Technical Knowledge

Top-dressing fertilization cereals & fertilizers

The robust growth of plants and the achievement of high yields on grain are closely related to rational nutrition to stages of tillering and culm elongation.

In particular, the sufficiency of Nitrogen influences decisively the evolution of the crop and determines the final height and the quality of production:

At the stage of tillering, the presentation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus (from basic fertilization) promote the formation of productive tillers, increase the number of ears and total leaf area per hectare and create the conditions for high productivity of the crop.
At the stage of culm elongation, the needs of plants for Nitrogen increasing. The adequacy of Nitrogen helps tillers to survive, increases the number of ears per hectare and the number of grains per ears, prolongs plant life and increases grain production.

While there is a general acceptance of the necessity of Nitrogen fertilization, a number of questions arise as to when Nitrogen must be applied, how much Nitrogen is needed and what Nitrogen fertilizer should be used.

The answer to when and how much Nitrogen, it is given to us by the crop:

In fields with low density plants, required early top-dressing fertilization (before or at the start of tillering) with high Nitrogen levels in order to enhance the number of tillers, to adequately cover the field and to increase the yield per hectare. (70-120 units of Nitrogen / hectare for wheat).
In fields with high density plants, required later top-dressing fertilization (at the beginning of culm elongation stage) with lower amount Nitrogen in order to avoid susceptibility to diseases and lodging (60-80 units of Nitrogen / hectare for wheat).

In the difficult question about which is the best Nitrogen fertilizer for cereal, over the past few years, there has been a great confusion, about the use of different Nitrogen forms in the crop.

As part of development of communication with you, the next days we will present you the advantages and disadvantages of each Nitrogen fertilizer in cereal fertilization.