Arable crops

Maize can produce up to 50t/ha of fresh weight in just 4 months, meaning a lot of nutrition is required and therefore a substantial root system too.

Phosphate (P) is an important nutrient, key for growing the root system the crop requires to sustain the rapid growth, as well as being part of the transfer of energy within the plant. Maize also requires a lot of potash (K), with total uptake being ~200kg/ha, similar to nitrogen. Most of this is used in the leaf and stem and due to the amount of biomass produced you can see why there is a high demand for K.

Once the crop has sufficient biomass a foliar application of phosphate and potash is the best way to overcome early deficiencies - giving the crop a boost in energy levels and helping regulate water, both of these will help the crop develop a better root and shoot system and support later growth.

YaraVita Crop Boost contains foliar phosphate and potash together with useful amounts of zinc and magnesium. Applying it at the 4-6 leaf stage onwards is effective for fast, efficient uptake through the leaf.

During times of stress, biostimulants can also help maintain a healthy plant which can lead to a better yield. Yara produces YaraAmplix Optitrac (formerly Biotrac) which is a product containing Ascophyllum nodosum as well as nutrients, it was developed to alleviate the impact of abiotic stress conditions such as drought.

Looking at independent trials where we applied, in combination, both YaraVita Crop Boost and YaraAmplix Optitrac, yield of maize increased by 4.4t/ha versus the control (control plot had full NPK application). Setting up the crop and preparing it to deal with abiotic stress periods is key to keeping crop growth momentum and maintaining productivity.