Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops. The research comes out of the lab of Eduardo Blumwald, a distinguished professor of plant sciences. Blumwald’s research centers on increasing the conversion of nitrogen gas in the air into ammonium by soil bacteria — a process known as nitrogen fixation.
When you think about NASA, the first things that come to mind might be Mars rovers or the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. The planet NASA studies the most, however, is our own: Earth.
Crops require phosphorus (P), which is critical in building the structural components needed for plants to grow. Here are four ways to ensure optimum P levels in fields.
Depending upon the requirements of the crops, soil and various other factors, farmers speak sometimes to agronomists to determine the best variety of sulphur fertilizer for their crops. There are many different varieties of sulphur fertilizers available for the farmers and in this article, we will be discussing Sulphur Bentonite fertilizer in detail.
Potassium fertilizer is commonly added to improve the yield and quality of plants growing in soils that are lacking an adequate supply of this essential nutrient. Most fertilizer K comes from ancient salt deposits located throughout the world. The word “potash” is a general term that most frequently refers to potassium chloride (KCl), but it also applies to all other K-containing fertilizers, such as potassium sulfate (K2SO4 , commonly referred to as sulfate of potash or SOP).
Sulfur is an essential nutrient for plant growth. In recent years, sulfur deficiencies have become more frequent and the importance of sulfur in crop production is becoming more and more recognized. Although it is considered a secondary nutrient, it is now becoming recognized as the ‘fourth macronutrient’, along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Oil crops, legumes, forages and some vegetable crops require sulfur in considerable amounts. In many crops, its amount in the plant is similar to phosphorus.
First of all, rain-fed farming and irrigation are the two main ways to cultivate crops. What is the main difference between them? The water that reaches the soil in rain-fed farming is direct through rainfall, however irrigation crops are watered by artificial systems that the farmer needs to implement. The system applied should be chosen according to the minimal soil erosion and water loss. It is necessary to take into account the equipment available and budget, the type of soil, the plant species and the land formation. Below, we have summarized nine of them: surface, sprinkler, drip, subsurface, localized, sub-irrigation, terraced, flood, perennial and manual irrigation. However, the first three described are the more commonly used.
Thinking that the more you water your plants, the healthier they will be is a common mistake. Actually, the method you choose to water your crops is a decisive factor in the success of your farm.
