Articles
USING CONTROLLED-RELEASE FERTILIZERS FOR PERENNIALS INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY WHILE REDUCING FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATES
Article number
868_33
Pages
255 – 260
Language
English
Abstract
Application of controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) is becoming more widely adopted for the mineral nutrition of annuals such as arable crops, vegetables and ornamentals.
The highly positive benefits of the usage of CRF in annual crops include: lower fertilizer application rates, fewer field operations, less soil compaction, reduced mineral nutrient losses by leaching and volatilization, and constant optimal availability of nutrients in the soil solution.
Our experiments were performed on three different types of perennials under various growth conditions, to show the uniform pattern typifying all results.
Tequila agave (Agave tequilana Weber) experiments with CRF products held in Jalisco, Mexico, showed the following findings.
The plots treated with CRF produced continuously high levels of available soil N, P and K, and optimal values of electrical conductivity and pH, as compared with the control, as well as a significantly higher head (the sugars-accumulating stem) yield coupled with a higher content and total yield of reducing sugars, better vegetative appearance, and better freezing-resistance.
These effects were achieved by applying considerably lower rates of mineral nutrients in the CRF treatment.
The total- and kernel- yields of macadamia trees (Macadamia hildebrandii), grown in Australia, were increased by 33%, following CRF application at N-P-K rates that were lower by factors of 25-30-23%, respectively, as compared with the commercial mineral nutrition practice.
For tea-tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), fresh biomass of harvested leaves and total essential-oils yield increased by 19% following CRF application at N-P-K rates that were 100-55-230%, respectively, of the commercial mineral nutrition practice.
The highly positive benefits of the usage of CRF in annual crops include: lower fertilizer application rates, fewer field operations, less soil compaction, reduced mineral nutrient losses by leaching and volatilization, and constant optimal availability of nutrients in the soil solution.
Our experiments were performed on three different types of perennials under various growth conditions, to show the uniform pattern typifying all results.
Tequila agave (Agave tequilana Weber) experiments with CRF products held in Jalisco, Mexico, showed the following findings.
The plots treated with CRF produced continuously high levels of available soil N, P and K, and optimal values of electrical conductivity and pH, as compared with the control, as well as a significantly higher head (the sugars-accumulating stem) yield coupled with a higher content and total yield of reducing sugars, better vegetative appearance, and better freezing-resistance.
These effects were achieved by applying considerably lower rates of mineral nutrients in the CRF treatment.
The total- and kernel- yields of macadamia trees (Macadamia hildebrandii), grown in Australia, were increased by 33%, following CRF application at N-P-K rates that were lower by factors of 25-30-23%, respectively, as compared with the commercial mineral nutrition practice.
For tea-tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), fresh biomass of harvested leaves and total essential-oils yield increased by 19% following CRF application at N-P-K rates that were 100-55-230%, respectively, of the commercial mineral nutrition practice.
Authors
O. Achilea, O. Rottenberg, M. Thomas
Keywords
blue agave, controlled-release fertilizer, macadamia, tea-tree
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