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Fildah Gwati
RECENT predictions of normal to above-normal rains from January to February in the Southern African region will require farmers to apply fertilisers properly paying close attention to crops’ stages of growth and the prevailing weather conditions, Government has advised.
A crop advisory report on El Nino for January 2024 done by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in collaboration with CIMMYT, Agritex, Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems (CTAFS), University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg South Africa and Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said farmers should apply fertilisers properly for enhanced plant growth.
The report further challenged farmers to adhere to proper fertiliser management practices and take into account the specific growth stages and weather conditions to achieve high yields and contribute to sustainable agriculture in the region.
“Supplying needed nutrients for crop production still needs four main considerations – the 4Rs: right rate, right source, right placement and right timing. Top dressing fertilisers for crops like maize and sorghum work best when applied at the correct crop growth stage and at recommended rates based on soil sampling results and crop requirements,” said the report.
It recommended farmers who planted during October and November to have by now applied their first round of fertilisers.
“Farmers who planted in October and November should have done their first round of fertiliser application during the early growth stages to support root development and early plant growth.”
Farmers must now be applying the second half of ammonium nitrate (AN) fertiliser at 150 to 250 kilogrammes per hectare and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) at 150 to 250 kilogrammes per hectare in moist soils with the fertiliser placed five to 10 centimetres from the plant to avoid burning the crop.
However, due to the heavy rains experienced in the last week of December and the first week of January, farmers should consider a second top dressing application and be mindful of the potential for more heavy rains and adjust application rates to prevent nutrient leaching.
For farmers who planted in the second and third weeks of December, a split application approach is the most advisable starting with a modest amount and adjusting according to crop growth and weather patterns.
Farmers should apply the initial top dressing eight to ten days after emergence, three to four weeks after emergence and again at cob initiation or filling stages instead of the usual time frame to enhance crop growth. They must avoid applying top dressing in flash flooded fields but wait until water levels subside.
The report urged farmers to consult extension officers on crop fertiliser requirements in the absence of soil sampling results and consider the forecast normal to above-normal rains possibility. They should remain cautious and do their fertiliser application rates accordingly to prevent nutrient leaching.
The report highlighted that organic and inorganic fertilisers were crucial for field crops, as they are a primary component of chlorophyll essential for photosynthesis. They promote robust plant growth, enhance vegetative development and contribute to the formation of proteins, enzymes, and genetic material.
Online Reporter