Algreen Supasense is a high-concentration foliar fertiliser — NPK 24:24:18 with added hormones and growth stimulants — formulated for heavy-feeding crops that need fast, balanced nutrition at specific growth stages. It is not a replacement for your soil-applied DAP and CAN programme. It is a precision foliar top-up that supplies balanced macronutrients directly through the leaf surface, combined with plant growth stimulants that improve uptake and utilisation. Understanding what it is and what it isn’t is the starting point for using it correctly.
This guide covers Supasense’s exact composition, how the gel formulation works, which crops respond best, specific application rates and timings, and how to integrate it with Cytomone for a complete crop performance programme.
What Algreen Supasense Actually Is
Algreen Supasense is a liquid gel foliar fertiliser with the following composition:
| Component | Content | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | 24% | Vegetative growth; chlorophyll production; protein synthesis; enzyme activation |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 24% | Root development; energy transfer (ATP); flowering initiation; seed and fruit development |
| Potassium (K₂O) | 18% | Water regulation; stomata function; sugar transport; fruit quality and shelf life |
| Trace elements (TE) | Included | Micronutrient support — zinc, manganese, iron, boron, copper, molybdenum |
| Plant growth hormones + stimulants | Included | Improve nutrient uptake; support cell division; enhance stress recovery |
The 24:24:18 ratio means equal nitrogen and phosphorus with slightly lower potassium — a balanced vegetative-to-reproductive transition formula. This distinguishes it from stage-specific foliar products: it is not a high-N vegetative booster (like Algreen Hynitro 42), not a high-K fruit quality product (like Algreen Supa-K), and not a micronutrient corrector (like Algreen Bonzin). It is a balanced all-crop foliar designed for heavy feeding situations when the crop needs all three macronutrients simultaneously.
What the Gel Formulation Does
Most foliar fertilisers are simple dissolved salts. Algreen Supasense uses gel technology — the nutrients are suspended in a gel matrix rather than dissolved in plain water. The practical advantages:
- Controlled release on the leaf surface: The gel slows the evaporation of the spray droplet after application, giving nutrients more time to be absorbed before the water carrier evaporates. This is particularly important in hot Kenyan conditions where standard foliar sprays can dry within 10–15 minutes of application.
- Better rainfastness: The gel adheres to the leaf surface more effectively than plain solution — applied nutrients are less likely to be washed off by light rain 1–2 hours after application.
- Homogeneous distribution: The gel matrix keeps nutrients evenly distributed in the spray solution — there is no settling or separation during application, which means the first spray and the last spray from the same knapsack deliver the same nutrient concentration.
Application Rate
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Rate per 20L knapsack | 20–50ml per 20L water (routine: 20–30ml; peak demand: 40–50ml) |
| Rate per acre (approximate) | 200–500ml per application at standard 200L/acre water volume |
| Formulation | Liquid gel — shake well before measuring; the gel is more viscous than standard liquid fertilisers |
| Water pH | Neutral to slightly acidic preferred (pH 5.5–7.0); avoid highly alkaline water |
| Application time | Early morning (6–9am) or late afternoon (4–6pm); avoid midday heat above 30°C |
| Spray volume | 150–200L/acre minimum for full canopy coverage; increase to 250L for dense-canopy crops (tomatoes at flowering stage, capsicum) |
Recommended rate: 20–50ml/20L. This is where the gel formulation makes a genuine difference from standard liquid foliar fertilisers. Conventional foliar fertilisers at high concentrations cause leaf burn because dissolved salts on the leaf surface draw water out of leaf cells through osmosis. The gel matrix in Supasense controls how nutrients are released on the leaf surface, significantly reducing this burn risk. You can apply up to 50ml/20L without the phytotoxicity risk that a standard liquid foliar product would carry at the same concentration. For routine applications 20–30ml/20L is sufficient; on heavy-feeding crops at peak demand stages, 40–50ml/20L gives a stronger response safely.
Why “Heavy Feeding Crops” Is the Key Phrase
Algreen Supasense is specifically designed for heavy-feeding crops — those with high nutrient demand per unit time, particularly during peak growth stages. These are crops where standard soil fertiliser programmes sometimes cannot supply nutrients fast enough to meet peak demand, or where root systems are temporarily limited by transplant shock, stress, or soil conditions. The foliar route delivers nutrients directly to where they are needed — the photosynthesising leaf tissue — bypassing the soil-root pathway entirely.
