Don’t get caught by the ‘hidden hunger gap’

Micronutrients can be seen as an added expense when deciding on nutrition. However, they are required by the soil in small quantities and their contribution, as part of a wider prescription nutrition programme, will have positive effects from the point of application to the soil and the crop.

Farmers and growers shouldn’t view additional micronutrients as expensive. If soil or harvest yield data has revealed deficiencies in the profile, addressing them now, to increase soil levels, will deliver improved returns and promote an even crop growth. Furthermore, if these deficient nutrients are left for further years, the deficiencies will take longer to repair and incur a greater cost.

The application of micronutrients should also be a high consideration for farmers and growers. As these are required in such small quantities, adding them in granular form into a bag of fertiliser will lead to uneven distribution. One option is to choose a blended fertiliser that features a micronutrient coating on every granule. The micronised charged powder of the micronutrient evenly coats the primary nutrient granules and isn’t released until the granule starts to dissolve.

This helps to bridge the vital hunger gap between emergence and potential foliar applications, and the even application of the micronutrient across all granules ensures 50 times more soil contact points than applying these as a granule. This helps plants access these nutrients quickly and easily.

Micronutrients applied in this way include zinc, boron, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and molybdenum. This will enable farmers to be proactive during the growing season by identifying deficient micronutrients at the beginning of the year and applying them in time for the crop to use.

A crop that’s deficient in a micronutrient can mean that valuable yield potential has been lost before it emerges. Providing a curative measure at the start of the season to feed the ‘hidden hunger’ gap, rather than waiting for the crop to show a deficiency, means the yield potential won’t be limited and soil health will be improved.

In a grassland context, deficient nutrients can impact animal health. Nutrients such as sodium won’t influence grass growth directly, but a minimum level in the diet is essential for livestock health and performance. If the sodium content of forage is too low, the animal automatically substitutes potassium for sodium as an alternative buffer in the saliva, which can lead to resorption of magnesium in the blood, leaving animals vulnerable to grassland staggers.

Micronutrients should be an essential part of any nutrition strategy for both growers and farmers, and ensuring these valuable additions are applied in the correct way will lead to improved crop response and, ultimately, greater return for the nutrition investment.