Proper use of foliar fertilizers: Three major mistakes to avoid
As an important fertilization method, foliar fertilization is loved by farmers because of its small dosage, remarkable effect, rapid effect and convenient fertilization. However, not everyone can use foliar fertilizer correctly. There are some misconceptions among many farmers, who may think that just spraying fertilizer evenly is fine, but in fact, there are three key points to pay attention to when using foliar fertilizer. These myths are described below to help farmers make better use of foliar fertilizers.
1. As long as it can be "melted", it can be sprayed, wrong!
Some farmers prefer to mix multiple foliar fertilizers when applying foliar fertilizers, believing that the more types of fertilizers, the better. They even think that as long as the fertilizer "melts away", it can be sprayed as foliar fertilizer. However, the reality is not so simple. Some of the more volatile fertilizers, such as ammonia and ammonium carbonate, are not suitable for use as foliar fertilizers because they can cause damage to crops and cause burns in hot weather. In addition, many micro-fertilizers should not be mixed with pesticides, and acidic fertilizers and alkaline fertilizers should not be sprayed together. Therefore, when using foliar fertilizers, it is important to select the right fertilizers in a targeted manner and ensure that they can be used in conjunction with each other to achieve the goal of "one spray, many effects", otherwise it may backfire.
Second, the higher the spraying concentration, the better, wrong!
Some farmers mistakenly believe that the higher the concentration of the solution in foliar sprays, the better. However, this is not the correct notion. The concentration of high-nitrogen water-soluble fertilizer should be kept below 1%, the concentration of potassium dihydrogen phosphate should also be kept below 1%, and more medium and trace element fertilizers, such as sugar alcohol calcium fertilizer, sugar alcohol calcium boron fertilizer, sugar alcohol zinc, chelated iron and chelated copper, etc., the concentration should be controlled below 0.2%. If the concentration is too high, the fertilizer may not be able to play the role of spraying, on the contrary, it may cause the crop leaves to lose water and wilt, causing fertilizer damage, similar to pesticide damage or poisoning. In general, the fertilizer should be sprayed evenly on both sides of the leaves, and not too much fertilizer should be used, so as not to cause cost increase and fertilizer waste.
3. You can spray at any time, wrong!
Some farmers often fail to capture the critical timing of spraying when using foliar fertilizers to achieve the desired results. They may think that foliar sprays can be applied at any stage of crop growth and development, but this is not the case. The best time to spray foliar fertilizer is usually at a critical transition point in crop growth, with each spray at least 20 days apart. In general, crops usually require 2 to 3 foliar sprays per season. Different crops and different types of foliar fertilizers will vary at the right time. For cereal crops such as rice, maize, and wheat, the best time to spray fertilizer is usually during booting, flowering, and grain filling. And for legume crops such as soybeans, peanuts, broad beans, and kidney beans, the best time is during flowering and pod-setting. For cotton, the best time is during the flowering period. Molybdenum fertilizers are usually best sprayed before the plants flower, while boron and zinc fertilizers are best sprayed at the first flowering stage of the plants. In addition, foliar sprays should be applied on cloudy days without wind or when the foliar surface is dry after the sun appears in the morning, and avoid spraying during hot periods of hot sun to ensure the best spraying effect.
The correct foliar spraying method can significantly improve the yield and quality of crops, but it is necessary to avoid the above three mistakes and ensure the appropriateness and safety of fertilizer spraying. Only by using foliar fertilizer correctly can we give full play to its fertilization effect and improve the yield and quality of crops.