Producers often blame weather for poor crop performance in situations where it’s obvious that weather is only part of the problem.
I once walked out into a field to look at a crop a grower had complained was performing poorly due to drought but, when I looked at his neighbour’s field on the other side of the fence, I saw that it was growing well. I knew for a fact the rain clouds hadn’t stopped at the fence line. The soil health in the neighbouring field made it better able to withstand the dry conditions.
Nutrient load has a huge impact on a crop’s ability to perform well in drought years. I was talking to a potato grower recently who has started balancing the potash, magnesium and boron levels in his field. He got a great crop this year despite fairly dry conditions that in prior years would’ve compromised his yields. Correcting fertility levels and balancing nutrients were key.
Our research has found that when the VitTellusTM Soil Health Index (SHI) tops 40, plants reduce the microbial population in their rhizosphere to only those organisms the plant needs. Some – like Pseudomonas and Rhizobium – solubilize nutrients, making them more available, and secrete a polysaccharide that aggregates the soil, making it more open and friable while improving air movement and water porosity. Polysaccharides also store water, making plants much more water efficient while the bacteria in healthy soils cause plants to produce more root hairs, resulting in the more efficient uptake of water and nutrients.
It should be noted that potassium plays a major role in the regulation of moisture within a plant. The higher potassium levels are in a field, the higher they are in the plant and the more drought resistant that plant will be. In soils where potassium is lacking or where the potassium-to-magnesium ratio is out of balance, a mid-season dry spell can cause poor quality internal flesh and other issues.
Boron too is key. It helps plants retain the potassium necessary to regulate moisture. When growers balance boron and potassium, their fields are better able to produce a healthy potato crop during a drought.
And finally, low soil moisture interferes with a plant’s ability to uptake several key nutrients, including potassium. During a drought, growers need to compensate by applying additional fertilizer to ensure their potatoes have access to the potassium they need at bulking time.
The good news is that growers don’t need to correct nutrient levels and balance all at once. They can improve soil health over time based on their budget, building it up until there is a reserve they can draw on to produce decent crops even in dry years.
For more infomation:
https://www.alcanada.com/pdf/vittellus/VitTellus%20FAQ_Report%20Interpretation.pdf
