Multicote™ Agri, a range of controlled release fertilizers for agriculture and horticulture, has been designed to feed crops continuously throughout the growth season – for optimal development and best yield production.
Based on Haifa’s polymer coating technology, Multicote™ Agri releases nutrients to the soil in a gradual manner, according to plant’s requirements. This maximizes nutrient use efficiency and prevents leaching of nutrients, allowing for reduced application rates and protecting the environment.
The benefits of Multicote™ Agri • Feeds plants according to their growth needs
• Requires lower application rates, compared to conventional fertilizers
• Single application per season helps saving on labor
• Fertilizer is applied independently of the irrigation system
• Minimizes environmental impacts of fertilization
Controlled release – an advanced approach to plant nutrition
The advantages of continuously supplying plant nutrients throughout all crop growing stages are well established. A proven product, Haifa’s Multicote™ controlled-release fertilizer line presents growers with a broad range of products, enabling them to raise crops successfully. Multicote™ is the preferred way to provide plants with an ongoing stream of necessary nutrients.
Haifa’s Multicote™, a 100% polymer coated fertilizer, led to the development and introduction of Multicote™Agri, a viable and economical solution that can be applied to a wide variety of agricultural crops.
Multicote™ polymer-coating technology
The most reliable and effective way to control the availability of nutrients for plant uptake is by regulating their release into the soil solution. This is achieved by encapsulating solid fertilizer particles in a polymeric coating.
During the production process, granules of soluble fertilizer are coated with very fine polymer layers. This polymer coating, which acts as a semi-permeable barrier, allows measured diffusion of nutrients when the fertilizer granules are applied to the soil.
How does it work? When Multicote™ granules are applied to the soil, the coating acts as a semi-permeable barrier, allowing a continuous release of nutrients to the root zone. Multicote™ polymer coated fertilizers release plant nutrients slowly and continuously throughout the growth cycle. A single application of Multicote™ controlled release fertilizer will supply optimal levels of plant nutrients for months. Multicote™ is available in a wide range of formulae and release longevities from two to sixteen months (at a soil temperature of 21ºC).
Following application, the granules start absorbing moisture that dissolves the nutrients inside the coating. The dissolved nutrients then diffuse slowly and continuously into the root zone. The rate of diffusion – the actual release rate – is determined by the soil temperature. The release rate increases as temperature rises, just as it does with plant uptake processes.
Other soil type-related factors such as humidity, pH, and microbial activity do not affect the release rate.
Multicote™ controlled release fertilizers incorporate today’s most advanced technology. Highly sophisticated, these products are designed to simplify the grower’s work and minimize errors in application calculations.
Table 1: Multicote™ release of plant nutrients, stage by stage
1
Multicote™ structure
Core: A granule of soluble
plant nutrients Shell: Polymer coating
2
After Application
In the soil: Water penetration
leads to gradual dissolution of
the nutrients
This stage takes 7-10 days,
depending on logevity
3
Water penetration
Further dissolution of nutrients
and their diffusion through the polymer coating to the soil and
into the plants roots
4
Complete dissolution
At this stage the release rate slows,
according to Fick's 2nd law of diffusion:
5
Release is complete
After the release is complete, the
coatingn will degrade gradually,
leaving no residues in the soil
Feeds plants according to their needs
Improves nutrient use efficiency and allows for reduced application rates
Saves labor and time
Applied independently of the irrigation system
Minimizes the environmental impact of fertilization
Ensures a cost-effective solution for plant nutrition
The most reliable and effective way to control the availability of nutrients for plant uptake is by regulating their release into the soil solution. This is achieved by encapsulating solid fertilizer particles in a polymeric coating.
t zone. Multicote™ polymer coated fertilizers release plant nutrients slowly and continuously throughout the growth cycle. A single application of Multicote™ controlled release fertilizer will supply optimal levels of plant nutrients for months. Multicote™ is available in a wide range of formulae and release longevities from two to sixteen months (at a soil temperature of 21ºC). 
4 months longevity