International
How can the nitrogen use be improved?
The oncoming amendments of the fertiliser regulations will not only be achieved by reducing application rates. Dr. Ute Kropf (FH Kiel), Department of Agriculture, explains that if nitrogen rates are already tightly calculated it is necessary to improve nitrogen use from applied fertiliser as well as soil reserves.
Only healthy plants with good roots are able to …
Yield and N-uptake in a high yielding year (2015) …
pH-value for different soil types and humus …
The oncoming amendments of the fertiliser regulations will not only be achieved by reducing application rates. Dr. Ute Kropf (FH Kiel), Department of Agriculture, explains that if nitrogen rates are already tightly calculated it is necessary to improve nitrogen use from applied fertiliser as well as the soil reserves.
Firstly, conditions for good soil fertility and plant and root development have to be created. This includes, among others:
- Ensuring a good soil rootability up to a minimum of 1 meter
- Preventing straw mats and suchlike as straw is a nutrient competitor for the crop
- Adjusting the pH-value optimally to the soil type
- Enhancing a balanced humus content
- Where water availability permits, implementing soil structure and humus content improving catch crops
- Avoiding foot and crop rotational diseases that reduce nutrient uptake, e.g. take-all disease
In her remarks concerning fertiliser strategies the author focuses in particular on nutrients that are essential for the plants nitrogen use. Primarily these are sulphur and phosphorous but trace elements such as copper and molybdenum are also playing an important role. The interactions and therethrough results on nitrogen use are explained.
The issue “modern technology in order to improve nitrogen use” is also approached.