Fertilizers

1. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS

2. Fertilizers

FERTILIZERS
▪ Function of elements
▪ Symptoms of lack of elements
▪ Elements in soil
▪ Strategy:
▪ Soil
▪ Fertigation
▪ Foliar
▪ Water management

3. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS
It is about balance between elements
More of 1 element does NOT mean: more production
Some elements are concurrent to others

4. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS

5. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS
Keep in mind:
▪ Roots are for uptake of elements and water
▪ Leaves are for assimilation
It has to be good in the root zone
% organic material

6. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS

7. fertilizers

FERTILIZERS
Easy to transport
Difficult to transport
Main elements
N, K
P
Secundairy elements
Mg
S, Ca
Micro elements
Mn, Cl
Zn, B, Mo, Cu

8. N = nitrogen

N = NITROGEN
In quantity needed, the most important of all
For metabolism of plant:
▪ Amino-acids
▪ chlorofyl

9. N = nitrogen

N = NITROGEN
Uptake: by roots, little by leaves
Uptake of:
▪ NO3 = nitrate
▪ NH4 = ammonium
NH4 works for longer time, because it is binded to soil parts
NH3 more effective on the short term

10. N = nitrogen

N = NITROGEN
If there is a lack:
▪ Small leaves not green, more yellow
▪ Weak quality of flowers
▪ Bad fruit set
▪ Fruit size too small
▪ Early ripe emergency ripe
▪ Good storable

11. N = nitrogen

N = NITROGEN
Too much N:
▪ Big leaves dark green
▪ Strong vegetative growth
▪ Big fruit size
▪ Bad colour
▪ Weak in storage
▪ More diseases, like bitter pit and Gloeosporium

12. P = phosphate

P = PHOSPHATE
From all elements not so transportable
Important for:
▪ Development of root system
▪ Firmness of fruits

13. P = phosphate

P = PHOSPHATE
Uptake difficult
Should be enough P2O5 around rootsystem
Lack:
▪ Smalller fruits
▪ Less and weaker flower buds
▪ Weaker fruits

14. K = potassium

K = POTASSIUM
Important for water uptake
And transport of other elements
Very mobile
Good for:
▪ Fruit size
▪ New growth

15. K = potassium

K = POTASSIUM
Lack:
▪ Abnormal evaporation
▪ Small fruits
▪ More N in leaves

16. K = potassium

K = POTASSIUM
K is concurrent for:
▪ Magnesium (Mg)
▪ Calcium (Ca)
▪ Borium (B)
▪ And also Natrium (Na).
Natrium is not fertilizer, but can cause lack of usefull elements

17. Mg = magnesium

MG = MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is part of chlorofyll.
15% of all Mg is in het leaves.
Mg makes leaves a bit harder
More resistent against intruding diseases (like Scab)

18. Mg = magnesium

MG = MAGNESIUM
Lack:
▪ Especially on soil with lower pH
▪ After dry period
▪ Low temperatures during season

19. Ca = Calcium

CA = CALCIUM
Calcium:
Important for:
▪ Firmness of branches
▪ Firmness of fruits
Bitterpit

20. Ca = Calcium

CA = CALCIUM
Calcium:
Bitterpit:
▪ Too much vegetative growth
▪ Ca transported to new leaves, not to fruits
▪ Too much N and too much water
▪ Too much K, Mg, Na
Balance between vegetative growth and production important

21. B = Borium

B = BORIUM
Borium important for:
▪ Formation of flower buds
▪ Quality of flower buds winter hardness
▪ Quality of the pollen
▪ Fruit set
In water: risk of too much B

22. Mn = mangane

MN = MANGANE
Important for:
▪ Fotosynthesis growth
▪ Firmness of fruits
In plant not easy to transport
Soil high pH: more risk

23. Zn = zinc

ZN = ZINC
Important for:
▪ Growth
▪ Winterhardness
▪ Lack:
Small leaves

24. FE = iron

FE = IRON
Important for:
▪ Basic colour of fruits better storage
▪ Assimiliation green leaves
Soil with:
▪ High pH
▪ High humus
More risk

25. strategy

STRATEGY
What do we need?
We give per hectare
Better is per kilogram or ton
per hectare

26. strategy

STRATEGY
What is taken out of 1 hectare per year?
For apple; production in ton per hectare
Elements in kilogram per hectare
Yield of apples
Kg N /ha
Kg P2O5/ha
Kg K2O
Kg Mg
40 ton/ha
80-100
25
180
10
70 ton/ha
110-130
35
250
15

27. On the soil

ON THE SOIL
On light, sandy soils:
Shortly for flowering
On other soils:
▪ 35-50 kg N under the trees
▪ Additional foliar
▪ June: extra 35 kg, depending on production

28. On the soil

ON THE SOIL
Potassium:
▪ Not necessary before flowering
▪ During the season
Phosphate:
▪ On good soil: not every year necessary
▪ Especially in the first years important

29. foliar

FOLIAR
▪ Just additional
▪ Never the basic
▪ Especcially the elements which are difficult to transport by the trees.
▪ In many cases: just cosmetic effect
▪ Or useful when soil is still cold

