Fibagro Advance by ICL UK & Ireland

The new substrate for your peat free and peat reduced growing media

New Woodfibre substrate manufactured and sourced in the UK Rigorously trialled for quality and performance Excellent nutrition packages available from ICL to maximise plant quality

Image of bag for illustrative purposes only

Exclusive new product Sustainably sourced and manufactured in the UK

ICL is delighted to bring to market Fibagro Advance, a woodfibre substrate manufactured in the UK exclusively for the professional horticultural market.

Woodfibre; what growers need to know? Woodfibre is seen as a sustainable inert option to peat based growing media, however there are issues around its use: Slumping Due to its structure, particularly at high levels Water retention Again, at levels over 25 to 30% there are difficulties with water absorption and retention Nitrogen draw down Produced predominantly from white woods, the material continues to break down within the growing media potentially using available N in the process Buffering capacity With a low surface area woodfibre is not as efficient at holding on to available nutrients

Why growers should choose Fibagro Advance as their woodfibre option With its unique production process, ICL’s Fibagro Advance significantly reduces the impact of these issues. Combined with our technically advanced fertilizers and wetting agents we can almost eliminate such issues and produce high quality plants throughout the growing season. Using ICL’s unique thermo-mechanical process, Fibagro Advance is designed and manufactured to create a consistent and high-quality product. The process creates ‘split end’ fibres creating a unique matrix, which when blended with other raw materials, such as peat, coir and bark, results in increased water and nutrient holding capacity within peat reduced or peat free growing media. Fibagro Advance has been trialled with ICL’s top of the range nutrition and water management products (Osmocote controlled release fertilizers, Osmoform slow release fertilizers and H2Gro wetting agent), so that our Technical Area Sales team can create the best custom mix growing media for your plants; whether that be a peat reduced Levington Advance Solutions or peat free Levington Advance Sustain mix.

Exclusive new product from ICL Professional Horticulture

Features and benefits • Low to medium bulk density -

providing a good structure within growing media blends and reducing ‘slumping’ often associated with woodfibre products

• Reduced nutrient leaching • Thoroughly trialled by ICL experts at different inclusion rates

• High Air Filled Porosity for good rooting and drainage

• Improved Water Holding Capacity • Full ICL nutrition (Osmocote) and

wetting agent (H2Gro) packages available to increase plant quality

• Manufactured in the UK from FSC sourced wood materials

• Thermo-mechanically processed for consistency and quality

Did you know? ICL has the perfect nutrition packages with its Osmocote CRF range as well as starter fertilizers such as Osmoform. Contact your Technical Area Sales Manager for further details of how these can be applied.

02 phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com

Trialling Our team of growing media professionals ran a series of trials throughout 2019, assessing the inclusion of Fibagro Advance versus other commercially available woodfibres as well as peat based growing media.

Bedding

Perennials

Throughout 2019 ICL extensively trialled Fibagro Advance in peat reduced and peat free growing media for bedding plants with great success. The results of which can be seen below. All the trials were matched against standard ICL peat based growing media.

Mixes for perennials were made with 70% peat and 30% Fibagro Advance, with adjusted nutrition to increase plant quality.

Peat v Peat reduced at 10 weeks growth of wallflowers, pansies, dianthus and primulas

Above ground in Control M1

Above ground in reduced peat with 50% Fibagro Advance

Below ground in Control M1

Below ground in reduced peat with 50% Fibagro Advance

Peat v Peat Free at 10 weeks growth of wallflowers, pansies, dianthus and primulas

Above ground in Control M1

Below ground in Control M1

Above ground in peat free with 40% Fibagro Advance

Below ground in peat free with 40% Fibagro Advance

Peat v Peat Free at 10 weeks growth of wallflowers, pansies, dianthus and primulas

Control M1

Competitor Wood Fibre (CWF)

Fibagro Advance (FA)

100% peat 0-10

70% peat 0-10

30% competitor woodfibre

30% Fibagro Advance

1kg/m3 base fertilizer

0.5 kg/m3 base fertilizer

1 kg/m Cal Mag

1 kg/m3 Cal Mag

0.1 kg/m3 Micromax

3.25 kg/m3 lime

3 kg/m3 lime

1 kg/m3 H2Gro granules

Lavender, Heuchera, Geranium, Chrysanthemum, Cosmos and Cyclamen at 4 weeks growth - each mix is in 2 rows

CWF

M1: 100% peat, CWF: 70% peat + 30% competitor WF, FA: 70% peat + 30% Fibagro Advance Chrysanthemum

Above ground in Control M1

Below ground in Control M1

Above ground in peat free with 30% Fibagro Advance

Below ground in peat free with 30% Fibagro Advance

CWF

Conclusion

Trials of bedding plants with peat reduced and peat

The plant and root growth of perennials with 30% Fibagro Advance was significantly improved compared to competitor woodfibre and even the peat based media M1. The unique properties of Fibagro Advance offers great structure with good aeration and drainage in big containers, key characteristic for long term crops.

free media containing up to 50% Fibagro Advance produced excellent plant growth and colour and did not differ from plants grown in peat media.

