New Alliance to Provide Plant-Available Silicon to Agriculture
14 February 2020 Sigma Agriscience, a North American manufacturer of high quality organic granular biofertilizers, has announced its latest move to join in alliance with Ignimbrite Minerals, Inc., a Montana-based company that controls an asset of volcanic tuff rich in plant-available silicon, and American Plant Food Corporation, a leader in producing
ammonium sulfate-based blended fertilizers.
Branded as “Sigma Si” with “Ignimbrite Si14 Inside” will be plant available Silicon granules to the agriculture, nursery, orchard, turf, and landscape markets.
Sigma Agriscience and American Plant Food will bring to market these unique proven lines of organic and conventional blended fertilizers embedded with Ignimbrite Si14 inside, providing customers, with the value-added benefits of a plant available Silicon that easily incorporates into their existing nutrient programs.
Silicon is categorized as a “beneficial substance” by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO). AAPFCO defines a “beneficial substance” as “any substance or compound other than primary, secondary and micro plant nutrients that can be demonstrated by scientific research to be beneficial to one or more species of plants when applied exogenously.”
“We are very pleased to have been selected by Ignimbrite as the manufacturer and marketing arm of this unique Silicon material,” said Alan Warren, President & CEO of Sigma Agriscience. “We’ve quickly begun to see strong demand for pure Silicon granules but also Silicon as an ingredient blended in our existing formulas. Having Silicon in a granular form opens opportunities for market application.”
“American Plant Food through our alliance with Sigma Agriscience is very excited to add Ignimbrite’s Si14 to our portfolio of crop nutrient products,” said Josh Long, VP of Sales & Procurement at American Plant Food. “We’ve seen the value that Silicon can provide to a well- balanced soil profile and look forward to creating various product opportunities for delivery of the Silicon element to the soil.”
Julian Smith, PhD stated, “Silicon, is an essential element for most crop species and helps confer disease and pest resistance in many grasses and vegetables. In addition to multiple plant health benefits, Silicon will enhance photosynthesis and light interception.
“A 10-year study estimates that the annual removal rate of plant available Silicon for the entire U.S. cropland is over 21 million tons. Increasing plant-available Si levels through fertilization is therefore foreseen a logical agronomic practice for U.S. agriculture”.
Across the U.S. many soils have been exhausted after years of farming, NPK is essential but simply not enough to sustain economic production, the demand of changing soils and staying profitable. The strategic alliance between Sigma Agriscience, American Plant Food Corporation, and Ignimbrite Minerals brings together the technology, product, and infrastructure necessary to create a plant available Silicon solution for conventional and organic growers that improves soil health and increases their existing yield and profitability.
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