Neglect to apply the required nutrient-providing fertiliser in any kind of crop production, and you will have weak growth and yield, as well as heightened susceptibility to pests and disease.
The following offers some pointers on how to ensure that your plants absorb enough minerals to thrive.
• Lay down the basics
For a good harvest, two categories of plant nutrients, namely macronutrients and micronutrients, are required. The former, which are needed in relatively large amounts, are further divided into primary and secondary groups based on their importance. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are the primary nutrients widely available in mineral fertiliser. The secondary macronutrients are magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S).
One of the reasons that smallholder farmers generally fail to achieve the yields obtained by commercial farmers is that they do not have access to optimal amounts of macronutrients.
NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
Micronutrients are required in only small amounts, and are less likely to result in crops displaying deficiencies if they are unavailable in the soil. They include iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and molybdenum (Mb).
Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin December 06, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin December 06, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
'SA agriculture adapts to challenges and change'
Although the agriculture sector’s contribution to South Africa’s GDP is calculated at under 3%, its extended impact on GDP stands at between 10% and 12%.
Solutions to common cannabis cultivation challenges
Cultivators can improve output, quality and profitability while supporting the sustainability and prosperity of the cannabis industry by implementing best practices in pest management, environmental control, nutrition management, genetic selection, and harvesting procedures.
Training kit boost for small-scale poultry farmers
A new series of training materials to help small-scale poultry farmers improve their methods and incomes has been released by the World Poultry Foundation (WPF).
Eastern Cape Livestock Identification and Traceability System launched
New technology could be the key to help farmers put an end to stock theft, writes Jyothi Laldas.
State-of-the-art abattoir handed over to farmer
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) recently handed over a multimillion-rand abattoir to a Hluhluwe farmer.
Vineyard School helps workers build skills
A new four-day course urges employees to think outside the box to ensure their employability, writes Glenneis Kriel.
SAFDA hosts sugar regulations imbizo
A milestone has been reached on the sugar industry's journey to transformation, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Thailand wants to recriminalise cannabis after earlier unbanning it
The government of Thailand has announced that it will be relisting cannabis as an illegal drug by the end of 2024, two years after lifting the initial ban.
Climatic conditions result in challenging wine grape season
The Western Cape's wine production is expected to be lower this season, reports Glenneis Kriel.
UK promotes trade and investment at Nampo
The 2024 Nampo Harvest Day, themed ‘Agriculture in a Digital Age’, attracted more than 900 national and international exhibitors, with 400 prospective exhibitors on a waiting list. This year the UK also formed part of the event.