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Growing Practices
Fertilizer application methods play a crucial role in enhancing plant growth and productivity. There are several different methods of applying fertilizers, each with its own advantages and benefits. Fertigation involves the application of fertilizers through irrigation systems, allowing for precise and efficient delivery of nutrients directly to the plant roots. Foliar application involves spraying fertilizers directly onto the leaves, where they are absorbed by the plant for quick results. Controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) slowly release nutrients over time, providing a steady supply to the plants. Soil application is done by incorporating fertilizers into the soil, ensuring that the nutrients are available to the plants as they grow. Each method has its unique benefits and can be chosen based on the specific needs of the crops and soil conditions to optimize growth and yield.Nutrigation / Fertigation
Plants need water and nutrients – so why not to combine the application of both. Such a combination is called nutrigation; it applies nutrients together with the irrigation water.
Scarcity of water in good quality is becoming a major concern in the world. Agriculture segment is the largest user of water, and has the target to enhance water-use-efficiency. Nutrigation technology allows a better use of water. Micro-irrigation systems have been developed, and provide a better water-use-efficiency of between 80% to 90 % with Drip System, while other irrigation practices only have a 40-50 % water-use-efficiency. Drip irrigation places the water close to the roots. This reduces the volume of watered soil and the water loss by evaporation. In the past 20 years, the acreage under drip irrigation has grown substantially and is growing.
Drip irrigation system:
Once a drip irrigation system is established, it invites to be used not only for irrigation, but also for nutrigation, as fertilizers can be easily dissolved in a tank with water prior to application, and injected into the irrigation water according to crop demand.The shift from traditional fertilizer practice of solid fertilizers to nutrigation requires different technical know how and different types of fertilizers. Micro-irrigation systems are sensitive to clogging, therefore mineral particles e.g. from incompletely dissolved fertilizers, precipitation or microbial growth have to be avoided and the fertilizers, either in solid or liquid form, as straights or ready-made mixtures have to be completely water soluble.
Under drip irrigated conditions, the soil volume in which the roots grow will be reduced to the soil volume that is watered. A high root density is found in these wet bulbs and it is crucial to ensure optimum growth conditions in terms of nutrient and water supply. In order to avoid salinity problems, nutrigation should use fertilizers, like calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate etc., which do not contain any other elements that are not necessary for the nutrition of the crop.
With nutrigation, plant nutrients in readily and highly available form can be placed close to the roots in required rates when needed. As crops require different rates of each nutrient at specific physiological growth stages, nutrigation enables the grower to increase yield and fine tune quality of the crop and to strongly enhance fertilizer-use-efficiency. The yield increase in nutrigation systems is in line with the need to intensify land-use-efficiency to meet the food demand of the growing population by production on a shrinking acreage of available arable land. Furthermore, the higher nutrient-use-efficiency is of advantage for the environment, as nutrients used by the crop are not lost by leaching or gaseous losses (volatilization).
Benefits of Nutrigation
Nutrient availability to the plant is improved.
Nutrient uptake efficiency is increased.
Fertilizer application rates and water requirements are reduced.
Losses by leaching are minimized.
Salt injuries to roots and foliage are prevented.
Soil compaction is reduced due to less field operations.
Weed population is decreased.
Contamination of soil and groundwater is minimized.
Together with our alliance partners Haifa Chemicals Ltd, Nouryon Functional Chemicals B.V(formerly known as Akzo-Nobel), Yara International , Minera Santa Rita and Tessenderlo Chemie, PR Agro offers the whole range of highly water-soluble fertilizers and chelated micronutrients, which suits best to fertigation systems.
Foliar Nutrition
Role of foliar nutrition in plants
The predominant route for nutrients to enter plant tissue
is via uptake through the roots. However, there are many
situations where nutrition through leaves, fruit or shoots
can be a very effective complementary delivery system.
Leaves are not ideal for water and nutrient uptake, because
their architecture is to protect crops against water loss as
well as fungi and pest attack. The cuticle, (the outer cell
layer on leaves sealed with wax) works as a barrier to the
entrance of nutrients into the plant. However, nutrients in
the ionic form can penetrate either through the cuticle via
small cracks or through the stomata, the pores in leaves for
gas exchange.
Foliar applications can be done either with aqueous
solutions or suspension of nutrients. Application rates are
low, 0.5 to 10 kilograms of foliar fertilizer per hectare,
dissolved in 50 – 2500 liters of water. The water rate
depends on canopy size and density. Foliar fertilizers are
often used to supplement micronutrients (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, B,
Mo) and occasionally the secondary (Ca, Mg, S) and Primary
nutrients (N, P, K)
Foliar application to treat absolute deficiency
All nutrients play an essential role for growth and development of crops. The shortage of a single nutrient becomes a bottleneck of production since vital metabolic pathways are impaired. As a consequence, shape and color of crops deviates from those fully nourished. Visual symptoms can tell an experienced grower which nutrient is lacking. Foliar application of the nutrient concerned will provide an immediate relief of the problem and a normal crop yield can be achieved.
Sometimes there are no visible symptoms, but foliar sprays are applied to treat latent deficiencies (hidden hunger). The need for such treatments is determined by a chemical analysis of the crop. For almost all crops critical nutrient values are available which indicate the adequate nutrient content in the tissue. If the analysis for a particular nutrient is below its critical value, foliar nutrition can be made to prevent the problem. Yield responses to foliar nutrition can be substantial.
Foliar nutrition to prevent deficiencies in fruits
Nutrient availability is not the only bottleneck for
adequate nutrient supply to crops. Limited nutrient
transport to different plant parts can also cause localized
deficiencies. In particular the transport of boron and
calcium in the plant relies on the transpiration flow, which
means that tissue with low transpiration rates, eg. Fruit,
can easily become deficient in calcium and boron.
Efficient foliar fertilizers
Efficiency of foliar applications depends on crop type, leaf coverage, weather conditions and product quality. It is estimated that foliar treated crops will absorb about 15 – 40% of nutrients applied. Efficiency of the foliar fertilizer is improved when the formulation contains additives like wetting agents to enhance the coverage of leaves or stickers that prevent nutrients being washed off by rainfall. Together with our alliance partners Haifa chemicals Ltd., Nouryon Functional Chemicals B.V(formerly known as Akzo-Nobel), Yara International , Minera Santa Rita, Kheme Chemicals and Tessenderlo Chemie; PR Agro offers growers an extensive portfolio of foliar fertilizers combined with the knowledge about optimum application rate and timing.
