Fertiláqua expert points out what producers can still do to guarantee gains in the corn harvest

Since the beginning of this year's corn harvest, the producer has been concerned about grain productivity in the face of a scenario of uncertainty, which is expected to continue until 2023. The forecast of unavailability of fertilizers and phytosanitary products, in addition to climate instability, has been confirmed with the rise in input prices and the arrival of a lot of rain and frost - especially in the southern region of the country - and drought in other regions.

The plantation that received the application of soil conditioners, at the beginning of the plantation, had an advantage under the condition of water restriction, as explained by Josué Fogaça, Market Development Coordinator at Fertiláqua. “The producer who used this product managed to stimulate the formation of deeper corn roots and improve the quality of the soil, its porosity and water storage capacity. This management encouraged the plant to be more tolerant to water stress and, therefore, will have a better chance of maintaining productivity.”

Excessive rain was another aggravating factor that could affect the productivity of this year's harvest. The torrential rains that fell in some regions of the country brought great chances of negative interference in the results of fertilization, as the condition can 'sweep' inputs such as urea and potassium chloride from the soil.

Fogaça highlights that, to mitigate the impacts of these conditions presented, and until this corn is harvested, it is advisable to employ the use of foliar products such as biostimulants based on amino acids and plant extracts and nitrogen via the leaf. “This is a good alternative for the producer, as the biostimulants present in this type of fertilization contain nutrients and physiological stimulators capable of making up for the deficiencies in base fertilizer affected by rain and also mitigating physiological stress in areas with drought”, he explains. The specialist.

We must remember that foliar fertilization complements the base fertilization that may have been lost. “It is possible to increase this contribution of foliar fertilization in installments - which depends on the absorption of the plant and its stages. The best management needs to be appropriate to each case, which is why specialist advice is very important at this time”, warns Josué.