The way the year is going, it is a requirement to be efficient in fertilization management, since the Late nitrogen applications They are a great option to ensure the availability of this macronutrient in critical periods of the winter crops.
If we think about the beginning of the 2024 wheat and barley campaign, we can say that it began with a considerable water deficit in all productive areas of the country.
In addition, frosts were felt and crops suffered a significant delay in development after sowing.
On the other hand, crop nutrition was affected, because Many producers reduced or delayed the use of nitrogen fertilizers due to uncertainty regarding the climate.
Furthermore, the contribution via mineralization was limited by the water deficit and low temperatures.
Fortunately, rain has arrived in much of the country’s wheat-growing area in recent weeks, although other areas still continue to experience significant water shortages.
Specifically, water availability progressively decreases towards the west and northwest of the Pampas Region, and in the north and center of Santa Fe and Córdoba, where significant drying is observed.
In addition, for spring it is expected higher average temperatures in the centre and north of the country.
Leaf Nitrogen in Flag Leaf
“In parallel, we know that the maximum demand for N absorption by the wheat crop occurs from the end of the tillering stage and during the tillering stage, when the greatest efficiency of nutrient use would be obtained,” he said. Paula Di Gerónimo, Market Developer Coordinator Humid Pampas and Uruguay, Stoller.
However, this year many applications were delayed, others were reduced or in many cases not even carried out.
As a result, crops show stress associated with nutritional limitations. In addition, the more advanced their development is, the more complex and inefficient the application of fertilizers to the soil becomes.
Faced with this problem, at Stoller we highlight the importance of ensure a good level of available N in the plant around floweringperiod in which the crop defines the yield.
“We propose the use of Nitroplus 18 on flag leaf as a complement to traditional fertilization. We aim to synchronize the supply of N with the demand of the crop and increase operational efficiency,” said the specialist.
The application of Nitroplus 18 is recommended in a dose of 10 liters per hectare and can be combined with the entry into the lot for the application of other phytosanitary products (traditionally at this time, such as fungicides).
This is how the producer saves an entry to the field, and ensures maximum use of the applied N that synergizes with the contribution of the base fertilizer and the contribution of the soil, at the time of maximum demand.
Fertilization and yield
Nitroplus 18 provides amine nitrogen, a form of nitrogen that is readily available to the plant in the formation of various organic compounds.
Nitrogen absorption in the amine and ammonia forms is higher than with traditional sources such as urea.
Furthermore, with the contribution of amino sources such as Nitroplus 18, nitrate levels in the leaves are reduced compared to other sources.
These high levels in the plant lead to a greater production of ethylene, which induces the plant to a great vegetative growth to the detriment of the poorly developed root system, which implies a low resistance to periods of stress.
In simple terms, N from the soil and base fertilizer (Urea-UAN and others) must be transformed into forms usable by the crop, then absorbed by the roots, and transformed again within the plant to be used.
This series of transformations is limited by the availability of water, temperature and other factors such as the preceding crop, and involves a energy cost for cultivation.
“That is why when planning nitrogen fertilization we attribute efficiencies between 40 and 65% to these sources,” explained Di Gerónimo.
“If we look at the critical period where synchrony and source efficiency are key factors, foliar fertilization emerges as a fast, practical alternative with a contribution close to 100%, to complement the base applications to the soil and contribute directly to building yield,” concluded the specialist.
