FOLIAR FERTILIZING - THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Foliar feeding is a technique of feeding plants by applying liquid fertilizer directly to their leaves. It has been known for many years that plants are able to absorb essential elements through their leaves. The absorption takes place through the stomata of the leaves and also through the epidermis. Movement of elements is usually faster through the stomata, but the total absorption may be as great as through the epidermis.

EFFECTIVENESS:

“ Dr. H.B. Tukey” renowned plant researcher and head of the Michigan State University (MSU) Dept. of Horticulture in the 1950’s, working with research colleague Sivan H. Wittner at MSU, first proved conclusively that foliar feeding of plant nutrients really works. They found plant nutrients move at the rate of about one foot per hour to all parts of the plants .

Dr. H.B. Tukey and Dr. Silvan Wittner, in association with Atomic Energy Commission,  conducted extensive research into the efficacy of foliar fertilizing.  Using atomic trace data, they were able to show that foliar feeding was eight to twenty times more efficient than root feeding.

Foliar feeding is an efficient, effective and economical  method of fertilization. The purists are correct in that it should not be used to replace a  good soil fertility program, but it can be a remarkable yield-booster in conjunction with a well-balanced soil, and it can be  an incomparable problem-solver in many situations.

Foliar feeding can bypass problems associated with root absorption, like nutrient competition, nutrient lockups, leaching and soil structure problems. This technology offers rapid rescue response in times of stress -frost, drought, storm damage, pest and disease pressure- and it offers that extra energy boost during periods of nutrient demand. Foliar feeding can also be used to manipulate growth energies, i.e. to switch a plant from growth response to a fruiting response.

The pores on the leaf, called stomata (predominantly on the underside), are the main entry point of nutrients, but all living parts of a plant above ground ( including twigs, branches, buds, fruits, flowers and stems) can actually absorb nutrients. Although rapidly absorbed, there is quite a variation between the mobility of various nutrients once they are in the plant. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, copper, manganese and zinc are readily translocated to the roots, but calcium, iron, boron, magnesium & molybdenum tend to remain in the leaf after they are absorbed.

In Lee Fryer’s book entitled  “ Food Power from the Sea”, the comparative efficiency of the foliar route is highlighted,  Fryer contends that only 10% to 30% of NPK Synthetic Granular fertilizers ever make their way into the crop, due to  evaporation, lock ups or leaching, while in comparison , 80% of foliar nutrients successfully reach their mark.

THE ESSENTIAL TOOLS.

SPRAY EQUIPMENT

Foliar feeding is most efficiently achieved with mist-type sprayers. The smaller the particle size, the better the response and the less fertilizer is required to achieve the end result. The leaf hairs surrounding the stomata attract nutrients within fine water droplets more effectively.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TIME TO SPRAY

·         Foliar fertilizers, particularly those containing multi-hormonal stimulation, are unique stress relievers. They can be used as invaluable rescue remedies after transplanting, hail, wind and drought and after spraying herbicide to the plants as it affects root structure of the plants.

·         It is always best to foliar spray in the early morning (6am to 9am) or evening (4pm to 6pm) when relative humidity is high, rather than in the heat of the day. There are two main reasons for this fact:-  Obviously, if a fine mist is applied, there is a risk that hot sun will evaporate the solution before it can be beneficial. Secondly, when temperatures exceed 32deg. C, plants transpire and release rather than absorb moisture.

·         There is another important factor related to temperatures and spray effectiveness: when temperatures fall below 11deg. C, metabolic rate and nutrient translocation has slowed down considerably, and foliar sprays are less effective.

·         It should always be remembered that the majority of the stomata are on the underside of the leaf, and consequently this should be the target for spray solution.

·         Finally, there is very important link between moon cycles and the performance of foliar fertilizers. The best foliar response is achieved during any of the six days leading up to a full moon. Any other time is acceptable but always avoid any of the six days leading up to a new moon, as benefits will be minimal. As the moon affects the gravitational pull of the tides, it also affects fluid movements and translocation of nutrients within the plants.

