications of zinc. These are widely used, especially with fruit trees and grapevines.
Micronutrient deficiency in soil and the need to produce more food grains on limited arable land are expected to contribute to the progressive growth of general demand in fertilizers. The increasing demand of cereals, fruit & vegetables, and oilseed & pulses is expected to drive the agricultural micronutrients demand, resulting in demand for zinc oxide.
This technical grade of free flowing zinc oxide powder with 72/75% of zinc content is mostly used to compensate for zinc deficiency. Impurities are strictly controlled. The main advantage is its competitive price compared to other sources of zinc.
Zinc oxide W-78 is a direct or American process zinc oxide, which is produced by a reduction-oxidation process, followed by a special treatment resulting in a high quality zinc oxide. W-78 has a low level of impurity, which makes its use appropriate in most agricultural applications.
Coming from the indirect process, the pharma grade, obtained by oxidizing very pure zinc vapours is our purest zinc oxide and is used as an ingredient for foliar fertilizers.