Five precautions for applying trace element fertilizers
The production of green food also imposes various restrictions on the fertilizers used. So what fertilizers are allowed? 1. Farmyard manure. Refers to fertilizers containing large amounts of biological matter, animal and plant residues, excreta, biological waste, and other substances. 1. Compost. Made from various types of straw, fallen leaves, human and livestock manure...
Trace elements include boron, zinc, molybdenum, iron, manganese, copper, and other nutrient elements. Although plants require only very small amounts of trace elements, their role in plant growth and development is just as important as that of macronutrients. When a certain trace element is deficient, crop growth and development are noticeably affected, yield decreases, and quality declines. On the other hand, excessive trace elements can poison crops, mildly affecting yield and quality and, in severe cases, even endangering human and livestock health. To improve fertilizer efficiency and reduce harm, the following points should be given special attention when applying micro-fertilizers:1. Based on the abundance or deficiency of trace elements in the soil, supplement whatever is lacking; do not apply blindly or excessively. Crops require only very small amounts of trace elements, and for many trace elements the concentration range from deficiency to sufficiency is very narrow. Therefore, the application rate of trace element fertilizers must be strictly controlled to prevent excessive concentration, and application must be uniform. Trace element fertilizers can also be mixed into organic fertilizers before application.
2. Apply according to soil pH. When soil pH is too high, it reduces the availability of zinc, iron, boron, manganese, copper, and other elements in the soil; whereas acidic soil often causes molybdenum deficiency in crops. Therefore, micro-fertilizers should be applied in a targeted way according to soil pH.
3. Choose application based on crop response to trace elements. Different crops respond differently to different trace elements, with varying degrees of sensitivity and different requirements, and the application effects differ markedly. For example, corn responds well to zinc fertilizer, rapeseed is sensitive to boron, gramineous crops are sensitive to manganese, and leguminous crops are sensitive to molybdenum and boron.
Therefore, rational selection and application should be based on the sensitivity of different crops to different trace elements and the fertilizer effects.
4. Supplement the corresponding trace elements according to weather conditions. Temperature and rainfall affect the release of trace elements in the soil and their uptake by crops. For example, when early spring brings low temperatures, early rice is prone to zinc deficiency; winter drought can affect root uptake of boron; in areas with higher rainfall, especially on coarser-textured soils, iron, boron, molybdenum, and others are easily leached from the soil, which can promote iron deficiency, boron deficiency, and molybdenum deficiency in crops. Therefore, the corresponding trace elements should be supplemented according to weather conditions.
5. Pay attention to applying them in combination with macronutrient fertilizers and organic fertilizers. Only after the crop's needs for macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are met can trace element fertilizers show a clear yield-increasing effect. Organic fertilizers contain a variety of trace elements and, as an important nutrient supply source for maintaining soil trace element fertility, should not be overlooked. Applying organic fertilizers can regulate soil environmental conditions and achieve the purpose of improving the availability of trace elements.