The Role of Foliar Feeding in plant nutrition, and in overcoming plant health problems.

Foliar Nutrition

The Role of Foliar Feeding in plant nutrition, and in overcoming plant health problems.

Oded Rottenberg – Senior Agronomist and coordinator of market development & Agronomy, Haifa Group (Israel).

Haifa group Annual Meeting, December 2013, Jerusalem, Israel

Haifa Group

An Israeli based multinational corporation, founded in 1966

A global supplier of 0.5 million MTPA potassium nitrate for agriculture and industry

Global operations span in over 100 countries across 5 continents and include:

  • 14 subsidiaries
  • 3 production plants (two in Israel, one in France)
  • Advanced R&D centers

Annual turnover c. US$700million (2012)

Agenda

Foliar Feeding

Fundamentals and advantages

Proven Added Value

Results of five field trials results and practical conclusions

The Haifa Way

Advanced Foliar Feeding products by Haifa

Foliar Feeding – why and when

Complementary fertilization

Giving the crops a bonus with a significant added value. Not replacing soil fertilization.

Corrective nutrition

Intensive Care - when deficiencies are noticed

Growth boosting

During critical stages of plant development

For Special Jobs

  • Dormancy breaking (in vineyards and deciduous trees)
  • Flower induction (in mango)

Foliar Feeding

Nutrients are absorbed

Increases the

Stimulate nutrient

directly where they are

cellular activity and

absorption by

needed

respiration in leaves

plant roots

Foliar feeding induces intensive activity of all plant parts,

thus enhancing also root uptake

Fertilizers suitable for Foliar Feeding

Water soluble N-P-K  in various ratios

Enriched with secondary or micro plant nutrients

Has good physical properties

For improved fertilizer adhesion to the leaf, and to release nutrients over a prolonged period of time.

Free of chloride

China: Increasing yields in rice field

 

 

 

Yield increase / ha

 

Treatment

Yield kg/ha

 

 

 

kg

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heilongjiang

Unsprayed

7815

--

--

 

 

 

 

Northern China

Haifa Multi-K™

8859

1044

13%

 

@ 3% - 750 lit/Ha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guangxi

Unsprayed

4529

--

--

 

 

 

 

Southern China

Haifa Multi-K™

5241

712

15.7%

 

@ 4% - 600 lit/Ha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion: Sprays with Haifa resulted c. 15% higher grain yield

Trial carried out in a commercial field

Treatments

  • Haifa Bonus™ at 2 rates and two schedules
  • Conventional farmer practice
  • Control treatment

Total area:  5 plots X 0.3Ha = 1.6 Ha.

China: Increasing citrus yields and plant health

A Poly Citrus trail in Buzhihuo, Sichuan province

Trees situation one month after the first two treatments Poly Citrus 19-19-19+1MgO, at application rate of 1%

Application effects:

treated leaves are

  • greener
  • thicker
  • shining

China: Increasing citrus yields and plant health

Economic breakdown

 

 

Tree #

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

total

Yield

 

 

(kg)

kg/tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treatment

Yield

33

31

39

28

24

15

45.5

35

250.1

31.3

 

kg/tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Control

Yield

16

51

29

33

14

14

22.5

25

202.7

23.8

 

kg/tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase

23.4%

 

Applications cost – 40$/Mu

Increase in yield kg/Mu - 450 kg

Increase in income 0.5$ * 450 kg 225$/Mu

Cost/benefit ratio 1/ 5.6

Source: Haifa trial, 2010-2011

Brazil: Increasing yields and plant health in Soybean

For 2 decades Haifa has conducted a range of field trials on foliar application of Haifa Bonus™ in Argentina and Brazil. These trials have shown:

Soybean positively responds to foliar fertilizer

More notable response under sub-optimal conditions

Healthier plants, more resistant to pests and diseases

Plants suffering less stress during drought periods

At least 5% more pods per plant

Average weight of the grains, up to 5% heavier Up to 15% higher yields

Brazil: Increasing yields and plant health in Soybean

l

 

 

 

10 kg ha-1 of Haifa Bonus™ increased yield by 7.4%

 

compared to the control and by 4.5% when compared to the

 

Potassium nitrate (NKS= NOP+S).

The experiment was carried out in cooperation between  Research

Foundation Rio Verde - Mato Grosso State and Haifa in 2013.

Foliar fertilization reduces splitting and creasing in citrus, Israel

‘Nova’ tangearine and ‘Washington’ navel orange in Israel suffer from peal splitting, causing fruit loss of up to 50,% and from creasing, disqualifying the fruit for fresh marketing.

The trial studied the effects of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA 300mg/L), tank-mixed with Haifa Bonus™ at 5%

Source: Greenberg J.1, Kaplan I., Tagari E., Fainzack M., Egozi Y., and Giladi B. Ministry of Agriculture, Extension Service, Israel; and Mehadrin-Prior, Israel. THE XII INTERNATIONAL CITRUS CONGRESS, 2012

Foliar fertilization reduces splitting and creasing in citrus, Israel

NAA+ Haifa Bonus™ spray on large fruitlets (30 mm) reduced creasing by 30%

Common spray with GA (20 mg/L) in August reduced creasing by 20%

In both varieties NAA sprays produced larger with no effect on fruit number or yield

Foliar application of NAA + Haifa Bonus™ reduced creasing and splitting

Treatment had no significant effects on the % juice, total soluble solids and acid content

Source: Greenberg J.1, Kaplan I., Tagari E., Fainzack M., Egozi Y., and Giladi B. Ministry of Agriculture, Extension Service, Israel; and Mehadrin-Prior, Israel. THE XII INTERNATIONAL CITRUS CONGRESS, 2012

Haifa Bonus™

High-K foliar formula

Specially designed to allow for concentrated sprays

Based on Multi-K™ potassium nitrate

Enriched with phosphorus

To enhance nutritional value

To keep pH at the optimal level for foliar absorption

For improved compatibility with pesticides

Contains special adjuvant

For better adhesion to the leaf surface

For improved absorption

For prolonged action

Haifa Bonus™ – how it works

1.Haifa-Bonus™ is applied by foliar

2.Portion of the fertilizer is absorbed

 

spray and forms droplets on the leaf

immediately.

 

 

 

3.When the air gets hot and dry, the

4.At night, the dew re-dissolves fertilizer droplets dry up and the fertilizer and nutrient nutrient uptake temporarily discontinued.

uptake is renewed.

Haifa’s foliar fertilizers

Multi-K™ GG

Haifa-Bonus™ npK

K-Power™ Gold

Poly-Feed™

Poly-Feed™ Foliar

Poly-Feed™ Mar

Poly-Citrus™

Magnisal™  magnesium nitrate

Haifa MAP™ mono-ammonium phosphate

Haifa MKP™ mono-potassium phosphate

Haifa ProteK ™ systemic PK fertilizer