Tanuki

Tanuki | Micronutrient Specialists. Supporting Aussie growers with quality crop nutrition & protection inputs. For whatever the season throws at them.

23/04/2026

When Fe is limiting, “how you apply it” often matters more than “how much”.

The common pathways:

1) Foliar Fe
🔹 Fast visual response
🔹 May need repeat sprays because Fe doesn’t move well inside the plant and foliar sprays are invariably a temporary fix.

2) Soil-applied Fe / fertigation / hydroponics
🔹 Usually successful when the correct Fe chelate is used and appropriate rates are applied.

Field takeaway: If pH or high phosphate are the causes of Fe deficiency, application to the soil / growing medium is the best option.

📌 Next up: A simple “chelate selection” rule of thumb (EDTA vs DTPA vs EDDHA).

21/04/2026

Quick iron (Fe) reality check:

Most of the time, Fe deficiency isn’t because the soil is “out of Fe”. Rather, it’s because the chemistry has made it unavailable.

Common risk factors in Australian systems include:
🔺 Higher soil pH (alkaline / calcareous) → Fe becomes less soluble
🔺 Recent liming → “lime-induced chlorosis”
🔺 Waterlogging → can trigger temporary Fe issues
🔺 High phosphorus content of the soil or growing medium → can tie up Fe in the soil
🔺 Competition for absorption sites on root surfaces from other cations (yes, micronutrients can compete)

Field takeaway: With Fe, paddock context matters more than a single number.

👉 What’s your most common Fe-risk situation — high pH, liming, high soil P or waterlogging?

📌 Next up: Foliar vs soil/fertigation/hydroponics — choosing the best delivery path.

16/04/2026

Iron deficiency has a signature pattern but even agronomists can get it wrong.

The classic clue:
✅ Yellowing BETWEEN the veins on the youngest leaves
✅ Older leaves often stay greener (early on)

Why it matters:
Iron isn’t readily moved from old leaves to new growth so when Fe supply is tight, the newest tissue shows it first.

The trap:
Iron chlorosis can look like other issues (Zn or Mn deficiency, general stress) so get the opinion of an agronomist / horticulturist or send a leaf sample for analysis if you are unsure.

Field takeaway: If the newest leaves are paling first, Fe should be on your shortlist of possible deficiencies or other problems.

👉 If you’re unsure, submit a leaf sample for testing; be sure to sample the correct leaf for your crop.

📌 Next up: Why Fe “locks up” in the soil — especially at higher pH.

15/04/2026

Mighty Micros is back again this month — and this time we’re talking Iron.

Iron (Fe) is a funny one… because for crops grown in soil, most Australian soils have plenty of total Fe. However, like Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu), the real issue is whether it’s available or not.

Iron matters because it:
👉 is an essential catalyst for chlorophyll formation (green leaf),
👉 is involved in photosynthesis + energy transfer and,
👉 promotes early growth and crop vigour

And just like Zn and Cu, Fe isn’t something the plant can easily shift around once it’s short, so timing and access matter.

Field takeaway: With Fe, “present in the soil” doesn’t always mean “available to the plant”.

📌 Next up: How to spot iron deficiency (and avoid the common look-alikes).

26/03/2026

When Interactions Explain “No Response”

“We applied zinc and copper — so why didn’t it work?”

Common reasons include:
👉 One nutrient limiting response to the other
👉 Early demand missed
👉 Form or placement mismatched to the system
👉 Hidden antagonism from previous applications

When responses inconsistent, it’s tempting to increase rates. More often, the answer sits in interaction and availability, not quantity.

💡 Micronutrient interactions often explain inconsistent results.

Field takeaway: When zinc or copper don’t respond as expected, interactions are often the missing piece.

➡️ Series wrap: Understanding interactions is key to making zinc and copper work — not just applying them.

19/03/2026

Together or Apart? Why Timing and Placement Matter

Zinc and copper are both most critical early — but that doesn’t always mean they should be applied the same way, at the same time.

In some systems:
👍 Co-application can improve efficiency

In others:
👏 Separation reduces competition and risk

Key factors include:
🔹 Soil pH and soil type
🔹 Background nutrient status
🔹 Crop sensitivity
🔹 Form and formulation

There’s no single rule — only context-driven decisions.

💡 Sequencing can matter as much as selection.

Field takeaway: Timing and placement often determine whether zinc and copper work together — or against each other.

➡️ Next up: When interactions explain “no response”.

17/03/2026

Compatibility vs Convenience

Combining micronutrients can make sense — but convenience doesn’t always equal compatibility.