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unique characteristics Before bringing any new substrate to market, ICL trial and test products to fully understand their characteristics. We apply this knowledge to recommend how best to advise and use the product within growing media mixes to maximise plant quality for growers.

Physical properties Water Holding Capacity (WHC) and Air Filled Porosity (AFP) of Fibagro Advance 57.8%

30.2%

Physical properties Water Holding Capacity (WHC) and Air Filled Porosity (AFP) of other used substrates Peat 0-3

70.2%

Peat 0-10

65.7%

Peat 6-12

36.8%

Peat 10-25

35.3%

Competitor Woodfibre

14.4% 15.3% 32.7% 30.6%

44%

39.5%

Water Holding Capacity (WHC) %

Air Filled Porosity (AFP) %

The above data are all our raw materials analysed by NRM

04 phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com

For optimum growth and water management a balance of WHC and AFP is ideal to produce the best quality plants. Fibagro Advance achieves this balance and maintains its structure throughout the growing season.

What is Air Filled Porosity (AFP)?

What is Water Holding Capacity (WHC)?

Air filled porosity is the percentage of air spaces present within the growing media.

The water holding capacity of a substrate is the ability to contain water, so it can be available to the plants when needed. WHC is controlled by the materials texture, composition and the amount of organic matter they contain; thus peat, coir, woodfibre and bark all have different levels of WHC.

What effect does it have? Adequate oxygen is required around plant roots to help maintain growth whilst discharging waste gasses, such as carbon dioxide and ethylene into the atmosphere. For plant roots to remain aerated, the growing medium must have enough pore space without exposing the plant to drought stress. Low AFP: There are not enough air spaces present to sufficiently aerate the roots, resulting in root damage and potentially whole plant loss. High AFP: The air spaces present are too large and the medium drains quickly. The growing medium will have to be irrigated frequently to prevent drought stress.

Low WHC: The media holds insufficient water and thus plants cannot extract enough water and nutrients, resulting in wilting and whole plant loss. A growing media with low WHC will require very frequent watering cycles. High WHC: The media contains too much water so plants can become waterlogged. This can be overcome by careful irrigation management.

The ‘split-ends’ fibres interlock with peat, coir and bark creating an excellent matrix for root growth

Competitor

Peat reduced mixes Peat reduced mixes with 0-10 mm peat and % of Fibagro Advance.

30%

50%

70%

Mixes with Fibagro Advance have increased WHC compared with competitive peat reduced and peat free mixes due to ICL’s unique manufacturing process.

phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com 05

Cation Exchange Capacity What is Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)?

ADAS Market Data

Cation Exchange Capacity, or CEC, is a rating of how well growing media can hold plant nutrients. In other words, particles within growing media can be seen as negative magnets (anions) which attract cations such as Potassium K+ Â Calcium Ca2+ and Magnesium Mg2+. CEC is expressed as milligrams equivalents per 100cm3.

The CEC of Fibagro Advance and two competitor woodfibre products were analysed by ADAS UK (see page 7 for full analysis of products on the market) and compared with ADAS published data in AHDB project CP-138, by Mulholand et al., 2016, Technical Monograph: Growing Media Laboratory Methods. ISBN 978-1-5362-0393-9.

What is Meq? Meq is a unit of measurement that is expressed as milligrams of the cations that the growing media can hold per 100cm3 of volume. Therefore the higher the meq the better the substrate is at holding on to nutrients.

What effect does it have? The cation exchange capacity helps to regulate the supply of certain nutrients, such as Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, NH4+ and Na+. CEC also affects the regulation of pH. Growing media with a high CEC will recover more quickly from acidification compared with a media with a low CEC.

Conclusion The CEC of Fibagro Advance is significantly higher than the average woodfibre used in the UK market. Value is within the levels of fine peat and bark, which are known to have improved nutrient holding capacity. Fibagro Advance constitutes an excellent material which provides robust peat reduced and peat free mixes for optimum growth in professional horticulture.

Low CEC: The media lack the ability to hold on to cations, resulting in nutrient leaching and deficiencies particularly in Potassium K+ and Magnesium Mg2. High CEC: The media retain sufficient concentrations of cations which are then easily available to plants roots when needed.

