One need only look at the high incidence of scurvy, rickets, beriberi and pellagra in the world’s poorest countries to spot the connection between dietary deficiencies and these heart-rending manifestations of human malnutrition. Similarly, a field of wilting and discoloured maize clearly indicates that something essential is missing from the soil. Studies have shown conclusively that numerous elements are crucial for plant nutrition. Consequently, shortfalls can lead to growth anomalies, increased vulnerability to disease, pests and drought, and low yields.

Extreme weather conditions, erosion and pH changes can leave soil lacking nutrients. Animal manure and vegetable compost are rich sources of nutrients and can help overcome such deficiencies in the growing area. However, their composition is random, inconsistent and unknown. These natural solutions can be helpful. But, their overall benefits are no match for those of the precisely formulated granular and liquid commercial fertilizers designed to optimise plant nutrition.

In South Africa, where agricultural productivity is crucial for food security and economic growth, understanding plant nutrition is vital. The country’s diverse soil types, climate, and crop varieties require tailored fertiliser solutions to optimise yields.

In South Africa, where agricultural productivity is crucial for food security and economic growth, understanding plant nutrition is vital. The country’s diverse soil types, climate, and crop varieties require tailored fertiliser solutions to optimise yields.

Fulfilling the Complex Nutritional Requirements of Plants

Although maize, cabbages and potatoes might appear to be relatively simple lifeforms, their physiology is complex. They all depend on access to air, water and selected minerals in their immediate environment. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is plentiful, and irrigation systems can compensate for water shortages during periods of limited rainfall. However, fertilisers remain the only effective way to ensure the required balance of the many essential elements in the soil. Furthermore, a plant’s needs vary at different stages in its lifecycle. For example, phosphorus is crucial to plant nutrition to promote the rapid root growth essential for establishing seedlings. Later it is necessary to aid flowering while also helping to withstand harsh weather and environmental stress.

While phosphorus is the main ingredient of suitable starter fertiliser, additional elements are essential to meet the seedlings’ immediate needs. Naturally, they require nitrogen and potassium. However, magnesium and sulphur and traces of the micronutrients zinc, copper, boron and molybdenum are also necessary at this stage. Chelation can help to ensure that zinc and copper are readily available for plant nutrition.

In South Africa, maize, sugarcane, and soya beans are among the most widely cultivated crops. Each has unique nutritional requirements, making it essential to choose the right fertiliser blend. For example, maize requires adequate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, whilst sugarcane benefits from added micronutrients like zinc and copper.

Offering Crops a Healthy and Balanced Diet

Other mixtures with different elements in various concentrations may be necessary as the growing crop’s needs vary. Thus the best option for farmers is to follow a fertiliser application programme that best suits a given crop. When planting in previously uncultivated or well-used ground, it might pay to conduct a preliminary soil analysis. The results will indicate which elements may most need replenishing to create the ideal balance. Like humans, crops also require a balanced diet to remain healthy.

Kynoch offers farm visits, in-depth soil analysis and a wide range of fertilisers to cover every aspect of plant nutrition. We invite you to download the profile sheets for these leading products that may interest you.

In South Africa’s varied climate, soil analysis is crucial to determine nutrient deficiencies. Kynoch’s expert soil analysis services help farmers identify areas for improvement, ensuring optimal fertiliser application. Additionally, Kynoch’s range of fertilisers is designed to address specific regional needs, such as:

– High-phosphorus fertilisers for maize in acidic soils
– Zinc-enriched fertilisers for sugarcane in coastal regions
– Balanced NPK fertilisers for soya beans in dryland areas

By understanding the complex nutritional requirements of crops and addressing regional soil challenges, South African farmers can optimise yields, improve crop quality, and contribute to the country’s agricultural prosperity.

Kynoch – Enhanced efficiency through innovation

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All green plants obtain the nutrients they need to grow and reproduce from the soil and the surrounding air. The process of photosynthesis occurs in the leaves, utilising atmospheric carbon dioxide and water drawn by the root system to produce the energy-rich carbohydrate essential for many metabolic processes. However, this crucial activity could not proceed without the elements required to synthesise chlorophyll. To ensure they are available in sufficient quantities, it is frequently necessary to introduce a fertiliser into the soil.

Types of Essential Plant Nutrients

Essential plant nutrients can be classified into three types according to the quantities required. The greatest need for all plants is for the three primary or macro-nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Next in importance are the secondary nutrients, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. While plants need less of these, the requirement is still relatively high compared to the trace quantities of additional elements, equally essential for plant welfare. Though comprising less than 1% of a plant’s dry weight, boron, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine are equally essential. There are two primary choices when applying fertiliser to replenish soil nutrients, although it’s convenient to subdivide the second.

The Main Fertiliser Options

Chemical or inorganic products are manufactured products that provide an alternative to naturally occurring elements. Next are the organic mixtures consisting purely of natural ingredients. However, some manufacturers prepare these mixtures by extracting the essential nutrients entirely from natural sources, hence the need for a third category – purely organic, heterogeneous mixes, such as animal manure and compost. However, although fans of organic foods prize the latter, they are unsuitable for intensive farming. A manufactured inorganic or organic fertiliser offers the advantage of having a known and predetermined composition.

