One major challenge for growers is making the best of their financial resources. At the same time, they can’t cut inputs that will make money. What we want to do is discuss ways in which you can help find what nutrients your crops need. Also, we will talk about how you can find the right fertiliser to aid them in thriving.

Soil test

Firstly, you can do a soil test. Testing enables the grower to figure out the soil’s current condition. This includes excesses, deficiencies, and imbalances. Moreover, tests enable you to determine how many nutrients the soil has readily available. It will allow you to optimise any additives. By using a multi-year testing program, growers can monitor soil changes over time.

Soil testing will cost you money. But, you will receive a complete test including base saturation, nutrient levels, and soil characteristics. If a single soil sample represents 20 acres in a field and said field gets sampled every three years, the soil sampling cost will average out with time. Considering the details you get from such a test, it is not a bad investment.

Applying the same fertilisers time and again might not give you the best economic or production return. By using a soil test, you can develop a comprehensive nutrient management program for each field. You can make amendments to change nutrient imbalances. It also helps with figuring out the fertiliser application needs for crops. Using products you can mix to meet a field’s needs will give you the best chance for returns.

Nutrient interactions

Next, you should understand nutrient interactions. Besides picking nutrients necessary to grow your crops, soil test reports will reveal something else. This is the relationships between nutrients in the soil. If there is a nutrient in excess, others might not be available to your crops. This is the case even if the values are high.

A wonderful example here is iron and manganese. If manganese levels are excessive, there is a danger of the iron being less available to your crops. So, supplementing it is a good idea. Excess calcium levels can also limit the availability of multiple nutrients.

Tissue test

Another excellent test to use for figuring out what crops need is a tissue test. It is good for understanding what is occurring with your plants in regards to the nutrition effects and physiology. The tissue analysis is the leading way of identifying a plant’s true nutrient status and whether you need fertiliser.

Remember that the plant analysis is merely a snapshot of the plant’s nutritional status. Plant physiology is dynamic. Thus, you must compare the results with what you expect to find with plants at each growth stage.

Recognise patterns

Once you identify a nutritional deficiency, you must determine the next best step. Start by seeking out patterns in the field. Perhaps the deficiency is due to a drainage problem. Or, there could be inconsistencies with the application of fertilisers. Consider everything and make an informed choice.

Foliar application with liquid fertiliser is a decent method for rapidly solving nutrients issues that show up in various plants. This depends on the deficiency. These fertilisers are able to move swiftly through the leaves into the plant. Such action improves crop yield and health. This is because the applications are applied directly to plant leaves and absorbed via the stoma.

Choose the right products

Finally, you will want to select the right fertilisers. When producing a nutrient management plan, there are many factors to consider. The key thing is to choose a product that doesn’t contain any raw materials that can harm plants. Compatibility is integral too. No matter the reason, taking more passes over the field isn’t an effective use of resources.

Ask us for advice about fertiliser

At JS Hubbucks Ltd, we have plenty of fertilisers available for purchase. With them by your side, you will have what you need to ensure your crops get the right nutrients. So, if you are looking to make any purchases, please let us know.