Potting Bark

Fine Peat

16.94

Measured average CEC (meq 100cm-3) for selected substrates used in UK horticulture market

15.1

18.0

Coarse Peat

Bark

42.8

9.2

CEC

(meq 100 cm-3) The graphic (right) contains data published under AHDB CP138 project: Technical Monograph: Growing Media Laboratory Methods, Mulholand et al., 2016 ADAS2016 ISBN 978-1-5262-0393-9 Published by ADAS UK Ltd. All the data in the chart are industry averages apart from the Fibagro Advance *

0.9

7.3

Perlite

Buffered Coir

9.7

16.7 9.0 Green Compost

Vermiculite Woodfibre

06 phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com

Fibagro Advance shows improved nutrient holding capacity compared to competitor products

Fibagro Advance independently tested shows optimum results ICL Professional Horticulture growing media facility Nutberry.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) comparison data - Measured by ADAS 20 15 10 5 0

Sample ID

CEC (meq/100cm-3)

1 Bark 0-8

13.75

2 Bark 5-12

11.30

3 Peat 0-10

14.53

4 Peat 6-12

16.88

5 Coir

8.02

6 Woodfibre Competitor 1

3.54

7 Woodfibre Competitor 2

4.53

8 16.94

The above data are raw materials analysed by ADAS Trial carried out by ICL

Peat is well known to have a good CEC (buffering) and woodfibres in the past have been much lower in comparison. Fibagro Advanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher CEC values give better nutrient buffering very much in line with peat fractions.

phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com 07

H2Gro is a unique blend of surfactants formulated into the most advanced wetting agent designed specifically for growing media. H2Gro uses the latest technology to maximise the water holding capacity of substrates for improved wetting-up, spreadability and re-wetting even in water repellent materials. It's all about the science Due to one end of the H2Gro molecules having a strong non-polar charge, it attaches itself to organic matter in water repellent particles. There are three different chain lengths: Short (4-6 weeks), Medium (6-10 weeks) and Long (complete season). As the medium and long chain molecules breakdown, they re-attach themselves to the non-polar sites.

Features and Benefits

• 3 in 1 mode of action - wetting and spreading agent, penetrating agent and re-wetting agent

• Manages water issues • Granular product gives long lasting effect

3 IN 1

• Effective, efficient and reliable

ACTION

• Guards against plant stress • Plants stay in healthier condition after they are sold • Safe to beneficial microbes • Less dried out (hydrophobic) areas

Did you know?

• Improves the uptake of nutrients and many other

When using peat reduced substrates at a ratio greater than 25% of the growing media mix, ICL will advise growers to incorporate H2Gro granules for optimum plant quality. Please speak to your ICL, or distributor, representative for further advice.

products

• Offers the plant 100% of the horticultural media to grow in

Product Information

• Remains in the media to allow water to re-wet the soil particles

• Stable in growing media in storage • Excellent initial wetting • Exceptional long term wetting

• Outstanding through wetting/drying cycles • Flexible, compatible and easy to use • Economical low use rate • Long shelf life • Pack size 10kg bag / 5 litre pack

08 phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com

Osmocote - Trusted and innovative control release fertilizers developed over five decades.

Having pioneered controlled release fertilizers over 50 years ago, our world-leading Osmocote range of products are still evolving thanks to innovative new technologies. The most significant difference between then and now is the level of applied scientific horticultural knowledge.

Features and benefits

• Plants grow better when they get the nutrients they require at any given growth stage

• Guaranteed safety - nutrient leaching is minimised making it the most environmentally friendly product on the market

• Plant quality is guaranteed thanks to optimum

Did you know?

uniform growth

ICL are able to optimise your peat reduced or peat free growing media mixes in order to retain plant quality throughout the growing season. Please speak to your ICL or distributor representative to find the perfect nutrient package for your plants as the industry embraces these type of mixes.

• There are less pest and disease pressures thanks to an even supply of nutrients and healthy plant growth

• Satisfied end customers, as plants retain their high quality after consumer purchase, thanks to the continued release of nutrients

proven performance, highest safety for plants

GUARANTEES CONSISTENT RESULTS

Osmocote Bloom, CalMag and Iron also available.

For specific rates on Osmocote go to our dedicated microsite www.osmocote.co.uk phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com 09

Pressure to move away from Calcium Nitrate For years growers have used Calcium Nitrate to help supplement the nitrogen for plant growth, but this can quickly leach and become ineffective. This is because roots in newly potted plants are limited in their ability to take up the available nitrogen, while excess nutrition can lead to high conductivity in the root zone inhibiting rooting and encouraging root pathogens. The plant health benefits aside if excess nitrogen is not taken up this can lead to leaching in to the local environment. This is something which governing bodies are monitoring through the Sustainable Use Directive and the Water Framework Directive.

What does this mean for growers?

What can growers do?

In the future growers are now going to be directly accountable for run offs in to water courses. So it is now more important than ever growers look at ways of minimising nutrient leaching, in particular nitrogen.