SOURCE : NUTRITION FARMING EXPLAINED WORSHOP MANUAL

               By:  Graeme Sait***

***Graeme Sait is CEO and co-founder of Queensland-based company, Nutri-Tech Solutions P/L (NTS), which is now a recognised world  leader in biological agriculture. NTS services 12,000 farmers, exports to 25 locations and has developed over 200 products. Graeme is also a writer and educator responsible for the holistic NTS systems approach. He developed the highly successful Soil therapy and Plant Therapy services and created the NTS Management Seminars- four eight –hour workshops, featuring the associated, exam-based “ Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture”. This certificate course is rapidly becoming a prerequisite for “ nutrition farmers” chasing higher yields and profits via a chemical-free approach. Graeme is author of over 50 published articles and has conducted an intensive interview series with the leaders in sustainable agriculture.

Negative Effect of Inorganic Farming to the Environment & Mother Earth

Objectives of the Study:

This study aims to dig deeper about the negative effect  of using NPK Synthetic Granular Fertilizers and pesticides in the rice & vegetable farms in Nueva Ecija and the burning of rice stalks right after harvesting that adversely affected the environment & mother earth.

 Statement of the Problems:

As everyone noticed nowadays, global warming that led to climate change has brought tremendous problems in the lives of the people most especially those people living near the mountain ranges & coastal areas and likewise to  those people engaged in agriculture as their main source of income. Continuous unexpected heavy rain even during dry season causes the farmers huge losses in their farming activities and worst, the unexpected occurrence of flash floods  that often render homeless and caused tragic death to countless  people.

Discussions:

In Lee Fryer’s book entitled “ Food Power from the Sea”, he contends that only 10% - 30% of NPK synthetic granular fertilizers that were  broadcasted in the farms ever make their way to the crops mainly due to evaporation, leaching caused by rain and irrigation & nutrient lock-ups.

It is worthy to note that:-

Methane gas (CH4) emissions from crop fields (notably rice paddies) are increased by the application of ammonium-based fertilizers i.e Ammonium chloride (25-0-0), Ammonium sulphate (21-0-0) being used by the rice & vegetable farmers in their farms. These emissions contribute greatly to global climate change as methane is the  2^nd potent greenhouse gas next to water vapour that remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9-15 years that absorbs radiation and traps the heat. Methane is over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than Carbon Dioxide (CO2) over a 100 year period and is emitted from a variety of natural & human-influenced sources.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted in a number of ways. It is emitted  through human activities like the burning of rice stalks in the farms right after harvesting of palay that have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. This is the 3^rd potent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that absorbs radiation & traps the heat.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) - Through the increasing use of nitrogen fertilizers, which is added at a rate of 1 billion tons per year presently to the already existing amount of reactive nitrogen, nitrous oxide (N2O) has become the 4^th most important greenhouse gas. Considered over a 100-year period, it has 298 times more impact per unit weight than carbon dioxide. Thus despite its low concentration , nitrous oxide is the 4^th largest contributor to these greenhouse gases that absorbs radiation & traps heat. It ranks behind water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane. Control of nitrous oxide is part of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Upon using the above-mentioned inorganic  fertilizers, because of its quick releasing property, salts can build up very fast, thus damaging soil life (biodiversity) and long-term productivity of the soil. These fertilizers, particularly nitrogen, is easily leached out by rain or irrigation and is highly volatile, it is prone to evaporation even at low temperature.

Loss of Biodiversity in the Farms:

Before the introduction of these synthetic granular fertilizers & pesticides in the farms, there were abundance  of biodiversity in the rice paddies e.g. mudfish (bulig), catfish (hito), liwalo, lukaok, gurami, burasi, crab (talangka), edible mollusks (susong kuhol & papa), frog (palaka) that can be caught by the mere hands of farmers. This writer still remember during his elementary days that he used to catch the above-mentioned fishes in  the rice farm of his father by using small bamboo trap (salakab) and catching & taking crab, frog & mollusks by his mere hands placing them in the bamboo container (buslo).

Unfortunately, when these inorganic granular fertilizers & pesticides were introduced by the Multi-National agricultural companies in line with the so called “ Modern Farming Technology”, all of these biodiversity that can be found in the rice paddies as their habitat have been vanished.

What is organic farming?

