Chelated Micronutrient Fertilizers Market

Market Overview

The global chelated micronutrient fertilizers market size was valued at USD 771.50 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 1,835.84 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period (2023-2031). 

Micronutrients play a significant role in ensuring balanced nutrition to crops, and the absence of these may limit crop growth. Due to their low demand, the market is flooded with micronutrient fertilizer products, typically used in conjunction with NPK fertilizers. The primary reason fueling the growth of the nutrients and micronutrient fertilizers market is the developing micronutrient deficiency in the soil. It is also anticipated that the market for nutrients and micronutrient fertilizers will grow due to the increased emphasis on crop production and quality, favorable government policies, and rising micronutrient utility in more significant quantities to meet the world's demand for cereals, food, and vegetables.

Market Dynamics

Global Chelated Micronutrient Fertilizers Market Drivers

High Micronutrient Deficiency in Soil and Crops 

Cereal, oilseed, pulse, and vegetable crops produced intensively commonly show micronutrient deficits. Therefore, farmers are increasingly adopting the usage of chelate micronutrients in their crops to acquire excellent produce and improved yields. The effects of specific chelated micronutrients vary between crops and geographical areas. For instance, copper and manganese are the two most common micronutrient deficits in wheat. Wheat needs to be improved in boron and molybdenum in nations like China, India, and Japan.

One of the leading causes of a drop in yields is the growing soil micronutrient deficit. Nutrient deficiencies in African soils include sulfur, zinc, boron, and copper. Similarly, numerous studies have shown that a lack of zinc is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. As a result, the demand for chelated micronutrients has increased recently since their improved bioavailability helps commercial crop production be more productive and profitable by increasing the bioavailability of micronutrients, including Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn.

Global Chelated Micronutrient Fertilizers Market Restraint

High Cost of Chelated Micronutrient Fertilizers

Compared to more conventional forms of trace elements like oxides and sulfates, the chelated forms of micronutrients provide various benefits. As a result of their complete assimilation by plants, organic chelate products need to be used in far lower concentrations than their inorganic counterparts. Chelates are, therefore, more cost-effective, although slightly more expensive, due to this. Various chelates have the quality to deliver micronutrients to diverse application areas, such as grains and cereals, pulses and oilseeds, and commercial crops. Their use will depend on the nutrient required and the soil pH.

Due to the high price, they are being offered, especially to farmers in developing nations like India, their use may be restricted. In a country like India, where farmers are given low ceiling prices for their crops, the need for government assistance in providing modern products, like fertilizers, makes it already challenging for them to incorporate expensive chelates into their crops because doing so increases their production costs. As a result, the low profitability of farmers and the high price of micronutrients are factors limiting the market expansion for micronutrient fertilizers throughout the anticipated period.

Global Chelated Micronutrient Fertilizers Market Opportunities

Increasing Demand for Food and Higher Crop Yield 

The population of the area is multiplying. The expanding population is increasing the need for food. The threat of feeding this expanding population has emerged. On the other hand, Arable land is disappearing due to industrialization and urbanization. For a very long time, fertilizers have been used to boost agricultural productivity. The amount of arable land, which is primarily utilized to produce food, is decreasing as a result of the rising population all over the world. Thus, it is anticipated that using chelated fertilizers will increase the bioavailability of micronutrients, including iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. In turn, productivity, nutrient content, and profitability are anticipated to benefit. Suppose the crop is grown in low-micronutrient stress or soils with a pH above 6.5. Chelated fertilizers can increase commercial yield compared to regular micronutrients because they are less reactive to soil conditions and can significantly increase nutrient uptake and utilization efficiencies. The crop's quality should improve as a result.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

The global chelated micronutrient fertilizers market is bifurcated into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. 

Asia-Pacific is the most significant revenue contributor and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. One of China's most cultivated regions is the north, which has sandy, alkaline soil. Due to their iron sensitivity, peanuts produced in the area frequently experience iron deficiency chlorosis. This illness is now one of the main factors restricting peanut production. Iron chelation can encourage plant iron uptake in calcareous soil, fostering plant growth. This illustrates the future market for iron-chelated micronutrient fertilizers like Fe-EDDHA. Japan has a very active micronutrient fertilizer research base. Significant businesses and academics are looking at possible blends to boost the effectiveness of micronutrient fertilizers while preserving the nutrient ratio. Sumitomo Corporation, Haifa Group, and BASF SE are some of Japan's leading producers of micronutrients. To improve their position in the market, corporations are implementing several methods, including expansion.

