NEW analysis by a United States- based accredited laboratory has revealed an almost doubling of the plant available or soluble silicon content following the release in April of an improved MaxSil silicon plant nutrient with finer particles at its new Brendale factory in Brisbane, Queensland.

In the latest tests, six samples of the fertiliser manufactured in MaxSil’s new ceramic-lined ball mill, were analysed by Thornton Laboratories, a reputable US-based accredited laboratory.

The results showed a plant available silicon (PAS) content averaging 3.8 per cent or 38,000ppm, which translates to 3.8 kilograms per 100kg of product.

This is almost double that from previous tests on the MaxSil product produced by a third party on a toll treatment (fee) basis.

This plant produced a significantly lower PAS content from 1.5-2kg per 100kg.

The reason for the revised PAS result lies in the particle size distribution, which shows the MaxSil plant had a finer average grain size derived from the new manufacturing process compared to the previous samples tested.

MaxSil’s uniqueness as a silicon plant nutrient comes from it being made from recycled bottle glass, composed of amorphous silica and other elements, which allows weak organic acids in the soil to extract plant available silicon.

In the manufacturing process the glass is pulverised into fine particles before being converted into pellets and applied either direct or mixed with other granular fertilisers.

The Kellerberrin MaxSil barley field trials, planted in April, show the crop growth comparison between a controlled and MaxSil treated plot.

The sharp increase in MaxSil’s scientifically measured PAS content positions it as the most cost-effective silicon fertiliser on the market, including from a freight and spreading rate perspective and 24 times more potent than competing diatomite based products with a PAS con- tent of just 0.15kg per 100kg as deter- mined by Thornton Laboratories.

The latest PAS analysis on MaxSil fertiliser was carried out according to official US protocol endorsed by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials, an organisation of fertiliser control officials from each State in the US and Canada.

Many claims of high PAS content are based on inappropriate analytic methods of testing.

With the exception of the US, protocols to determine the PAS content of silicon plant nutrient are unregulated often leading to bogus claims.

MaxSil stands apart from other fertilisers and soil supplements due to its unique properties in significantly improving soil nutrient uptake.

As a fertiliser it has also been shown to help strengthen a plant’s structure and root systems, provide greater resilience to abiotic stresses such as dry seasons, frost and heat as well as improve disease and insect pest resistance.

Silicon fertilisers are notoriously challenging to produce, as silicon occurs naturally in the earth’s crust as silica or silicate, which cannot directly yield plant available silicon (PAS).

MaxSil has overcome this by using recycled glass bottles in its production, which in turn saves it from ending up in landfill tips.

The use of MaxSil as a soil restorer has shown groundbreaking potential in cropping trials on six Western Australian farms begun in April in restoring condemned saline land to productive soil.

MaxSil’s two products include a fine powder and a 2-6mm sized granule silicon fertiliser.

Previously, these soils were unable to sustain crops due to salt ingress. Other trials are also taking place on saline soils in New South Wales. Early progress reports from these trials this season indicate promising shoot growth, indicating that large areas of condemned saline soils could be restored to cropping land.