Cobalt Sulphate (10 percent)

Cobalt Sulphate (10 percent)

Cobalt Sulphate is a soluble cobalt salt, 10% cobalt, used in very small amounts where a soil test or prescription calls for cobalt. It suits advanced growers and certified organic growers working to a soil prescription.

At a glance

• Type: trace element salt (soluble powder)
• Supplier certificate on file: BioGro licence 297. See the certificate and its dates.
• Analysis: cobalt 10%
• Use for: cobalt top-ups from a soil test, mainly for legumes and grazed pasture
• Rate: apply from a soil test; dissolve in water and spray for even distribution

What it is

Cobalt sulphate is a water soluble cobalt salt. The product supplies 10% cobalt and dissolves in water for spraying or irrigation.

What it does

• Cobalt is needed by the rhizobia bacteria that fix nitrogen in legume root nodules, so legumes and clover based pasture are where a cobalt response is most likely.
• Cobalt is essential for grazing animals (it is the core of vitamin B12), and in New Zealand cobalt is usually applied to pasture for stock health rather than for the plants themselves.
• Cobalt is not an essential nutrient for most plants, so it is not a general garden input.

Analysis

• Cobalt (Co) 10%

How to use

• Dissolve in water and spray for even distribution.
• Soil and pasture: about 700 g per hectare (70 g of cobalt) every one to two years, applied evenly and watered in. Cobalt is a legume and stock health trace element rather than a foliar feed.
• Cobalt is needed in minute amounts and does not leach away: apply from a soil test and do not exceed the rate.

Learn more in fifteen seconds

• Cover crops are a nitrogen bank
• More isn't better

Handling and storage

• Wear a mask to avoid inhaling particles and open in a well ventilated area.
• Wear gloves and eye protection, and wash hands after use.
• Once opened, keep sealed and dry.