North America is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.00% during the forecast period. Over time, micronutrient fertilizers have gained acceptance and use in the United States. This has been done to increase productivity and ensure that crops' nutrient needs are entirely met. The market for chelated micronutrient fertilizers is predicted to increase rapidly due to producers' growing awareness of the benefits of micronutrient fertilizers in boosting crop output. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), boron was the most often used micronutrient fertilizer in 2016 to promote the production of fruits and seeds. Iron deficiency is frequently a problem in Florida and California's calcareous and high-pH textured soils. Lack of iron and manganese has a detrimental effect on the productivity of grapes, citrus, peaches, and soybeans in the United States. To reduce the dangers of over-application and thereby increase the use of micronutrient fertilizers, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the return of upper tolerance thresholds for these fertilizers. Canada's most widely utilized micronutrient fertilizers are copper, zinc, boron, and manganese fertilizers.

Spain's high pH or alkaline soil is suggested to be corrected by soil treatment with iron chelates to promote optimum nutrient infiltration. This component considerably increases the nation's consumption of fertilizers based on iron. The market in the country is expanding as a result of this. Due to extensive cropping, soil erosion, leaching of micronutrients, and using marginal lands for crop production, the incidence of micronutrient deficits in crops has increased. Farmers in Spain are therefore asking for high-quality cultivars and agricultural chelates to treat these deficiencies and fix the soil issues there. In the comparatively young soils of the United Kingdom, the baseline nutrient stocks are substantially higher. But even in micronutrient fertilizers, there are still nutrient imbalances. This seriously jeopardizes the ability of micronutrient fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity. Since nitrogen-responsive and higher-yielding crops have eliminated many nutrients over the years, the size of the country's deficiency in soil micronutrient fertilizers has been steadily growing. As a result, the need for micronutrient fertilizers increases in the nation.

Brazil is the most significant soybean exporter in the world. However, a widespread manganese deficit badly impacts the crop output there. This generates demand for chelated micronutrient fertilizers and opens up new opportunities for manufacturers of high-grade manganese fertilizers. Low citrus fruit productivity is caused by boron, manganese, and zinc deficiencies. In Central Brazil, highland rice and corn are frequently deficient in zinc. Micronutrient fertilizers are commonly utilized as soil solutions or combined with macro fertilizers to restore the soil nutrients in the nation. Micronutrient deficiencies are common in Argentina's sandy soils. Severe shortages in boron, iron, manganese, and zinc, as well as latent deficiencies in copper and molybdenum, are characteristics of Argentine soil. Micronutrient levels have decreased as fertilization has increased during the past 20 years.

Segmental Analysis

The global chelated micronutrient fertilizers market is segmented by nutrient, form, crop type, and application.

Based on nutrients, the global market is bifurcated into zinc, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum, iron, and other nutrients. 

The zinc segment is the highest contributor to the market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period. Micronutrient zinc is essential for auxin activity, plant hormone homeostasis, and plant growth. Fresh leaves can show the first symptoms of chlorosis, a disorder linked to a lack of chlorophyll when plants are zinc deficient. Additionally, it can lead to poor budding, reducing flowering and the amount of fruit harvested. The amount of zinc readily available in over half of the world's agricultural soils needs to be increased. Zinc fertilizers can be added to soils with low accessible zinc concentrations to improve them. The most often used chelated source of zinc is ZnEDTA, while the most widely used inorganic form is zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). Organic chelated zinc sources are generally preferred to inorganic zinc sources, such as ZnEDTA (12% Zn). If ZnEDTA chelate fertilizer is used as the source of zinc rather than ZnSO4, then only half as much zinc is needed for crops like corn and beans.

The growth and development of the plant depend on boron. Maintaining a healthy balance between sugar and starch, pollination, seed reproduction, and new development is crucial. Numerous symptoms, including withering growing tips and bushy, stunted growth, are brought on by boron deficiency. Boron Chelated fertilizers considerably improve nutrient uptake and utilization efficiency and are less reactive to soil conditions. Fertilizer for plants that are chelated with boron For proper plant cell development as well as the production of pollen, fruits, and vegetables, boron is necessary. For the production of fruits and vegetables, the rates vary from 0.1 to 0.5 lb. micronutrient per acre and 0.2 to 1 lb. micronutrient per acre, respectively. There is a wide variety of boron-containing compounds with various formulations and efficiencies accessible globally. Nano-chelated materials made from these substances are growing in popularity for use in agriculture.

