A new blended acid solution for formulating zinc and other micronutrients has become available amidst EDTA shortages on the Gulf Coast.

Earth Science Laboratories (ESL) has developed a new blended acid solution for formulating zinc and other micronutrients. The new solution can replace EDTA and is now available to agrochemical formulators hit by the recent shortage of EDTA. The solution can help formulators meet demand for high-quality liquid micronutrients such as zinc, especially as the planting season for zinc-hungry corn crops rapidly approaches.

The EDTA shortage is the result of damages at manufacturing facilities caused by the recent deep freeze in Gulf Coast states. The outages have moved major petrochemical companies such as Dow Chemicals to declare force majeure on multiple chemicals, including EDTA. The shortage is particularly problematic for agrochemical formulators, as EDTA remains one of the most common chelating agents available for micronutrients.

ESL’s new formula is a proprietary blended acid that holds zinc, manganese and other micronutrients in solution easily and with unmatched clarity. This allows formulators to produce finished products that meet and exceed the standards set by EDTA-chelated micronutrients. For growers, the finished micronutrients mix well with other products and do not fall out of solution, providing ease of application with minimal clogging and sedimentation.

“Our team has seen incredible results both at the formulator level and in the field,” said Tim Ford, a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Vice President of Sales and Product Development for ESL AG. “Our solution easily stands up to EDTA at the formulator level and offers excellent benefits to growers such as superior nutrient uptake and better overall plant health. We are pleased to offer an alternative to EDTA at such a critical time.”

Originally published at PR Underground