The photo of the field today is very different from the one it offered us until March 2, after a very dry winter with strong frosts, sometimes up to seven degrees below zero. These cold temperatures are what have allowed the crops to endure, which have lagged behind in other years and have been saved from a drought situation.
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Last week they fell close to 20 liters on average in Castilla y León and, if the following week repeats this behavior, a completely new year will have begun.
This humidity and March temperatures are going to noticeably animate the cereal, which forces us to rethink our fertilization strategy to a new scenario, with a productive potential that has skyrocketed.
And without losing sight of the fact that the war in Ukraine means that we are in a new stage also from the point of cereal prices and food security.
The farmer must correct any deficiencies that his fertilization may have, so that the plant has the nutrients that it will need now that it begins its development.
spring sowings
While waiting to take stock of these rainy days, there is uncertainty regarding spring plantings, since different irrigation systems may have water restrictions very important.
This will soon begin to influence planting decisions, as many farmers will think twice before choosing a particular irrigation option if they do not know if they will have a sufficient supply.
The decisions will be especially important for irrigators with perforations, given the extremely high energy costs they are suffering this year, which will force them to do a lot of math.
In any case, before the rain, the plots in which beet will be planted were already being fertilized in the background because the state of the soil allowed work to be carried out. we already know the restless character of the farmer, that prevents him from staying at home looking at the sky through the window.
The temptation to pay “as usual”
It is very curious that, in sugar beet, farmers willingly accept the advances of the crop in terms of varieties, for example, but continue to fertilize the same as 20 years ago, when research in fertilization has advanced as much as in the matter of seed.
We have always defended in this section the need to that the farmer is critical, Be informed, investigate new formulas and acquire those that best meet the needs of your soil and your crop.
Fertilizer, a very useful tool for potatoes
The farmer has in his memory the situation of the potato in the last campaign, with so much product that it remained on the ground for not responding to the famous market “demands”.
If the problem of the tuber is in its appearance, it must be remembered that it is possible to act from the fertilization so that the potato has a homogeneous caliber, a better presence and a lighter skin, in line with what other links in the chain demand of us.
Not forgetting, obviously, circumstances such as the meteorological conditions they can be unfavourable, to the point of conditioning the final quality of the product.
Let’s not lose sight of the secondary macroelements
The farmer must always pay attention that there is a good proportion in the use of nitrogen, with an adequate use of those so-called ‘secondary macroelements’ that become primary when we talk about crops with high added value, as in the case of potatoes .
We must ensure that the lands of Castilla y León take these elements (calcium, magnesium, sulfur…) into account as well as NPK, without for this reason stopping us from contributing these essential elements.
Calcium: a potato that lasts longer
Calcium contributes to the fact that the potato ‘fills out’, has more dry matter and a hard skin, which prevents diseases and the tuber does not bruise in the processing after starting. A potato with better presence and greater durability.
In general, the levels of this element are high in Castilla y León, but on many occasions those amounts that the analysis reflects are not available by the plant, since they are non-soluble calcium. Let’s pay attention to this.
Magnesium, essential for starch
Magnesium is the element responsible for the bush being able to absorb more energy and increase the capacity of the crop in terms of production and quality. This secondary macroelement constitutes the nucleus of the chlorophyll molecule, a pigment that is needed for photosynthesis.
This process, as is known, allows the absorption of nutrients, which gives us an idea of the importance of magnesium for the development of plants; a low level of this nutrient can lead to low levels of energy uptake, and consequently a lower production capacity.
Sulfur and plant health
It is a fundamental element for a greater development of the root, which among other things will allow a better absorption of nitrogen, to which it is closely linked.
Sulfur increases the percentage and quality of proteins in crops. It activates important enzymes in energy and fatty acid metabolism, and provides greater health and strength to the plant.
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