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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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.

Like animals, plants require many factors to ensure they grow strong and remain healthy. Animal physiology involves extracting the chemicals for building tissues and generating the energy to achieve this by consuming other animals and plants. By contrast, a plant’s nutritional requirements must be drawn from the soil and the atmosphere. Nature provides the sunlight, carbon dioxide and much of the water required for photosynthesis, and soil is the source of other essential plant nutrients. However, it is an unreliable source, often requiring a growth fertiliser to provide any missing or deficient contents.

Primary Macronutrients Needed by Plants

Plant nutrients fall into three groups depending on the quantities required. Their greatest need is for a group of substances classified as primary macronutrients comprising nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, the need for each element varies between species and at different stages in the growth cycle. Consequently, it is essential to ensure the correct concentrations and relative proportions of these macronutrients when attempting to correct imbalances or deficiencies in the growing environment. Manufacturers take these factors into account when preparing growth fertiliser products.

Nitrogen plays an essential role in protein synthesis and energy production by photosynthesis. Without it, growth is slowed, and plants become discoloured and lose their leaves. Phosphorus is vital for root formation and some aspects of general development, especially during the flowering stage. Potassium regulates water uptake and transport, strengthens cellular tissues, boosts photosynthesis and is necessary for nitrate absorption. If potassium levels in the soil are inadequate, this can reduce resistance to drought, frost and fungal infections. Consequently, it is crucial to include appropriate amounts of these three elements when compiling a growth fertiliser.

Secondary Macronutrients and Micronutrients

By contrast, plants require only moderate amounts of the three secondary macronutrients – the elements calcium, magnesium and sulphur. The first of these has multiple roles ranging from cell wall formation and root formation to mineral retention by the soil, neutralisation of toxins and seed formation. Without magnesium, plants could not produce chlorophyll, and the element is also necessary to activate numerous enzyme reactions. Sulphur is also an all-rounder, having roles in chlorophyll formation, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolisation and protein synthesis. All three are commonly included in growth fertiliser.

The list of micronutrients required in trace quantities is somewhat longer. It features boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. Suffice it to say that each element is necessary for some aspect of a plant’s health and welfare. In many cases, generic products can be highly effective. However, Kynoch favours soil-testing to compile bespoke mixtures based on its results for maximum crop yields. If healthy crops and high yields are important to you, why not view more details of our farm visits and our world-class growth fertiliser products.

The post Why Do You Need Growth Fertiliser? first appeared on Kynoch Fertilizer.