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Coldwater, Michigan | From a chelating standpoint: EDTA's fully chelate a mineral, such as Zinc. What this means is that the Zinc is fully protected from tying up with the Phosphorous. If you were to use the product in Water, or nitrogen, EDTA would have no advantage. Other chelating agents are used with the products for various reasons. Glucoheptonic acid is a cheap chelating agent ( Corn Syrup based) that give partial protection. What that means is it takes a little time before the Phosphorous would tie it up. Certainly would not want to use it in a product you were going to store for a while prior to using. There are other cheap chelating agents that give partial chelating, therefore delaying how fast the phosphorous would tie it up.
It gets just as bad when comparing dry micro products. Fertilizer companies typically buy the cheapest, recommend you use them, sell them to you at the highest products retail price. How do you know? Get mean about what you are getting in your blend.
Dry micro products generally fall into three (3) categories: Oxides, Sulfates, Oxy-Sulfates. Sulfates are available to the growing crop. Oxides have zero solubility. Only products that dissolve will do you any good. Oxides will become available in your lifetime, if you live long enough. Oxy-Sulfates will land you in between somewhere. They will give you some benefit today, and the rest might eventually give you some benefit. The price of the products to the retailer tend to reflect just what I have told you above. As a former Ag Retailer, I am here to tell you most charge for the good stuff whether you get it or not. Don't ask for, or accept his recommendation for Zinc. Require he puts Zinc Sulfate into the mix. Believe it or not he may not even know which he is blending. He just bought the cheapest stuff out there.
If he is blending Zinc Oxide, Mn Oxide, or any other oxide, chances are you don't need the product to begin with. If he is recommending for you to Broadcast for instance 7# of a micro product, chances are you don't need it to begin with. If you need for instance Zinc, 7# of product is appropriate in the row. But it takes approximately 17# broadcast to give the same effect. Seven (7#) is generally accepted to not be enough to do any good if you are broadcasting the micro (zinc). Not all micros should be used at 7# or 17#. The point is a lot of micros are being sold, because it is a money maker.
If they pulled a soil test and are recommending micros, they don't know whether you need them or not. If they pulled a tissue test, or plant sample, and you are short on micros, that is a more sure bet.
Don't get me wrong on this: there are needs for micros, maybe not the one you have been paying for all these years.
LFB Solutions includes a package of micros in our Starter fertilizer (seed-placed). It is our philosophy that no matter what your soil test shows, all the nutrients are short till the soil warms up each spring. We do not include enough to treat a true deficiency. We include enough to treat a "weather induced" deficiency. Once the soil warms up the soil fertility should solve any further deficiency. That is the point of your overall fertility program.
But due yourself a favor: if micros are being recommended, just be sure you buy what you are paying for. If the micros are in bags at the fertilizer plant, check a few bags to see if you are getting what you asked for. I know a few plants who would have to wait a day or two to get the good stuff!
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zinc chelate quality
