Introduction

Chemistry is powerful and the details make all the differences. Compare a brilliant diamond to a common pencil. The diamond obviously makes a wonderful gift, while the other does not. And yet they are made from the exact same element – Carbon. The only difference is how the atoms are combined.

Such is the difference between Biagro Nutri-Grow® and conventional fertilizer. Nutri-Grow® is based on a phosphorus atom combined with three oxygen atoms – this compound is called phosphite (or a phosphonate when derived in a plant).

Conventional phosphate fertilizers have the same phosphorus atom combined with four oxygen atoms – this compound is called a phosphate.

The biological differences between these two compounds are remarkable even though chemically they are very similar.

Phosphite is very plant active, because it is slightly unstable - phosphite tends to react and to do things. Phosphite is water soluble, it is easily absorbed by the plant both through the roots and the LEAVES.

On the other hand, the chemistry of phosphate is very similar to a ROCK. In fact, traditional phosphorus fertilizers are manufactured from mined materials (ROCKS) and must be applied at very high rates to do any good. The reason is because phosphate is very, very stable. For one reason or another, only a small portion is available to the plant.

CHEMICAL DIFFERENCES

PHOSPHORIC ACID (Phosphate), PHOSPHOROUS ACID (Phosphite) AND PHOSPHONIC ACID (Phosphonate)

Phosphates

(For convenience, the salt is routinely referred to as "potassium phosphate" with potassium dihydrogen phosphate and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate serving as phosphate fertilizers).

Phosphite

When phosphorous acid (H₃PO₃) is neutralized with a base, such as potassium hydroxide (KOH), a salt results. The salt of phosphorous acid is a phosphite. For example:

The biological derivative of phosphorous acid is a phosphonate. A break-down product of a phosphonate is phosphonic acid.