A team from the Department of Agronomy of the University of Córdoba (Dauco) has published the “ideal” ratio of phosphorus to zinc in soil for proper fertilization of corn cultivated in soils with zinc deficiencies, highlighting that the balance between both elements of the soil affects the yield of maize in Mediterranean areas.
In this sense, the University of Córdoba (UCO) has detailed in a statement that zinc deficiency together with vitamin A is “the most widespread” in the world population (Cakmak, McLaughlin and White, 2017). One of the causes is that the cereals that are consumed tend to have a low level of this mineral.
The result of the investigation is that the ‘ideal’ ratio between these two nutrients must be in ‘a range 30-60 ». Thus, “the application of phosphorous and zinc fertilizers in soils with this deficiency should aim to increase the available levels of the two nutrients, in addition to balancing them in the right proportion for good plant performance”, the researchers say.
Consequences of the deficit on cereals
In this context, he points out that “the reason is that calcareous soils, very present in the Mediterranean environment, are often highly deficient in zinc leading to negative effects on plant growth and, therefore, on the food that reaches the consumer.
Thus, in order to solve the problem of the deficiency of zinc, the Edaphology Unit of the María de Maeztu Excellence Unit – Department of Agronomy (Dauco) began a few years ago to study the consequences of this deficit on cereals.
As a result of this work, Dauco professors María del Carmen del Campillo and José Torrrent, accompanied by researchers Daniel Sacristán and Adrián González, have found the “magic number”, the optimal relationship between phosphorus and zinc for the growth of corn in Mediterranean soils.
Taking into account that phosphorus tends to amplify the negative effects of zinc deficiency, the researchers looked for the balance between phosphorus and available zinc, since if there is an excess of fertilization with phosphorus, negative effects are triggered.
Suitable range
Specifically, they were looking for «how much phosphorus was needed for zinc deficiency to become severe affecting the yield of corn, and thus find the limit that should not be exceeded, “they explain from the UCO.
In this way, an experiment was carried out with 20 different soils (six non-calcareous and 14 calcareous) with different levels of zinc deficiency, to which phosphorus was added in order to verify which was the relationship between both elements that gave the best yields for corn.
«With this work, a more sustainable, precision fertilization is given light, in which exactly what the plant needs is added to the soil without overdoing it, trying not to alter the balance and, in addition, saving costs for the agricultural community and increasing the yield of your crops », affect.
In short, «knowing the soil well and studying the nutrients as a whole, also taking into account their relationship, gives a more complete and allows a more sustainable and profitable fertilization », they conclude from the UCO.
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