Growers will increasingly be required to match nutrients to the growing requirements of a plant something ICL has led the way in for over 50 years. ICL has three products to replace Calcium Nitrate and effectively improve plant performance and the environmental profile of a nursery.

10 phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com

ICL’s innovations ICL has produced three innovative alternatives to Calcium Nitrate, using slow and controlled release technologies. These products allow for a more even release promoting better uptake during the plants growing cycle.

Optimum recommendation for peat free production

High N Fully coated calcium and magnesium fertilizer

Fully coated nitrogen and potassium fertilizer

Granulated slow release nitrogen fertilizer

10-0-0+17CaO+5MgO

36-0-5

38-0-0

• Apply controlled release nitrogen,

• Fully coated products to

• Incorporates slow-release

calcium and magnesium with one product

• The solution for soft water

compensate for N drawdown in peat reduced substrates (Woodfibre and Bark)

irrigation systems: give your crops the calcium and magnesium they need

• Suitable in No P and Low P

• Efficient calcium nutrition, thanks

potassium leaching when using Woodfibre products

to daily release; in line with the plant’s calcium need

• Apply this product with other

Osmocote products to make strong combinations

• Osmocote CalMag adds extra

nitrogen during the first months of the growing cycle, when this is required by the crop (for example in perennials)

systems

• Enriched 5% K, to help reduce

nitrogen forms, the release of which is influenced by temperature, microbial activity and moisture

• Slow Release product to

compensate for N drawdown in peat reduced substrates (Woodfibre and Bark)

• Developed to be used in

• Less leaching compared with

combination with other Osmocote products standards water soluble products

combination with other Osmocote products

standards water soluble products

• Easy to use, effective calcium fertilizer with patterned release

• Lower emissions of nutrients,

compared to water soluble calcium nitrate

For full information on ICL products please go to www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie

phone 01473 237 111 web www.fibagro-advance.com email prof.sales@icl-group.com 11

Fibagro Advance will be an integral part of ICL’s custom mix growing media solutions for growers, providing them with peace of mind whether reducing peat within their mixes or going entirely peat free. Speak to your Technical Area Sales Manager today for your tailored solution.

Safe, reliable and renewable peat free Growing Media from the brand you can trust.

The ultimate custom mix programme for peat reduced growing media. ICL’s first class service and products are the perfect combination for perfect plants.

Born from years of research, development and experience gained from years of working within the ornamental industry, ICL’s Levington Advance Sustain provides growers with the ultimate in sustainable growing media. Carefully produced for the professional growing industry ICL have a range of products that can be used to provide peat free growing solutions which maintain plant quality throughout the growing season.

Going peat free may not be something growers want to do immediately and therefore a more step changed approach is required. With ICL’s custom mix programme Levington Advance Solutions, growers are able to utilise mixes with reduced peat content which are still optimised for incredible plant quality.

The Professional Horticulture Team At ICL we have a dedicated team who have worked with growers for a number of years, gaining vast experience in the horticulture field. We pride ourselves on our technical expertise and expect the highest of standards from our team, who are FACTS and BASIS qualified (or training to be so). They are there to offer support to maximise your crops and yields throughout the year.

Dr Eleni Siasou Product Development & Quality Manager - Growing Media +44 (0)7867 691941 eleni.siasou@icl-group.com

Ian Todd MBPR Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7831 835889 ian.todd@icl-group.com

Adrian Thirtle-Watts MBPR Sales Manager Professional Horticulture +44 (0)7778 603104 adrian.thirtle-watts@icl-group.com

Steve Chapman Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7342 057122 steven.chapman@icl-group.com

Andrew Wilson MBPR Technical Manager +44 (0)7768 903624 andrew.wilson@icl-group.com

Colman Warde MBPR Country Manager - Ireland +353 877799527 colman.warde@icl-group.com

Martin Donnelly MBPR Sales Development Manager (Horticulture) +44 (0)7785 976068 martin.donnelly@icl-group.com

2 7

Samuel Rivers Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7557 033289 sam.rivers@icl-group.com

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To order your ICL products or get the latest information and advice Call +44 (0)1473 237 111 Email prof.sales@icl-group.com Web www.icl-protect.com For full information on ICL products please go to www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie

Carl Mason Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7867 787315 carl.mason@icl-group.com

Stuart Gammage MBPR Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7920 084972 stuart.gammage@icl-group.com

Steve Hughes MBPR Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7799 481489 steve.hughes@icl-group.com

Andy Hodges MBPR Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7786 701268 andy.hodges@icl-group.com

The information contained in this brochure is correct at time of going to print. According to the availability of raw materials and other factors. ® registered trademark of ICL and affiliates.

Peter Robinson Technical Area Sales Manager +44 (0)7747 196217 peter.robinson@icl-group.com

11884.03/20

ICL Professional Horticulture has the solution for you