Based on form, the global market is bifurcated into dry, liquid, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and other forms. 

The dry segment owns the highest market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. The chelating agent in the dry form is ground to a fine powder to create a chelated product for fertilizer addition. The required micronutrient's sulfate is added, for example, ferrous sulfate if iron is the chelated micronutrient. The amount of ferrous sulfate and the chelating agent are combined to produce the required chelated iron. As a dry, finely powdered powder, ferrous sulfate is added to the chelating agent. Micronutrients are necessary for healthy plant growth and productive crop production, even though they are only needed in trace amounts. Except for sulfur, boron, and molybdenum, most secondary nutrients and micronutrients can be given to plants in chelated form.

To create a liquid that can be added directly to liquid fertilizers in the same way that EDTA chelates are added to fertilizer, chelated micronutrient fertilizers are made by mixing water with a manufactured dry form of a chelated compound that contains about 15-20% of the micronutrient. In recent years, the top producers and suppliers of micro and macronutrients have developed a variety of liquid-chelated micronutrient fertilizers. They provide specialized blends of numerous distinct micronutrient variations at competitive prices.

Based on crop type, the global market is bifurcated into grains and cereals, pulses and oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, and other crop types. 

The grains and cereals segment is the highest contributor to the market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. Due to their quick availability to plants and water solubility, inorganic sources, including sulfates of Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn, are the most popular metallic salts utilized in the fertilizer business. Many of the micronutrient requirements of plants have been fulfilled in the past by compounds containing chelated metals. Many different crops, especially those used to produce grains and cereals, need these chelates. One of South Asia's most effective cropping systems is the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS). However, several variables, including a lack of micronutrients, particularly zinc, boron, and manganese, pose a threat to the sustainability of this system. Utilizing EDTA-chelated zinc has the most significant residual impact on grain yield and straw zinc concentration.

The vulnerability of fruit and vegetable crops to micronutrients varies greatly. Chelated micronutrient fertilizers are frequently required for people who fall into the highly or moderately vulnerable category. For instance, treating the symptoms of iron shortage in citrus trees has shown success when applying 10–20 g of iron (Fe) per tree in chelate form. The amount of chlorophyll, fruit output, pulp content, amino acid content, and absorption improved when copper chelates were applied along with various amino acids. It also impacted how copper, zinc, and manganese were distributed in fruits. When tested with mixed and zinc-chelated micronutrients, water-soluble chelates of hydrophilized and degraded Larch tanin with Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu ions boosted leaf output by 20–25% in fruits like apples and by 26.5% in Ginkgo biloba (tested with mixed chelated micronutrients).

Based on application, the global market is bifurcated into soil, foliar, fertigation, and other applications. 

The foliar segment owns the highest market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period. Among other applications, foliar is where micronutrients are most frequently employed. If no soil treatment is made, two or more foliar sprays will quickly detect nutrient deficiency signs in the crops. Foliar nutrition has been a well-liked application as a result of its widespread use, which has led to the market introduction of numerous foliar micronutrient items. Chelated micronutrients are frequently thought to be more efficient for foliar treatments since they provide immediate, on-the-spot nutrition to ensure a high, superior yield. They are a proper supplemental feed for quick nutrient deficiency repair and complete soil fertilization. This fuels even more demand for chelates to be applied topically.

Since applying micronutrient fertilizers to the soil is the least expensive approach, many crop growers use this strategy. Farmers' most popular application is through the soil, where soluble micronutrients like zinc, boron, and copper are provided. Chelates efficiently replenish the soil's depleted micronutrients at the start of the crop cycle, giving the crops continued advantages. Chelated micronutrients can be applied to the soil without the need for specialized labor is another factor that has contributed significantly to the segment's expansion, particularly in developing nations. To prevent fertilizer contact directly with the crop, farmers use soil-based fertilizers before planting. One of the principal crop types in Europe that use soil-based fertilizers is sugarcane. More and more European farmers are choosing soil application over other techniques because it is the most economical option.

Recent Developments

January 2023- Morrison Foerster represented longstanding client Nouryon in connection with its acquisition of ADOB Fertilizers, broadening its innovative crop nutrition portfolio.