Precision in Composition is Key

In practical terms, access to products of known composition enables growers to create the perfect balance of essential nutrients for a given species based on a preliminary analysis of their unique soil conditions. This degree of precision ensures healthy crops and high yields that are not achievable when using manure and compost.

However, a plant’s nutritional requirements can vary markedly at different stages in its development. What may be helpful to seedlings and root growth may be of little value for foliar development or flowering. Consequently, choosing a fertiliser with the precise composition required during these stages can be crucial. Understanding these changing needs and how to satisfy them requires in-depth knowledge of plant physiology that even experienced farmers sometimes lack.

Sustainable Fertiliser Practices

In addition to choosing the right type of fertiliser, it’s essential to consider sustainable practices to minimise environmental impact. This includes using fertilisers in the right quantities, choosing products with minimal packaging and waste, considering organic or natural fertiliser options, and rotating crops to maintain soil health and reduce fertiliser dependence.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When selecting and applying fertilisers, it’s crucial to avoid common mistakes that can harm crops and the environment. These include over-fertilising, under-fertilising, applying fertilisers at the wrong time or in the wrong conditions, and not considering soil pH and its impact on fertiliser effectiveness.

Integrating Fertiliser Use with Other Agricultural Practices

Fertiliser use should be integrated with other agricultural practices to achieve optimal results. This includes irrigation management, pest management, crop rotation, and soil conservation practices.

Kynoch offers the option of farm visits to perform a comprehensive professional soil analysis and compile a unique nutritional programme designed to generate maximum yields based on the results. Please click here to learn more about farm visits or here to view our world-class fertiliser range.

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Like all living things, plants require a wide range of chemical nutrients to grow, thrive and reproduce. In the case of plants, these substances may be present in adequate quantities in the soil or might need to be added in the form of natural or synthetic fertilisers. To help fight pests and diseases, spraying crops with pesticides may also be necessary. However, plants are often exposed to other sources of stress, including extreme temperatures, high soil salinity levels and drought. To resist these so-called abiotic stresses, they rely on plant biostimulants.

These stress-resisting agents can be any material containing chemicals or microorganisms able to stimulate some natural process essential for plant growth and health. These abilities are independent of any nutrient properties they may also possess. As well as providing increased resistance to abiotic stress, these materials may enhance nutrient uptake or improve utilisation. They are typically required in relatively small quantities, contribute little or no direct nutrient value and consist of two main classes, microbial or non-microbial. Natural or synthetic organic compounds are the primary ingredients of non-microbial plant biostimulants.

The natural compounds are typically obtained from seaweed extracts, algae, animal protein hydrolysates, amino acids and chitin. The active compounds in these materials mimic the physiological actions of various plant hormones, including cytokinins, auxins and gibberellins. For example, cytokinins aid cell division, vascular development and nutrient mobilisation. Gibberellic acid stimulates germination, and auxins regulate the chemical processes involved in every stage of a plant’s growth. Other commonly used substances in the non-microbial category include humic and fulvic acids, ascorbic acid and other vitamins.

By contrast, microbial plant biostimulants consist of living organisms. These include bacteria, non-pathogenic fungi, protozoa and nematodes. The class also includes arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which can form a symbiotic association with a plant’s root system. In this case, the benefits to plants are derived from the products of the natural physiological processes that enable these various soil microorganisms to thrive. In practice, much of the evidence for the efficacy of these products is empirical, and the precise mechanisms involved remain uncertain. Nevertheless, the increased resistance to physical stresses and disease, vigorous growth and high yields experienced by farmers who choose to apply plant biostimulants to their crops speak for themselves.

Kynoch has conducted extensive research in this field. Based on our findings, we have developed two world-class products – KynoHumate – Black and KynoFulvate – Yellow. The former is a humic acid-based soil amendment that reduces leaching and increases nutrient availability and tolerance to salinity stress. The latter contains fulvic acid to promote germination, nutrient uptake, and improved growth. We invite you to download more information about these proven effective plant biostimulants.

The post Plant Biostimulants and Their Function first appeared on Kynoch Fertilizer.

Following centuries of practical farming and agricultural research, we have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding the nutritional requirements for sustainable, healthy plant growth. For example, we are now aware of the many advantages of applying commercial fertilizers with a well-balanced nutrient content rather than depending on the random composition of compost and animal manure. However, we sometimes forget that soil composition is frequently just as inconsistent. In practice, an accurate soil analysis should be the starting point when attempting to optimise plant nutrition.

What Your Plant Needs

The requirements for photosynthesis extend far beyond water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. For example, green plants require nitrogen and magnesium to synthesise chlorophyll. These crucial nutrients can become exhausted by a crop or leached away by heavy rainfall. Consequently, these elements will need to be replaced before the next planting. But how much of each will be required? Too much nitrogen can cause iron deficiency characterised by a yellowing of the leaves. It can also leave plants more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases. Performing a soil analysis before you select your fertilizer will eliminate these and other adverse effects due to nutrient deficiency or excess.

