How do I help growers ensure best returns on the 2011 planting?
28/06/2011 12:00:00 AM
Dr Chris Dowing-Back Paddock Companay
Fertiliser and its application are a significant cost and you need to get the best return on this cost. A soil and tissue test in comparison is a very small investment to ensure that your nutrition program meets your crop demands.
The past season has been quite different from many of the seasons in the recent years. Most growers have had higher yields than normal and more summer rain. This has led to significant changes in the physical, chemical and nutritional status of soils compared to the starting point in recent seasons.
A soil test is the measurement on which most growers based their nutritional program. If this is the case why would you tissue test? Dr Chris Dowling, leading nutrition specialist and Technical Manager for Back Paddock addresses this pertinent question for the 2011 season.
A large number of variables (rain, temperature etc ) occur between the time fertilisers are applied and when the crop has developed sufficiently to access the applied fertilisers. All of these can affect how well the crop is taking up nutrients. eg: large rainfall events can cause N to move out of the root zone. A tissue test is an ideal way of seeing if your crop is healthy and accessing your applied fertilisers. Even if you think that the crop is accessing all of the applied fertilisers a tissue test will confirm what you think and can help avoid slipping into the “hidden hunger” zone .
Some people wait until they see a colour change in the crop and then apply fertilisers. This method is seriously flawed as by the time you see a colour change yield loss has already occurred. A tissue test will benefit in that it will pick up nutrient limitations before yield loss occurs.
A tissue test may show that a nutrient is low and may not be economic to remedy immediately due to the type of crop being grown e.g. phosphorus in cereals. However this means that you now have information that you can use for the following season.
You may have areas where you have poor growth, taking a tissue test from an area of poor and good growth is the perfect way to identify why there has been poor growth if this is due to a nutritional problem or eliminate nutrients as a factor contributing to poor performance.
There are definite benefits in taking a tissue test during the season and these are:
- You can monitor if the crop is responding to your nutrition program, in other words you get confirmation that your strategy is right.
- You can find nutrient in low supply and remedy them before deficiency and yield loss occurs.
- You can gain valuable information for the nutrition program the following year.
- It gives you another reason to visit your customer and get involved with their enterprise.
- Is the most accurate method of assessing adequacy of trace elements
- Tissue testing ensures that the customer gets the best return on his fertiliser investment.
- “Asking the crop how it feels” is a powerful tool in integrating the effects of soil, season and nutrient supply.
Fertiliser and its application are a significant cost and you need to get the best return on this cost. A soil and tissue test in comparison is a very small investment to ensure that your nutrition program meets your crop demands.
WHY WOULD’NT YOU TISSUE TEST?
For more information contact Back Paddock on 1800 557 166