30. foliar

FOLIAR
T: 0031-616508773
E: [email protected]
I: www.ebfruit.nl
Onafhankelijk fruitteeltadvies
Private Obstbauberatung
Independent advice for fruit growers
Standard schedule for foliar fertilizers on apple for 2019
If the element Fe is lacking: with fertigation in spring, without fertigation Fe-chelate with herbicide sprayer during rain.
All described quantities are per hectare
Fenology:
C
D
E
Urea or Aminosol Mantrac
Solubor/Bortrac
3-5 kg or l
3-5 kg or l
0,75-1 l or kg
0,75-1 l or kg
F-F2
Only 2 kg Urea,
no aminosol
because of bees
3-5 kg or l
3-5 kg or l
G
1st, 4th, 7th and
10th after bloom
2nd, 5th, 8th
3rd, 6th, 9th
July and August
July until harvest
After harvest
7 days later
7 days later
3-5 kg or l
3-5 kg or l
3-5 kg or l
3-5 kg or l
10 kg or l
10 kg or l
10 kg or l
0,5 l
Magnesiumsulphate Zincsulphate
1 kg
Calcium
Separate: 5 l
Caltrac
0,25 l or kg
0,5 l
0,5 l
3 times 3-5
Calcinit
5 l Caltrac/Calcinit
5-7 kg
3 x 0,5 l
7 times 5-7 l
Caltrac/Calcinit
1 kg or l
1 kg or l
1 kg

31. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
Without water: not possible with M9
Not necessary the whole year
Water and fertigation:
▪ More production
▪ More control of the growth

32. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
Often used:
Tensiometers: amount of water in kPa
Also tensiometers that give %

33. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
What does it means for tree?
kPa
soil
For tree
0
Full with water; no air
Roots die: stop of growth
5-20
Wet
Unlimited water; enough oxygen
40-60
Almost dry
Hard to take water; growth is less
100-200
Completely dry
Complete stop of growth

34. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
Recommended during growing season:
Depending on:
▪ Climate: dry or rain
▪ Production
Flowering-6 weeks after 6 weeks after –stop vegetative growth Growth of fruits
10-25 kPa
25-60 kPa
10-25 kPa

35. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
Fertigation = additional, especially older trees
N during spring important: 50-60% needed.
Advantage:
Give what trees need
Flexible during the season

36. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
From 3rd year; on production trees
Fertigationscheme, often used: (in combination with spring on soil)
Week 1: start growing season, mouse ear stadium
weeks
Gram N/tree/day
Liters/day
Gram N total
N:P2O5:K2O:MgO
1-4
0,11
1
3
10 : 3 : 10 :2
5-8
0,14
2
4
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
9-12
0,14
??
4
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
13-16
0,14
??
4
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
17-20
0,14
??
4
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
19
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
total

37. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
Example for standard fertilizers
In 1.000 liters:
N:P:K:Mg
10 : 3 : 10 : 2
10 : 3 : 15 : 2
43 l
35 l
Potassiumnitrate
17 kg
28 kg
Magnesium sulphate
13 kg
13 kg
Monopotassium phosphate
6l
6l
EC fertilizer
0,8
0,8
Ammoniumnitriate

38. Water and fertigation

WATER AND FERTIGATION
▪ Calcium: always separate from other elements
▪ Only with N possible
▪ EC must not be too high
Maximum: 2,3 at dripping point at tree
EC at dripping point:
= EC Fertilizer + EC water

39. WAter

WATER
Maximum values for elements in watersource:
Hoofd-elementen
element
mmol/l
mg/l
K
5,50
Ca
3,25
Mg
1,25
NO3
11,50
SO4
1,50
P
1,00
Na
Cl
Si
1,00
1,50
0,30
215
130
30
713
144
31
23
53
18
Sporen-elementen
element
ųmol/l
Fe-totaal
10,00
Mn
20,00
Zn
7,00
B
15,00
Cu
0,75
m
g
/
l
0,56
1,10
0,46
0,16
0,05

40. WAter

WATER
pH in water:
Range at drip point:
between 5 and 7
Low pH:
macro elements
better uptake micro elements, but more problems
(Mg)
High pH:
deficit micro elements

41. WAter

WATER
pH in water:
If too high:
use acid to decrease
Like: fosfor acid, nitrate-acid
If too low:
use more calcium fertilizers
Very hard to get stabile solution

42. WAter

WATER
EC = Electric Conductivity
Measure of content of salt in water
In many cases, EC is too high
Maximum EC at dripping point = 2,3
This is EC of water + EC of fertilizer ( in formula)

43. WAter

WATER
EC formula:
Gram N/tree/day X EC Fertilizer X 100
%N fertilizer X liters/tree/day
= EC fertilizer
+ EC water
Check at tree

44. analysis

ANALYSIS
▪ Soil:
▪ Before planting
▪ Each 3 years
▪ Leaves:
▪ Begin of June: possible to adapt, but not stabile
▪ End of July/August: to adapt for next year
▪ Fruits: during harvest: for storage and next year

45. Thanks for your attention

Questions?
Erik Buitenhuis
[email protected]
[email protected]
THANKS
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION