Complementing fertilization and leaf nutrition can be decisive in achieving high crop productivity

In recent decades, second-crop corn, also known as safrinha, has gained great prominence in Brazilian agriculture. The crop that was initially planted to fill an idle period in the agricultural calendar, gained strength and today its numbers are undeniable.

In the current harvest, for example, where planting began in January in the main producing regions, the expectation is that the harvest will be robust. According to preliminary data from the National Supply Company (Conab), the forecast is that the off-season harvest will reach 65,19 million tons, an increase of 21% compared to the 53,89 million in 2017/18. The planted area has also advanced considerably. In just over 20 years, it went from 1,4 million hectares to 11,80 million in the 2018/2019 harvest.

Such numbers prove the importance of the second corn harvest within the economic strategies of rural properties. Added to this, in some important producing regions, such as the State of Mato Grosso, there is a greater stimulus. With the operation of three plants producing corn ethanol, there was an increase in demand for the grain and an incentive for local farmers. 

Technologies

Certainly, the launch of earlier soybean cultivars made it possible to plant safrinha corn between the months of January and February. Simultaneously, other tools emerged that multiplied the opportunities for second-crop grain, such as more modern machines, more refined techniques, and products that add productivity to crops.

Most producers already carry out basic fertilization and soil preparation as standard management, but many still do not closely monitor the development of plants throughout the cycle. In this scenario, several factors, including climate, can compromise plant growth, directly impacting productivity. Due to these factors, there is a need to adopt the practice of complementary nutrition via leaves. 

Right time to complement

Among the essential elements for corn nutrition, Molybdenum is a micronutrient of great importance, as it helps in the use of nitrogen by plants, the macronutrient most required by most crops of agricultural interest, such as corn. Molybid fertilization must be carried out essentially at the beginning of the crop cycle (the moment in which potential production is defined), up to phenological stages V4 and V5, and can also be applied together with fungicides, in the phase prior to flowering.     

In plant metabolism, molybdenum is essential for the production of organic nitrogen (-NH2) in plants, as it is part of the structure of the molybdoenzymes nitrogenase, nitrate reductase and sulfide oxidase, acting as an enzymatic cofactor in important biochemical reactions in microorganisms. and plants, responsible for better use of nitrogen base and top dressing in grasses, such as corn. Therefore, molybdenum directly interferes with the growth and development of plants and, consequently, the yield and quality of grains/seeds through the metabolism of mineral N. 

Other important elements for corn cultivation, which must be supplied through complementary nutrition, are Manganese, Zinc, Boron and Copper. All of these nutrients play an essential role in the plant's primary metabolism, responsible for plant growth and development. In this way, the nutritional balance obtained by combining basic and complementary fertilizers allows the producer to explore the full genetic potential of the materials used.