Fertilization in Vegetables Crops IDEA-NEW

Soils Eastern Region, soil types include: 1. Sandy clay loam soils 2. Coarse-sandy soils Sandy soils, Advantages 1. Easy tillage, 2. Earliest vegetable crop 3. Allow timely production operation Disadvantage, Nutrients can be leached

N, P, K, Nutrient Sources Nitrogen, Ammonium nitrate (34%) Ammonium sulfate (21%) Urea (46%) Nitrate, preferred for plant uptake, recommended under cold conditions Ammoniacal

N, P, K, Nutrient Sources Phosphorus Normal super-phosphate (20%) Triple super-phosphate (46%) Diammonium phosphate (46%) Mono-potassium phosphate (53%)

N,P,K, Nutrient Sources Potassium, Potassium Chloride (60%) Potassium sulfate (50%) Potassium nitrate (44%) K has a tremendous impact in the quality of the vegetables

Calculation of Nutrient Contents in a Fertilizer Bag 15:15:15:1B  15% N, 15% P 2 O 5, 15% K 2 O, 1% B 50 kg bag contain:  15/100 = 0.15 x 50 kg = 7.5 kg N  15/100 = 0.15 x 50 kg = 7.5 kg P 2 O 5  15/100 = 0.15 x 50 kg = 7.5 kg K 2 O  1/100 = 0.01 x 50 kg = 0.5 kg B Total nutrient content: 23 kg The rest is filler

CNR: Crop Nutrient Requirement For a particular element, is defined as the amount of nutrient in kg/ha of that element needed by the crop to produce economic optimum yield A very important concept in vegetables, economic optimum yield is related with marketable yields

Fertilizer placement P movement in the soil is minimal,  Placed in the root zone Banded vs. broadcasting  Banded Broadcast modified,  fertilizer is applied only in the bed area

Fertilizer application: Pre-planting: during bed formation.  All P should be incorporate in the bed and 20% of the total Nitrogen Top dressing  The remaining N is applied in two applications during the early part of the growing season, applied near the plant Foliar application, unless symptoms show-up

Fertilizer rate for most vegetables Fertilizer rate: 50 kg DAP and 50 kg Urea Pre-planting  50 kg DAP (18 – 46 – 0)  Means 9 kg N/jerib + 23 kg P 2 O 5 /jerib  9/46 = 28% of total Nitrogen crop needs Top dressing = total rate 50 Kg Urea/jerib (46% N)  4 weeks after transplanting 25 kg Urea = 11.5 kg N/Jerib  7 weeks after transplanting 25 kg Urea = 11.5 kg N/Jerib Total Nutrients applied  32 kg Nitrogen/jerib  23 kg P 2 O 5 /jerib

Pre-planting Fertilization

Starter Fertilizer application

100 ppm N solution, cool soils