Crops with the highest response to Supasense in Kenyan conditions:
| Crop | Why Heavy Feeding | Key Response Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | High yield target; heavy fruit load; continuous harvest; 90–120 day season | Vegetative establishment + pre-flowering |
| Capsicum | Long season; multiple fruiting flushes; sensitive to nutrient gaps | Each fruiting flush — apply between harvests |
| Watermelon | Large fruit size requires intense nutrition over short fill period | Vine extension + early fruit set |
| Onions | Bulb development demands balanced NPK simultaneously | Pre-bulb initiation (4–6 leaf stage) |
| Potatoes | High starch yield requires consistent P and K during tuber fill | Canopy closing + tuber initiation |
| French beans (export) | Rapid growth cycle; strict quality standards require no nutritional gaps | Pre-flowering + early pod development |
| Avocado, coffee | Perennial crops have heavy seasonal flush demands that soil applications can’t always supply fast enough | Flush emergence + pre-flowering |
Crop-Specific Application Timing
Tomatoes
- 2–3 weeks after transplanting (active vegetative growth; 6–8 leaves): 20–25ml/20L — drives leaf area development and root establishment; supplies balanced NPK during the period when the transplanted root system is still re-establishing in the field soil
- Pre-flowering (first flower buds visible; 4–5 weeks after transplanting): 25–30ml/20L — the most important application; balanced P supports flowering; N supports continued vegetative growth alongside reproductive transition; K begins building fruit quality infrastructure
- Between fruiting flushes (after first harvest, before second flowering flush): 20–25ml/20L — replenishes nutrients drawn down by the first fruit load; re-energises the plant for the second flush
Onions
- 3 weeks after transplanting/emergence: 20ml/20L — early leaf development
- 4–6 leaf stage (just before bulb initiation begins; approximately 5 weeks after transplanting): 25–30ml/20L — critical timing; balanced NPK at this stage directly supports bulb cell formation and bulb size potential
Potatoes
- Emergence to canopy closure (14–28 days after emergence): 20ml/20L — supports rapid canopy development and root system establishment
- Tuber initiation (when stolons begin swelling; approximately 35–45 days after emergence): 25–30ml/20L — balanced P and K support tuber formation; most critical application for yield
Watermelon
- Vine extension stage (when runners are actively extending): 25ml/20L — high N demand during rapid vegetative expansion
- First fruit set (when fruit has set and reached tennis ball size): 25–30ml/20L — supports rapid fruit cell development
French Beans
- First true leaf stage (7–10 days after emergence): 20ml/20L — early establishment
- Pre-flowering (first buds visible): 25ml/20L — critical for uniform pod set
Maize
- V4–V6 (4–6 leaf stage): 25ml/20L — rapid vegetative demand; supports tillering and early ear development
- V8–V10 (before tasselling): 25–30ml/20L — pre-reproductive nutrition; supports ear size development
Integrating Supasense With Cytomone — The Complete Programme
Algreen Supasense and Cytomone address different but complementary aspects of crop performance. Used together correctly, they give better results than either alone:
| Product | What It Provides | Primary Role |
|---|---|---|
| Algreen Supasense (NPK 24:24:18 + stimulants) | Balanced macronutrients + trace elements directly to leaves | Nutrient supply through foliar route during peak demand |
| Cytomone (auxins + cytokinins + gibberellins + tryptophan) | Plant growth hormones | Root development; fruit set; stress recovery; nutrient uptake efficiency |
Recommended integration programme for tomatoes:
| Week | Application | Product | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (transplanting) | Root establishment | Cytomone only | 10ml/20L |
| Week 3 | Vegetative growth | Supasense only | 25ml/20L |
| Week 4 | Root + canopy boost | Cytomone only | 10ml/20L |
| Week 5 (pre-flowering) | Flower initiation nutrition | Supasense only | 25–30ml/20L |
| Week 6 (pre-flowering) | Fruit set stimulation | Cytomone only | 10ml/20L |
| Week 7–8 (fruit fill) | Fruit size + quality | Supasense only | 20ml/20L |
Can you tank-mix Supasense and Cytomone? A jar test first — add both to a small volume of water in the proportions you intend to use and check for precipitation, separation, or colour change. If the solution remains clear and homogeneous after 10 minutes, they are compatible in that water. If you are unsure, apply separately with a 48-hour gap — Cytomone one application, Supasense the next. Separate applications are always safer than a failed tank mix.
What Supasense Cannot Do
- Replace soil-applied DAP and CAN: Foliar fertilisers supply a fraction of total crop nutrient demand. The primary nitrogen and phosphorus programme must come from soil-applied fertilisers. Supasense supplements that programme — it does not replace it.
- Correct severe nutrient deficiency rapidly: Severe N deficiency (whole-plant yellowing, significant yield loss already occurring) requires soil-applied nitrogen. Foliar supply rates are too low to reverse a major deficiency in the timeframe the crop needs.
- Work effectively without adequate soil moisture: Even foliar-applied nutrients require the plant to be actively metabolising for uptake and utilisation. Apply when the crop is adequately irrigated and not under severe drought stress.
- Fix soil structural problems: Compaction, hardpan, waterlogging, or low pH limiting root function will not be overcome by foliar nutrition. Address root environment problems first.
Prices and Pack Sizes
| Pack Size | Approximate Price | Coverage at 30ml/20L, 200L/acre |
|---|---|---|
| 100ml | ~KES 150–180 | Approximately 0.4 acre per application |
| 250ml | ~KES 300–350 | Approximately 1 acre per application |
| 500ml | ~KES 550–650 | Approximately 2 acres per application |
| 1 litre | ~KES 890–1,050 | Approximately 4 acres per application |
| 5 litres | Commercial rate | Approximately 20 acres per application |
Summary
| Factor | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Composition | NPK 24:24:18 + trace elements + plant growth stimulants; gel formulation |
| Application rate | 20–50ml per 20L water; routine use 20–30ml; heavy feeding peak stages 40–50ml |
| Best crops | Tomatoes, capsicum, watermelon, onions, potatoes, French beans, avocado, coffee |
| Best timing | Pre-flowering and vegetative peak demand stages; between fruiting flushes |
| Not a replacement for | Soil-applied DAP and CAN; these remain the primary nutrition programme |
| With Cytomone | Apply separately, alternating — Cytomone for hormonal stimulation; Supasense for foliar nutrition |
| Gel advantage | Better rainfastness; more uniform nutrient distribution; controlled release on leaf surface |
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