Written by Charlotte Cunningham
Spring-sown cereals that have struggled to establish in the dry conditions through April and May, could benefit from a much-needed boost with targeted foliar nutrition, according to the latest advice from Hutchinsons. Charlotte Cunningham reports. Poor establishment means poor rooting, which increases the likelihood that crops will struggle to access the required nutrients from the soil – especially where it remains very dry – reducing nutrient availability, explains Tim Kerr, fertiliser manager at Hutchinsons. “Met Office figures illustrate the challenge facing crops struggling to establish in dry soils, as April rainfall was just 40% of the national average, which came after a relatively dry March, especially in eastern counties, followed by further dry weather in May. “Immobile nutrients, such as manganese, copper and zinc, are of particular importance in spring barley and foliar applications may be the only reliable way of preventing deficiencies occurring where root uptake is limited.” While a number of foliar nutrient products are available to meet varied nutritional requirements, choice should be tailored to specific crop requirements, he adds. “If dry weather persists, nitrogen and magnesium may become the biggest limiting factors to crop development, especially as biomass growth accelerates. Magnesium deficiency is a greater risk…
The post Nutrition boost for spring cereals appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing:
