Foliar micronutrients reduce crop stress
Wet years bring an increased likelihood of softer leafy growth. More nitrogen less calcium tends to increase this situation, to the benefit of sap drinking insects like an aphid. Aphids take advantage of the soft cell walls piercing the leaf with the proboscis and extracting the sap.
Stronger leaf resists aphids better, in a normal year the aphid would be seen on the newly emerging leaf as they are much softer. Maintaining a good micronutrient regime on crops can limit the impacts of softer growth leading to decreased pest pressure.
As the weather is set to warm up from a saturated soil condition, this year will become as last year, ideal for fungal growth. Fungal pathogens are much harder than anaerobic soil conditions, needing only warmer temperatures to begin their cycle. The plant site of infection roots, crows and lower stem will be softer in spring due to saturated soil. Combine this with softer leafy growth higher up and the fungal pathogens can land anywhere and have an impact. Expect mildew (downy more than powdery), botrytis and phytophthora (root rot) to be issues this year. The key to these is good husbandry and trying to break up the micro-climate which these pathogens love. Foliar feeds like YaraVita SENIPHOS and YaraVita THIOTRAC 300 can further help to keep suppressing fungal pathogens by breaking the microclimate at leaf & fruit level while maintaining nutrient uptake. Foliar feeding reduces the demand on the roots reliving root stress as soil conditions return to a more normal state. As the roots need to get back to better root condition, feeding foliar YaraAmplix OPTITRAC can help reduce plant stress while at the same time adding root stimulation growth from the organic plant enzymes contained within YaraAmplix OPTITRAC.
