As a farmer, you must understand value of nutrition for you crops

The same way human beings require a balanced diet and delicious meal to remain healthy; so do crops. Any less of this will mean growing a weak crop susceptible to diseases and pests and one that cannot withstand severe weather changes. The end result is reduced yields which translates to less income for the farmer. Low yields therefore means low income and low income means low living standards which exposes one to diseases. 

Once they fall ill, many small holder farmers will not afford quality health care and this will mean increased death rates and this will create a vicious cycle of both health and economic challenges.

As an agronomist, I have come across many farmers who do not understand crop nutrition and therefore I now take it as my sole responsibility to enlighten them on this matter.

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My objective is to provide farmers with relevant information on the types of nutrient management issues. This is in line with our key agenda of ensuring food security. Key areas farmers need to know include but not limited to — knowing the macro and micro nutrients, nutrient mobility within the plant and soil, nutrient concentrations, nutrient changes over the growing period, understand the basics of nutrient uptake and concept of nutrient holding and release by the soil. In over 100 chemical elements, plants over the growing period require 17 essential elements — mineral and non mineral, which are responsible for growth and reproduction.

They are needed in different amounts and vary in how mobile the nutrient is within the plant and soil. It is important to understand nutrient function and mobility since it helps in diagnosing deficiencies. The non mineral elements are derived from the air (C,H,O) while the mineral ones are from the rocks majorly the macro and micro nutrients. The micros are those that are needed in large units by the plant (N,P,K,Cu,Mg) while macros are needed in small units by the plant (B,Cl,Cu,Fe,Mn,Mo,Ni,Zn,S). Most fertilisers are made of up of combinations of these nutrient forms so that when they dissolve the nutrients are made available to plants for immediate uptake.

For the farm yard manure, they must be converted in the form available to the plant through decomposition and therefore the slow release mechanism. Once the farmer knows the form of nutrients the plant absorbs, he or she understands what controls the movement of nutrients in the soil. Plant uptake and redistribution of nutrients depends on the ability of the roots to absorb nutrients.

By being able to determine nutrient deficiencies, the farmer is able to plan for a reliable nutritional programme  and this means having a better understanding of nutrient mobility.

Some nutrients move from older leaves to newer ones if there is deficiency and therefore knowing which minerals are mobile (Cl, Mg, Mo, N, P, k) will help the farmer diagnose the deficiency since only the lower leaves will be affected.

For the immobile nutrients, (Bo, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn) their deficiency will be diagnosed at the upper newer leaves since they cannot move from old ones.

Coming up with a good nutritional programme also needs the farmer to understand the timing of nutrient uptake, nutrient mobility in the soil, as well as the factors that affect their mobility such as soil Ph. Acidic and basic conditions will affect the availability of nutrients to the plant. Note that fertilising with mobile element needs to be done more frequently than the immobile because the mobiles are more readily taken up or reached. The immobile can be applied for future cropping cycle in a build up program referred to as soil banking.

[The writer is an agronomist. He is also a large scale watermelon and pumpkin farmer, [email protected]]

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