FAQs

To better serve you, we will be posting the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our bioscience product line in this section.

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Tracite 0-0-15 & Tracite 0-0-21

What are the benefits of potassium?

• Potassium is a primary plant nutrient that functions as a regulator of growth processes.
• Potassium is important for formation of sugars, synthesis of proteins, and cell division.
• Potassium is needed for oil formation, it improves fruit color, helps regulate acids of fruits, and activates enzymes.
• Potassium encourages good root growth, increases crop resistance to disease, assists in increasing size and quality of fruit and grain, and is required for high quality forage crops.

What is Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21?

Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 are Helena Chemical Company liquid soil applied potassium fertilizers developed with proprietary constituents that outperform all other soil potassium fertilizers when evaluated on basis of performance, availability, mobility, yield, and crop quality.

How long has Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 been on the market?

In 1993, after four years of development, Tracite 0-0-15 was developed by the Helena Development lab in Memphis, Tenn. Tracite 0-0-21 was then brought out into the market in 1997 by exchanging the KCl for potassium thiosulphate. Tracite 0-0-15 has been used in the field by growers since 1994. In fact, most growers who started using Tracite 0-0-15 in 1994 still use Tracite 0-0-15 today.

What is the difference between Tracite 0-0-15 and Tracite 0-0-21?

The availability and mobility chemistry is the same in both Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21. The only difference is that in Tracite 0-0-21, potassium thiosulphate has substituted the potassium chloride component that is in Tracite 0-0-15. Tracite 0-0-21 also has 8% sulphur.

How can a little K from Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 do as well as, or better than, greater amounts of potassium from other conventional potassium sources?

Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 have greater mobility and especially greater availability when applied to the soil. Most all soils have generally 1-3 percent of the soil potassium available to the crop. There is 94-97 percent of the soil potassium in an unavailable state as a result of the soil’s ability to tie up potassium. There is another 1-3 percent potassium in the soil that goes between available to tied up.

When an application of typical potassium fertilizers such as muriate of potash, sulphate of potash, ESP 8%, potassium hydroxide, potassium thiosulphate, and other potassium fertilizers, the majority of the potassium (94-97%) is again tied up.
Tracite 0-0-15 and Tracite 0-0-21, as a result of the proprietary constituents in the formulation, do not get tied up as readily and move right into the crop. The end result is that potassium is being applied not to add a lot of K per acre, but to give better yield, quality, and the best ROI. Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 does that!

What is in Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 that makes it work?

There are some chemical ingredients in Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 that are proprietary and confidential. Other than the basic potassium that is in the formulation, there are products that aid in availability and mobility. Helena Chemical Company will not discuss what else is in the product to maintain its proprietoriship just as Coca Cola does not discuss what is in Coca Cola so as to maintain no product like it on the market.

What is your source of potassium?

The guaranteed analysis on the label of Tracite 0-0-15 states "potash derived from potassium chloride." The guaranteed analysis on the label of Tracite 0-0-21 states "potash derived from potassium thiosulphates." There are other constituents that Helena is able to keep confidential from the label as agreed upon with the State of California.

Why does Tracite 0-0-15 or Tracite 0-0-21 cost more based on cost per pound of K compared to the other potassium fertilizers on the market?

It costs much more to make Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 then typical commodity potassium fertilizers. Helena Chemical Company has spent much money on development, evaluation, and independent replicated trials of Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21. There is no other product on the market like Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 that gives the performance that these products give.

Why should I pay a higher price for your K than that of KCl or KSO4?

Tracite 0-0-15 or Tracite 0-0-21 results in better yield and ease of application compared to conventional potassium products due to Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 being more available and mobile.

Do you have any independent replicated tests on Tracite 0-0-15 or Tracite 0-0-21?

Helena Chemical Company has independent replicated tests on almonds, peaches, prunes, grapes, alfalfa, cotton and strawberries.

Why should I use Tracite 0-0-15 or Tracite 0-0-21 if you can’t tell me what all is in it?

As a result of Helena Chemical Company missing an opportunity to patent Tracite 0-0-15 technology in 1993-1994, some of the ingredients in Tracite 0-0-15 and 0-0-21 as a company policy are proprietary information and confidential. This is no different than with many other products in various markets.

How does Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 work?

As a result of a typical soil supplying only 2-3 percent of the available potassium to the crop, the addition of Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21, being more available and mobile, acts like a shot-in-the-arm to get more potassium into the crop.

Will my potassium levels always increase with Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 applications?

Most often, tissue K levels will increase with additions of Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21. Yet, one independent replicated study resulted in slightly lower K tissue levels with Tracite 0-0-15 than a competitor product, but yield with Tracite 0-0-15 was up 500 pounds per acre better than that competitor product.

I am concerned about the chlorides.

Chlorides normally do not present a problem unless there are high chlorides in the water or soil, or water does not move through the soil profile. The addition of 3 gallons of Tracite 0-0-15 per acre equals 4.5 pounds per acre of chlorides. This relates to applying six pounds per acre of table salt (NaCl) which relates to 0.96 ounces of table salt per 100 sq ft.

I believe my K levels are adequate according to University of California (UC) levels, will your Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 help?

The UC levels for potassium are based on determining responses on single elements on crop systems, varieties, cultural practices, and irrigation systems of many years ago. Helena Chemical Company has many growers that consistently have greater yields year after year by keeping their K levels higher than what is recommended by the UC. Helena Chemical Company PCA’s goal is to assist their customers in getting the best return-on-investment by getting the best yields and quality consistently year-after-year.

I saw a study on potassium in almonds by the University of California (UC), and higher rates did not help. How can your products help?

A UC potassium study in almonds did indicate that additional conventional potassium in a single element potassium focused study did not result in increased yields. Tree growers that consistently get excellent yields and quality year-after-yield working with Helena Chemical Company using Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 also make sure other nutrients levels such as N, P, Zn, Mn, Mg, B, & S are at or above UC levels by using soil or foliar program.

What rates do I use?

Tree crops:	Apply 9-12 gal./season in 2-3 split applications of 3-4 gal./acre.
Grapes:	Apply 6-9 gal./season in 2 applictions of 3-4.5 gal./acre.
Alfalfa:	Apply 3-5 gal./acre in winter, then again after second and fourth cutting.
Rice:	Apply 2-4 gal./acre with aqua or with other fertilizers, or by self before planting.
Vegetables, field and row crops:	Apply 2-4 gal./acre in preplant, at plant, or sidedress.
Severe deficiency areas:	Apply 12-25 gal./acre along with a KCl or K2SO4.

How compatable is Tracite 0-0-15 and Tracite 0-0-21 with fertilizers?

Tracite 0-0-15 is compatable with most liquid fertilizers such as UN32 and 10-34-0. Tracite 0-0-21 can be mixed with a number of liquid fertilizers depending on the fertilizer and ratios. Please refer to a Tracite 0-0-15 and Tracite 0-0-21 compatability chart.

How should Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 be applied?

The best method is to band an 8-12 inch band over the major root zone in trees and vines, or mix with fertilizers as pre-plants, pop-ups, and side-dress. Applications through irrigation systems such as flood, sprinkler and drip also work well.

Will Tracite 0-0-15 or Tracite 0-0-21 save me even though they cost more?

Yes! The use of Tracite 0-0-15 or 0-0-21 will save on:

• Application costs
• Time & labor
• Better yields and quality
• Can be applied as a band with many herbicides and fertilizers to save on times through the field
• Less damage to sprinklers in tree orchards compared to applications of dry potassiums
• Do not have to commit to large one-time investment of a dry potassium, but can apply part of K needs and see if crop is set to invest more.