#NewRelease! The 3rd issue of our magazine, "Growing Africa," is now live! 📚
In this special edition, we dive deep into the crucial topic of fertilizer and soil health, aligning with the upcoming @_AfricanUnion Summit. 📲👇🏽bit.ly/3OD9cbQ
Potassium deficiency symptoms: No one better than @DharmaPitchay with nutrients on hort crops. This great poster here: lnkd.in/euFurDvg
Now we're working on NO3 & NH4 preference of Rosacea and Solanaceae crops.
#Yara “Knowledge Grows” pledge is more than a slogan.
I hope you follow Andy (@agronomistag) to get an evidence-based view of many over-hyped issues in ag production and #soils. You may not always agree, but he leads the discussion with facts. He's a major reason I look forward to twitter. Great blog too at:
csanr.wsu.edu/author/amcguir…
Why Farmers Use So Much Water? Consider #water indirectly delivered as food
Using these sources
lnkd.in/edjZdasulnkd.in/eZb9T4v4
I calculated H2O for 2,300-cal meal. Wow, 1912 gal (7200 L) PER DAY
Do farmers use water? Yes, but we benefit in every bite #Yara leads
Magnesium frequently overlooked nutrient. Mineral weathering provides Mg, but crops may benefit from added Mg. Many good Mg sources available. lnkd.in/gVVSdBt5
Deeper dive here lnkd.in/gf2GZ-Tb
Lucky to have @merle_trk Mg-specialist at @yara@DharmaPitchay for pics
Does Nitrogen Source Matter? New 15N comparison for top-dressing corn: KNO3> UAN> urea for N uptake and recovery. Differences due to loss of urea-N and UAN-N via NH3 volatilization & more microbial immobilization. Thx @KelseyGriesheimlnkd.in/gFb9GJ2n#4R#soil#nitrogen
Composts… more mythbusting- Nice article on value of composts. J Downer says composting NOT "natural" process
lnkd.in/gr7bJBfH
1 COMPOSTING Doesn't Occur in Nature- requires our intervention
2 DOESN'T HELP ENVIRONMENT
3 MAY or MAY NOT make good fertilizer
4 NOT GOOD MULCH
Encouraging news! Increasing yields ~5X would boost farming families & sustainability. Good agronomy, nutrients, & genetics should not be rare. Yieldgap.org has potential for increasing global yields. My small contribution helping degraded #soil@PlantAfrican#4R
From @Cirad: "Yields for maize in the East African regions are just 1700 kg/hectare on average". "However, the climate and soil physical properties should enable yields of around 8000 kg/hectare in many of the continent's regions." ⛔️ #agroecology 🙏🏻#SDG2cirad.fr/en/press-area/press…
In this article: The acutely hungry population is growing. The number of chronically hungry people is growing too. New seeds [GMO], strengthened extension services and technology adoption [fertiliser and pesticides] are
agri-pulse.com/articles/1927…
Soil pH- fundamental, but not well understood. Difficult to measure pH, harder to predict impact on plant nutrient availability. pH changes soil and root reactions specifically for each nutrient.
Barrow & Hartemink follow with another great review. Read: lnkd.in/gAbRJ5ue
Thanks. I continually recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand transforming family trajectory with a bucket of fertilizer, genetics, and simple agronomy.
To all proponents of #agroecology in Africa: Read this excellent book on four mothers heartbreaking choices between providing food, health and education to their children. All to be financed by a few bags of maize! 🙏🏻 Cry and review:
amazon.com/Last-Hunger-Seaso…
Next Myth: Soil pH & Nutrient Availability. I posted on Mulder Chart. Truog developed this w/o data but good ideas- Now widely accepted.
@alfredHartemink dives into origins. Yes, flawed but be useful intro? Need to go beyond superficial understanding rdcu.be/c6elC
Next Myth: Soil pH & Nutrient Availability. I posted on Mulder Chart. Truog developed this w/o data but good ideas. Now widely accepted. @alfredHartemink dives into origins. Yes, flawed can it be useful intro? Need to go beyond superficial understanding! lnkd.in/ewZvwN6H
Mulder chart- part 2. I dissected each nutrient antagonism & synergism in original Mulder chart.
Red Arrows show "stimulation", Green Arrows show "antagonism". I'm dubious about validity of some arrows, but helps me understand original intent (note arrow direction too) #4R#soil
Mulder’s Interactions: No figure in plant nutrition has more attention. Mulder (1953) used his observations, but Chart is widely accepted w/o much foundation.
Fan (2021) shows synergisms & antagonisms. Plants evolved to maintain internal nutrient balance
lnkd.in/dN3PgMRX
Soil Awareness- An outcome of soil health metaphor is more appreciation for resources responsible for life. Not the 1st generation to know #soil importance, but need stewardship acceleration (1984, 1970, 1959 L-R) #Yara Better Soil Alliance- moving this forward. #4R#soilhealth
#Strawberry & nutrition? I just spoke at North Amer Straw. Growers Symp. Of ~80 talks, ~4 on nutrient mngt. With other major issues, plant nutr may seem boring, but vital for yield and quality.
#Yara prepared this chart a few years ago. Now digging deeper into these relationships