How a Soil Analysis is Conducted

The first step in this two-step process is sampling. The sample you submit for testing is small compared with the area of your field, so it needs to be as representative as possible. In practice, you need to collect multiple samples from randomly-chosen locations. You will then need to air-dry them for two or three days or keep them refrigerated before delivering them to the laboratory. Once there, a technician will perform the necessary tests. Those conducted during a soil analysis may vary between labs but typically include texture, electrical conductivity as a measure of salinity, pH plus nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration. In addition, calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur levels are customarily measured. Secondary studies such as the cation exchange capacity of the metallic elements can indicate the soil’s ability to retain nutrients. Armed with the details of your soil’s composition, you can now determine the necessary steps to create a balanced nutrient environment suitable for your proposed crop.

Despite its undeniable value, conducting a soil analysis is a time-consuming and exacting process. Furthermore, interpreting the results to compile a suitably balanced fertilizer requires an in-depth knowledge of plant nutrition. Consequently, many busy farmers prefer to outsource the entire process to an expert.

Kynoch is a leader in the field of plant nutrition management. We can compile a customised programme to cover each phase of plant growth and the related nutrient requirements ensuring healthy crops and maximum yields. Please click here to learn more about our farm visits and comprehensive soil analysis service.

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The Purpose of Plant Biostimulants

Unlike the essential botanical macronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, contained in commercial fertilizers, only comparatively small quantities of these materials are required. Although some may have nutrient properties, these are secondary to their intended role. In practice, their primary purpose is to enhance or expedite a plant’s nutritional processes rather than acting as an additional source of nutrients. However, like animals, plants are frequently exposed to various forms of stress. It is termed ‘abiotic stress’ when its origin is physical rather than biological. Applying suitable plant biostimulants can also help them cope when exposed to stressful conditions.

Types of Plant Biostimulants

Abiotic stress can take various forms. For example, drought is becoming increasingly frequent in South Africa. Also, in coastal regions, soil salinity is often high. Other physical factors that can impede a crop’s development include extreme temperatures, excessive dampness, insect pest and a long list of crippling crop diseases.

So, what sort of materials can alleviate these problems and enhance crop growth? In practice, many materials display these valuable properties. However, agriculturists generally divide these into two main categories when classifying plant biostimulants. They are either organic substances or microorganisms.

Regardless of the type, their actions closely parallel those of the vitamins and dietary supplements favoured by many health-conscious humans. As a matter of fact, ascorbic acid or vitamin C extracted from citrus fruits is a common ingredient used in these products. Other sources of suitable organic compounds include algae, animal tissues and fruit and vegetable waste. The raw materials undergo enzymatic hydrolysis during the manufacturing process to form protein hydrolysates. These contain amino acids, peptides and other compounds, the active ingredients of commercial plant biostimulants.

The second group of materials comprises various bacteria, non-pathogenic fungi and nematodes. The latter are tiny multicellular insects with non-segmented bodies that act as natural pesticides, avoiding the need to apply toxic chemicals. As biological entities, it is the by-products of their metabolism that benefit plant growth and health.

Choose Kynoch to Enhance Plant Nutrition

Kynoch, an acknowledged leader in plant nutrition and welfare, has developed two products to combat abiotic stress and boost plant physiology. You are welcome to download more information about our world-class KynoHumate Black and KynoFulvate Yellow.

The post Difference between Plant Biostimulants and Plant Nutrients? first appeared on Kynoch Fertilizer.

The eye in the sky

Precision farming is a term so widely used and includes anything from chemical soil maps to farming equipment. The more you work towards precision farming the more information you need to store or work through. There is generally a map for every action taken on a field, but the challenge is to store all this information and to be able to compare it with each other or to use it for recommendations. To overcome this challenge there is now KynoPrecise^TM

KynoPrecise^TM is an application that is available to Kynoch customers on the Apple iStore (Android version to be released soon). Fields on the application can be registered to receive NDVI (Normalized difference vegetation index) images from two different satellite sources to ensure more timeous images. These NDVI images help to show changes in the crop growth in a short amount of time and if necessary, recommendations can be done accordingly. The KynoPrecise^TM application receives at least one NDVI image every two weeks and therefore can also be handy during field trails. On irrigated fields, a lower NDVI reading can indicate areas of the centre pivot that received too much or too little water.

KynoPrecise^TM also has the ability to compare different types of maps with each other to see if there is a correlation between them.  Figure 1 and Figure 2 compare different types of maps using the application. Figure 1 is a yield map of maize harvested in 2019. The red colour indicates a lower yield while the green colour indicates a high yield. Figure 2 is a potassium precision chemical map taken from a grid sample. Red indicates low potassium levels while the green indicates high potassium levels. A good correlation can be seen between the potassium and yield maps in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

NDVI images generated from KynoPrecise

KynoPrecise^TM is an application that gives you the ability to see how your crop grows during the growing season. Grain marketing decisions can also be made by using the many NDVI images received throughout the growing season.  KynoPrecise^TM is definitely an asset for any producer.

To find out more about KynoPrecise contact:

PJ Fryer

pj.fryer@kynoch.co.za
+27 (0) 76 402 8445

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