- The second webinar in the series, hosted by Chris Harrold, YaraVita Product Manager, discussed the importance of ensuring adequate nutrition for grassland farmers and growers of forage crops like maize
- Months of excessive rainfall has affected soil pH in some areas which will have a knock-on effect on nutrient availability
- This is where soil analysis can be helpful; giving growers a baseline chemical reading, and helping them understand more about the physical attributes of the soil-essential knowledge for when they are putting their crop nutrition programme together
Growers are advised to continue sampling throughout the season, particularly if they are using organic manures or organic materials like digestates, which are being used more extensively on maize crops and grassland. As forage crops are used for livestock nutrition, soil and leaf tissue analysis is also recommended so farmers can assess whether there are adequate nutrients to keep animals healthy. When it comes to nutrient requirements for a healthy maize crop, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium are needed for optimum yield and quality, as well as crop establishment and growth.
For maize, Chris recommends applying YaraVita Crop Boost at 5lt/ha at the four to 8 true leaf stage to give crops a boost with plant available phosphate, potassium, magnesium, and Zinc when the crop needs it most.
As the demand for nutrients peaks later in the season when the crop moves towards its reproductive stage, adding in biostimulants can be useful. Biostimulants are becoming increasingly important in complete crop nutrition programmes as they improve resilience to abiotic stresses as well as enhancing nutrient use efficiency. Adding YaraVita BIOTRAC in combination with CROP BOOST at 2lt/ha can improve tolerance to abiotic stress, improving yields. In addition, as nitrogen demands increase in the pre-tassel stage, growers are advised to top up levels with YaraVita SAFE N at 20lt/ha.
For grassland, a balanced crop nutrition strategy is essential and although much lower amounts of nutrients are needed, the right balance is crucial for high yields. The most important nutrients for healthy yields are copper, manganese, and zinc. Sodium and selenium are also important as while they are not essential for grass, they are required by grazing animals. Growers are advised to ensure copper levels in grassland aren’t too high if the grass is being grazed by sheep, as this can cause poisoning. Chris recommends applying Yara CROPLIFT PRO at 5kg/ha as soon as growth commences in the spring or when soil analysis has identified any nutrient deficiencies. “This is a wettable powder formulation that contains NPK, magnesium, and sulphur as well as a range of elements. What’s great about it is you get an immediate boost for the crop, particularly if it’s under stress. Repeat applications can be made though it’s best to leave a 7-day gap between application and turnout,” says Chris. CROPLIFT PRO is also compatible with a number of grassland herbicides.
Growers can watch the YaraVita webinar series on demand here.
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