Compatibility depends on:
👉 Nutrient form (chemical behaviour in soil and plant)
👉 Formulation and stability
👉 Placement (soil vs foliar)
👉 Timing relative to crop demand

Two nutrients can be physically mixable, yet agronomically mismatched.

That’s often why “we applied both” doesn’t always translate into a response.

💡 Compatibility is about behaviour in the system, not just what fits in the tank.

Field takeaway: Convenient combinations aren’t always compatible ones.

➡️ Next up: Together or apart? Why timing and placement matter.

10/03/2026

Zinc–Copper Antagonism: When More Isn’t Better

Zinc and copper can influence each other’s uptake.

In some situations, excess of one can reduce availability or uptake of the other, particularly when:
🔹 Rates are pushed to correct a deficiency
🔹 Applications are repeated without reassessment
🔹 Soil reserves are already marginal

This doesn’t mean zinc and copper shouldn’t be used together — it means balance matters more than increasing rates.

Over-correcting one micronutrient can create a new limitation elsewhere.
💡 More of one micronutrient isn’t always a better solution.

Field takeaway: Balance matters more than rate when managing zinc and copper together.

📌 Next up: Compatibility vs convenience — why mixing isn’t the same as matching.

06/03/2026

This month in Mighty Micros, we’re unpacking how zinc and copper interact — and why balance, not just supply, drives performance.

✨ Why Zinc and Copper Should Be Considered Together

Zinc and copper are often managed separately. In reality, they operate in the same part of the system — early growth, low mobility, high sensitivity.

Both are:
🔹 Required early in crop development
🔹 Poorly mobile in soil and plant
🔹 Influenced heavily by form, placement and timing

That means a constraint in one can limit the response to the other — even if both are technically “present”.

When zinc or copper doesn’t respond as expected, the issue is often interaction, not absence.

💡 Micronutrients don’t work in isolation — they work in balance.

Field takeaway: Single-nutrient fixes don’t always resolve multi-nutrient constraints.

📌 Next up: Zinc–Copper antagonism — when more isn’t better.

04/03/2026

🍅 Supporting the crops that support us – tomato edition

Tomatoes are one of Australia’s most widely grown and relied‑upon horticultural crops — produced across the country in both open‑field and protected systems to supply fresh and processed produce year‑round.

From salads and sandwiches to sauces, passata and comfort meals, tomatoes are a staple in Australian kitchens. Behind every tomato is a grower carefully managing crop health to deliver flavour, quality and consistency season after season.

In tomato crops, NORDOX 750 WG plays an important role in helping growers protect plants from bacterial pressure, supporting healthy canopies and reliable production when conditions are challenging. Much like the role it plays across many Australian cropping systems.

💬 How do you like to enjoy tomatoes — fresh, slow‑cooked, or straight from the vine?

26/02/2026

Why Copper Form and Placement Matter

With copper, how it’s delivered matters as much as how much is applied.

Copper sources differ in:
🔸 Solubility
🔸 Stability
🔸 Risk of soil tie-up
🔸 Crop tolerance

Copper moves very little in soil — so placement drives access.

Two programs can apply the same rate
…and deliver very different results.

💡 Effective copper use depends on precision.

Field takeaway: Copper rate is simple — safe delivery is the hard part

Mighty Micros: Copper
📌 Missed our last post? It discusses why copper responses are inconsistent.

24/02/2026

Copper responses can be unpredictable.
Apply too little — deficiency persists.
Apply too much — crop tolerance can be exceeded.

This is why copper performance often varies between:
👉 Paddocks
👉 Seasons
👉 Soil types

Common Reasons Copper Responses are Inconsistent
🔸 Soil interactions
Copper binds strongly to organic matter and clay, limiting availability in some soils.
🔸 Form
Different copper forms behave differently in soil and plant, affecting both availability and crop tolerance.
🔸 Placement
Copper applied away from developing roots may not be accessed when demand is highest.
🔸 Rate sensitivity
The effective range for copper is relatively narrow.

💡 Copper isn’t a nutrient you “top up” — it has to be managed carefully.

Field takeaway: Copper only responds consistently when form, rate and placement are aligned.

📌 Mighty Micros: Copper
Missed our last post? It explored where copper sulphate's limitations show.

Address

27 Heinemann Road
Wellcamp, QLD
4350

Telephone

+61746392009

Website

https://linktr.ee/tanuki__

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tanuki posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Tanuki:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Wellcamp?