Phosphate Efficiency Pays

Smarter Phosphate Use Starts Here

Unlock bound phosphate and key micronutrients to boost nutrient efficiency and early crop performance.



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Tap into the nutrients already in your soil and get crops off to a strong start. De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Activators release phosphate and essential micronutrients in the root zone, improving availability, uptake efficiency, and early crop vigour.

Find out more by downloading our new guide.
or keep reading below.

Download Guide Here
<10%
OF APPLIED
PHOSPHATE
IS CROP AVAILABLE
IN YEAR 1
Why

Phosphate Efficiency Matters

Phosphate is vital for rooting, energy transfer and early crop growth - yet it’s one of the least efficient nutrients in UK soils. When applied, much of it can become locked up, leaving crops unable to access it and limiting the return on fertiliser investment.

Phosphorus

Availability influenced by:
  • pH - Precipitated in most pHs very quickly
  • Moisture - drier conditions decrease mobility and increase precipitation
  • Temperature - a change in soil temperature from 21° to 13° reduces the availability of phosphorous by 17%
The Issue

Phosphate Lock-Up

When soluble phosphate fertilisers enter the soil, they react with naturally occurring cations:

  • In alkaline soils, phosphate binds with calcium (Ca2+)
  • In acidic soils, phosphate binds with iron (Fe3+) and aluminium (Al3+)

Other factors affecting phosphate availability:

  • Soil texture: clay soils fix phosphate more readily than sandy soils
  • Organic matter: low levels reduce natural phosphate cycling
  • Moisture: dry soils limit solubility; wet soils slow root uptake
  • Temperature: cold soils reduce nutrient mobility and root activity
  • Soil biology: low microbial activity slows natural phosphate release.

The result? Fertiliser remains in the soil, but crops can’t access it without help.

are-your-crops-accessing-phosphate

Are Your Crops Accessing the Phosphate They Need?

  • Up to 80% of applied P can get locked up within days of application
  • <10% of applied phosphate is crop available in year 1
  • Up to 60% of phosphate never reaches the plant
  • ~70% of soilssit on calcium that bind phosphate
  • With nutrient lockup, roots weaken, crops stress, yields drop

With nutrient lock-up, roots weaken, crops stress, yields drop, and fertiliser bills rise as growers over-apply. Wasting money per hectare.

the-solution--desangosse-soil-nutrient-activators
The Solution?

De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Activators

De Sangosse solutions unlock phosphate already in your soil and  protect new fertiliser applications. This includes our microgranular protected phosphate solutions applied directly in the seed zone, for OSR, cereals and other key crops.

Key benefits:

  • Unlock what’s already there:  15-25% more phosphate made available over 4-6 weeks
  • Protect fresh fertiliser:  maintain availability and improve ROI
  • Correct hidden deficiencies:  enhance uptake of zinc, manganese, copper and more
  • Build stronger crops: up to +25% rooting, +60% early vigour
  • Boost yield potential: consistent uplifts recorded across multiple crops
How

Soil Nutrient Activators Work

Target the soil cations (Ca2+, Fe3+, Al3+) that bind phosphate

  • Their negatively charged components attract and hold these cations, keeping phosphate soluble and accessible to plants
  • Enhance mobility and availability of micronutrients for better nutrient balance and plant resilience
  • Microgranular solutions place nutrients right in the seed zone for efficient uptake
the ultimate solution to smarter nutrient use
Why

Choose De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Solutions?

Not all phosphate technologies are the same. De Sangosse solutions  stand out because: 

  • Dual-action – release bound phosphate and protect newly applied fertiliser
  • Multi-nutrient unlock - improve uptake of other macro and micronutrients
  • Proven results – 15-25% more phosphate released; +25% root growth; +60% early vigour; yield gains across wheat +8%; barley +5%; WOSR +11%; potatoes +22%; maize +46%
  • Practical & flexible – easy to apply, no known incompatibilities; apply pre-planting; pre-emergence, early post-emergence or microgranular placement
  • Sustainable & efficient – maximise returns on fertiliser spend while reducing environmental risk

With decades of research behind the technology, you can use with confidence:

  • Smarter use of existing nutrients in your soil
  • Stronger establishment and early crop performance
  • Better yield potential from every hectare

UNTREATED

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

TREATED

The Ultimate Solution

Smarter Nutrient Use. Better Yields.

De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Activators shift phosphate from locked-up pools to plant-available forms, ensuring crops can access the nutrients they need – improving rooting, early vigour, and overall yield potential. 

Dynamic Nutrient Pools: Phosphate in soil is constantly cycling between bound and available forms. Our solutions make sure crops can access it when they need it – without depleting the reserves.

UNTREATED

TREATED

Proven Performance

Unlocking Yield Potential Since 2010



Extensively tested across cereals, maize, oilseed rape, potatoes, sugar beet, and vegetables.