Organic farming is a technique used in farming without the use of any chemicals or synthetics. Aim of organic farming is to produce crops which have the highest nutritional values with least impact on nature. Crop rotation, green manure, use of natural fertilizers and biological pest control form the crux of organic farming. It is a proactive ecology management strategy that enhances the fertility of soil , prevents soil erosion and the same time protects the human and animal kingdom from the side-effects of chemicals and synthetics. Many of the farm products like vegetables, fruits, herbs, meat, milk, eggs, etc. are produced organically by some farmers. 

Advantages of organic farming:

The most important of the advantages of organic farming is that it maintains the life of the soil, not only for the current generation, but also for future generations. Water pollution is reduced with organic farming. Most of the times after it rains, the water from the fields, which contains chemicals, sets drained into the rivers. This pollutes the water bodies. In organic farming, since no chemicals or synthetics are used, water pollution reduces as well.

Organic farming helps in building richer soil. Rich soil is obtained by intelligently rotating crops. The rich soil helps in plant growth. The rate of soil erosion helps in plant growth. The rate of soil erosion is reduced drastically. A French study has revealed that the nutritional quality and micro-nutrients are present in higher quantities in organically produced crops. The micro-nutrients promote good health.

Organically grown food tastes better too. The overall cost of cultivating the crops reduces as the farmers use green manure of worm farming to replenish the lost nutrients of the soil. The other option that the farmers use, is to grow legumes in rotation with other crops.

The life of the organically grown plants is longer than the plants cultivated by traditional methods. Organically grown crop is more drought tolerant. The chemical fertilizers caused the plant to ripen fast. When the crop does not get water it withers and dies, which is not the case with organic crops.

Organic farming methods:

Organic agriculture is a production system that sustain the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adopted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.

Recommendations:

Pursuant to R.A. 10068 otherwise known as " Organic Agriculture Act of 2010" there is a necessity that farmers in Nueva Ecija should  gradually ship from inorganic farming to organic farming in order to  promote, propagate, further develop and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Phiippines that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers, consumers and the general public and to save our mother earth from the devastation brought about by these synthetic granular fertilizers and  prevent the harmful effects of pesticides to the health of the consuming public, as well as once again, farmers can enjoy abundant biodiversity in their rice paddies. It is worthy to note at this juncture that the Department of Agriculture has allocated around 2 billion pesos in the pursuit of organic farming program nationwide. The concerned D.A. personnel are conducting trainings and seminars to the farmers in every municipality regarding this noble program. They are imparting knowledge & skills to the farmers on how to concoct organic liquid fertilizers using indigenous materials with known growth hormones like swamp cabbage (kangkong) & banana stem (saha ng saging), etc. and how to concoct pesticides using herbs with known insecticidal property as necessary ingredients in the preparation of formula. The farmers are also being oriented about the contributions of inorganic fertilizers to the present climate change that has adversely affected the lives of the entire populace, not only the people who are living near the mountain ranges & coastal areas and people whose main source of income is from agriculture.

Definition of Terms ( From online Encarta Dictionaries):

Biodiversity -  range of organism in the environment: The range of organism present in a particular ecological community or system. It can be measured by the numbers and types of different species or the genetic variation within and between species.

Greenhouse gas – gas that absorbs radiation: a gas that contributes to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere by reflecting radiation from the earth’s surface e.g. carbon dioxide, ozone or water vapour.

Sources of Bibliography:

^Sait, Graeme; Zimmer, Garry; Brunetti, Jerry “ The Three-Up Tour, Nutrition Farming Explained Workshop Manual”.

^Stewart, W.M; Dibb, D.W. Johnston, A.E., Smith, T.J. (2005) “ The contribution of Commercial Fertilizer Nutrients to Food Production. Agronomy Journal 97:1-6

^Erisman, Jan Willem; M.A. Sutton, J. Galloway, Z. klimont, W. Winiwarter ( Oct. 2008). “ How a Century of Ammonia Synthesis Changed the World”. Nature Geoscience, (10): 636 doi: 1038/ngeo325, Retrieved 22 Oct. 2010.

^Alesander  Abram and D. Lynn Forster (2005). “ A primer on Ammonia, Nitrogen Fertilizers, and Natural Gas Markets. Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University.