BRZ has been used extensively for the development of golf course greens. It is an excellent soil amendment for sports fields, commons areas, parks, lawns, gardens, for any sandy soils, and for higher value crops such as vegetables, fruits, potatoes, alfalfa, etc.
It is mined in southern Idaho from a huge deposit at the Bear River Zeolite Mine. It has the ability to hold up to 55% of its weight in water in channel ways. It also has the ability to hold nitrogen, potassium, and calcium in its crystal structure where they are plant accessible but not water-soluble. This creates a time-release mechanism to prevent pollution and the burning of the plant by nitrogen.
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LAWNS. For new lawns till in 10 to 15 pounds per 100 square feet in the top 3 to 4 inches of soil before seeding or laying sod. Water thoroughly. For existing lawns broadcast 10 to 15 pounds per 100 square feet.
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FLOWER AND VEGETABLE GARDENS. Till 10 to 15 pounds per 100 square feet into the top 6 inches of soil before seeding, planting, or transplanting. Water thoroughly.
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POTTING SOILS. Thoroughly mix 2 to 3 pounds with 10 pounds of potting soil and water thoroughly.
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AGRICULTURAL FARMING. Till, side band, or broadcast 1 to 2.5 tons per acre and water thoroughly.
| RECOMMENDED TESTING LARGE AREAS |
Several test plots, ideally 10 foot by 10 foot should be marked out with stakes, and different amounts of the product should be used to determine the ideal application rate. For 100 square feet (10’ x 10’), 4.6 pounds would represent 1 ton per acre, 9.2 pounds would be 2 tons per acre, etc. For certain high value crops and especially for sandy soils up to 10 tons of product are used per acre. In hydroponics application and specialized applications, as much as 90% of the product is mixed with 10% of the soil by volume.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
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Mineral: Natural zeolite primarily clinoptilolite (see spec sheet)
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Size: 14 x 40
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GRAS: Classified “GRAS” (generally regarded as safe) under 21 CFR Part 182.2729, 40 CFR Part 180.1001
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Surface Area: 24.9 square meters per gram
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Moisture: Holds up to 55% of its weight in water
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Weight: 55 pounds per cubic foot
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CEC: Cation exchange capacity (CEC) 140 to 160 meq/100 grams (ammonium- N)
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Potassium: 3.47%
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Calcium: 1.6%
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Sodium: <0.5% (no water soluble sodium)
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Color: Pale green when dry, dark green when wet
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Hydrophilic
For the construction of new golf course greens and tees, lawns, gardens, or for sandy soils replace 10 to 20 % of the sand with an equal volume of BRZ™.. This should be applied in the top 2 to 4 inches. For top dressing, approximately 30 to 60 pounds should be applied per 1,000 square feet or 1,200 to 2,500 pounds per acre. To enhance aerification after plugging, apply 60 to 150 pounds per 1,000 square feet or 2,500 to 6,500 pounds per acre. For crops and grasses successful improvements have been realized with as little as 1 ton per acre. Generally, 2 to 10 tons per acre are applied depending on the composition of the soil being treated. BRZ™ can be spread by hand broadcasting, using a manure spreader, or by other devices. Although top dressing works, generally it is better to till the BRZ™ in the top 2 to 4 inches with a rototiller, spike tooth harrow, or a disc harrow. Plowing BRZ™ in, places it deeper than necessary. For row crops such as corn or soybeans, BRZ™ can be applied with a side disc or by side banding. After application the area must be irrigated and fertilized, because fresh BRZ™ will absorb moisture and nutrients from the surrounding soil and can result in dehydration and nutrient starvation of the plants or grasses until an equilibrium has been reached.
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It has a higher cation exchange capacity for ammonium than any natural clinoptilolite commercially available in the western U.S. This quality favors greater retention of ammonium (NH4+) when the turf or soil is fertilized with highly soluble ammonium-based fertilizers.
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This product contains approximately 85 ± 5% clinoptilolite which is a concentration that is significantly higher than any other high potassium, low sodium, clinoptilolite that is commercially produced in the U.S. This accounts for the higher cation exchange capacity of the product.
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It has a high surface area (pore space) of about 24.9 m2/gram (as measured quantitatively by gas adsorption
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This property allows a high capacity for water retention inside the granules, and also provides space for soil aeration. The high capacity for water @ 55% will aid in reducing water consumption in dry climates.
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When mixed with animal or poultry manure this product provides a temporary storage for ammonium and will reduce the odor of the manures. Use of the product on crops is consistent with the “Organic Grown” USDA regulations for labeling produce and field crops as “Organic Grown” for marketing purposes.
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The pale green color is attractive when placed on turf grasses.
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The low concentration of exchangeable sodium avoids potentially plant toxic sodium accumulation in soil.
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Moderate physical strength and lack of clay minerals and high pore space and permeability provides a material which promotes aeration in soil, whereas other clinoptilolite with low physical strength and layer silicates such as clay minerals tend to pack and thereby reduce aeration and also provide physical barriers to water movement in the soil.
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This material has more cation-exchangeable potassium than any other commercially produced clinoptilolite in the western U.S.
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The low concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements comply with State and Federal regulations regarding the amounts of these in materials contained in fertilizer and soil amendment products.
Mineral Constituents: chiefly clinoptilolite (85 ± 5%) with minor or trace amounts of opal CT, quartz, mica and plagioclase.
| Trace Element: Concentrations of selected trace elements in parts per million (ppm) are: |
| As <2-2 ppm | Cd <1 ppm | Hg <1 ppm | Pb 17-22 ppm | Se <1 ppm |
| [Trace elements determined with a Sepctro X-lab 200 EDXRF (USGS Open-File Report 2000-475] |
Chemical Composition
| Oxide | Weight % | Oxide | Weight % |
| SiO2 | 67.4 | Al2O3 | 10.6 |
| Fe2O3 | 1.7 | MgO | 0.45 |
| CaO | 2.23 | Na2O | 0.59 |
| K2O | 4.19 | TiO2 | 0.27 |
| P2O5 | 0.10 | MnO | <0.01 |
| LOI, 925o | 11.4 | | |
*Source: USGS Open-File Report 99-17
Diluent minerals include traces or minor amounts of quartz, mica, and opaline silica
3.
Bulk density @ < 1 mm dia. = 66.4 lbs/ft3.