Multiple trials show statistically significant yield increases, delivering both agronomic and economic returns.



the-ultimate-solution--smarter-nutrient-use


the-ultimate-solution--smarter-nutrient-use
Example of phosphate deficiency in sugar beet
Source Blackthorn Arable
When to Act?

Know the Signs

Signs your nutrients are locked up:  

  • Early growth looks checked or uneven
  • Crops showing poor rooting or slow establishment
  • Soil P index is high but tissue tests show deficiencies
  • Yields flat despite robust fertiliser use
  • Cool, wet springs or dry autumns slow nutrient release

How to Check for Phosphate Lock-Up

Soil analysis can confirm if phosphate is present but unavailable:

  • Soil Analysis (Olsen P): identifies plant-available phosphate, not just total reserves.
  • Soil pH Test: high (>7.0) and low (<6.0) pH both increase lock-up risk.
  • Soil Indices: Index 2+ soils often hold large “legacy” reserves that crops cannot access.
  • Crop Symptoms: poor early growth, purpling of leaves (especially in cold springs), weak rooting.

Talk to your agronomist about the best testing methods and interpretation for your soils.

Application Timing

OPTIMUM
Target zone
Pre-emergence
Peri-emergence
BBCH13
BBCH21

Crops & Timing Advice

Recommended for cereals, oilseed rape, maize, potatoes, sugar beet, leafy and root vegetables.

  • Apply during active growth for best effect
  • Time applications ahead of wet weather to aid activation. A trisiloxane wetter can be used in drier conditions
  • Apply pre-emergence, at planting, over bare ridges in potatoes, or during early crop establishment.

Contact your agronomist to see how De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Solutions can improve phosphate efficiency on your farm.

Download Guide Here

Watch and Learn

Short videos to boost your phosphate efficiency strategy

Get Your Questions Answered

The Facts on Soils and Phosphate

Much of the phosphate in soil is present but locked up. A high index doesn’t always mean good crop availability – Soil Nutrient Activators release more of that reserve.
They begin acting immediately in the soil solution, freeing phosphate bound to calcium, iron, and aluminium. You’ll see the biggest impact on rooting, early vigour, and recovery from stress within the first 4-6 weeks.

No – they don’t replace base P applications but make fertiliser use more efficient by protecting fresh applications and unlocking historic reserves. That means more value from every tonne applied.

Yes. When straw is removed, you also remove valuable nutrients – including phosphate and key micronutrients – that would otherwise recycle back into the soil. Over time, this can increase pressure on soil reserves. Using Soil Nutrient Activators helps unlock bound phosphate and micros already present in the soil, making up for some of what’s lost with straw removal and supporting more resilient nutrient availability.

Yes. De Sangosse Soil Nutrient Activators are proven in cereals, oilseed rape, maize, potatoes, sugar beet and vegetables. They work in both acidic and alkaline soils.

Yes. By targeting the same cations that lock up phosphate, Soil Nutrient Activators also improve uptake of trace elements naturally present in your soils, like zinc, manganese and copper.

Early in the season, ideally at or just before crop emergence. This timing is critical because many nutrients, especially phosphorous, are locked in the soil early on. Activators release these nutrients when crops need them most for root development, early growth, and stress resilience. Giving crops access to nutrients from the very start sets them up for stronger growth and maximises yield potential.

No. Soil Nutrient Activators don’t strip the soil – they make locked-up phosphate and micronutrients available when the crop needs them. Phosphate remains in dynamic equilibrium in the soil, so reserves are constantly replenished from less available pools.

Over time, this approach actually makes better use of both historic applications and new fertiliser inputs, improving long-term efficiency rather than depleting reserves.

Yes. Crops need a minimum amount of phosphate in their tissues to grow efficiently and reach yield potential. While exact numbers vary by crop, typical critical levels are:

  • Cereals  (leaves at GS3-32): 0.25-0.35% P
  • OSR  (young leaves at rosette stage): 0.35-0.45% P
  • Maize  (young leaves): 0.35-0.45% P

Levels below these thresholds can limit rooting, early vigour, and overall nutrient efficiency. Soil Nutrient Activators help crops reach these targets by releasing phosphate from bound pools in the soil.

  • Soil Nutrient Activators: Unlock nutrients in the soil so crops can access them. Best for increasing nutrient availability and fertiliser efficiency.
  • Biostimulants: Boost plant metabolism and root growth, helping crops take up and use nutrients more effectively, especially under stress.

Bottom line:

  • Soil Nutrient Activators → make nutrients available
  • Biostimulants → help plants use them
  • Best results → use both

For annual crops, it is advised to treat at or before emergence. A key and unique advantage of De Sangosse Ferric Phosphate is that it can be applied from 7 days before sowing/planting after seedbed preparation is complete.

Submit a Question Here
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