Foliar feeding of wheat: fertilizer application rates and how to apply

When growing all crops, including cereals, root fertilization is considered the main one. But if there is a pronounced lack of nutrients due to adverse weather conditions, then foliar feeding of wheat is recommended. Consider the pros and cons of such top dressing, when to carry it out in spring and autumn, what fertilizers to use. How much fertilizer should be taken to obtain the required concentration.

What is foliar feeding

Root nutrition of plants weakens with a lack of moisture in the soil, cool weather. Accordingly, the lack of nutrients is growing, which gradually affects the growth and development of crops.Lack of nutrition can also be caused by the fact that plants have time to use up a lot of nutrients for the growth of greenery, as a result of which their deficiency is detected by the heading stage.

With a deficiency of phosphorus and potassium in the early stages of crop development, future wheat yields can drop by up to 20%. Phosphorus helps the root system develop, potassium is consumed in large quantities during tillering.

Spraying on the leaf makes it possible to quickly eliminate the deficiency of elements, since the solution is absorbed into the leaf tissues and immediately enters the cells, the likelihood of nitrogen losses due to leaching and denitrification is reduced.

Pros and cons

Foliar Benefits:

increased yields with less fertilizer;
ability to provide plants with nutrition in a short time;
quick effect;
you can fertilize with any trace element you need;
low fertilizer consumption.

Disadvantages: It is not recommended to apply foliar dressing in hot and dry weather, as the solution evaporates quickly and can be harmful, not beneficial.

Due dates

Foliar feeding can be carried out in spring and autumn, at different stages of plant development. Winter wheat needs fertilizing with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium.

In the stage of germination and shoots, fertilizers with basic nutrients are applied. They are applied to the soil before sowing or scatter granules over the surface of the site after it.

In spring, winter wheat in the phases of active growth, booting and heading is fed with nitrogen fertilizers, for which diluted urea is used at the rate of 200-250 l/ha.Together with carbamide, it is desirable to add magnesium sulfate, the absorption of magnesium and sulfur with this combination increases by 2 times.

Foliar feeding of wheat will be effective in moist soil and temperatures up to 20 °C. The best time of the day is evening and morning. If fertilizers are compatible with pesticides, they can be combined together and double applied. Foliar nitrogen fertilization has a beneficial effect on plants, increases bushiness, and increases yield.

How to feed wheat by leaf

Urea and s altpeter are used to feed wheat from nitrogen fertilizers. Since plants also need potassium during this period, potassium nitrate is used. It is sprayed with the resumption of wheat vegetation in the spring, when it enters the tube and at the heading stage.The result of top dressing will be visible in the form of an increase in the amount of grain and an increase in its quality - an increased content of gluten and protein.

How to conduct?

The dose of s altpeter for feeding on the leaves should not be large: 5-6 kg of fertilizer should be dissolved per 1000 liters. It is impossible to increase the concentration so as not to burn the leaves. When spraying with urea, the norms are different: when 2-3 internodes are formed, the concentration should be no more than 10%, when heading - 25% and at the stage of milky ripeness - 30%.

Application rules: distribute the solution evenly over the leaves, spray when there is no sun, in the evening or in the morning. The effectiveness of foliar feeding is affected by the condition and age of plants, soil condition, temperature and humidity. Weakened by frosts, diseases, lack of water, as well as plants of older ages, absorb elements from the solution worse than he althy and young ones.

Foliar feeding of cereal crops is no less valuable than root feeding. During the critical periods of wheat development, when there is intensive growth (tillering, stemming and heading), plants are in great need of nutrients. To quickly make up for the lack of elements, spraying with fertilizer solutions with the necessary substances is carried out. The fact that plants can absorb 70% of nitrogen from the leaves and only the rest from the soil speaks of how effective foliar feeding is.