After long years of decline, the modern horticulture industry in Ukraine is gradually beginning to recover, but on absolutely new technological approaches, including in plant nutrition and protection, using the positive experience of neighboring Poland and other European countries. One example is the use in horticulture of special fertilizers based on potassium, copper and magnesium phosphites.
The importance of fruit and berry crop nutrition
Mineral nutrition of fruit and berry crops is of great importance for forming a high yield of good quality. Traditional mineral nutrition systems in horticulture were oriented to applying high doses of organic and mineral fertilizers before planting, followed by feeding with dry fertilizers. The effectiveness of such fertilizer was low because of the poor availability of nutrients, especially phosphorus. The technological convenience of foliar feeding and the availability of a wide range of special fertilizers have made correction of mineral nutrition possible, and in modern intensive orchards with drip irrigation and modern special fertilizer compositions plant mineral nutrition can be programmed quite precisely at different stages of growth and development, which is especially important in orchards because of the biological features of the crops. In intensive orchards of leading European countries phosphite fertilizers are used quite widely.
Fertilizers of this type contain the phosphite ion, which has one oxygen atom fewer than the phosphate ion, which makes it mobile, and it moves easily in plants and soil. Phosphites have different properties compared with phosphates (salts of orthophosphoric acid), the components of many traditional fertilizers.
Phosphates dissolve poorly in water and cannot move easily in soil. Their availability is often limited by many factors: the content of calcium, magnesium, iron and aluminum ions. Therefore the uptake of phosphorus from phosphates in the year of application practically does not exceed 20% of the applied amount, and over time, under the influence of natural factors, it turns completely into forms unavailable to plants. Experiments carried out in Germany and Austria showed that adding fertilizers containing phosphites promotes better plant growth and development and helps more effective protection against scab on apple.
Phosphorus plays an important role in plant mineral nutrition. With an optimal phosphorus level in the soil, the root system develops well, especially root hairs. This promotes better uptake of water and nutrients by trees, shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants, which have a shallow active part of the root system. This ensures normal development of both the vegetative part of plants and generative organs.
Phosphorus compounds are part of the most important biochemical components of the cell, ensure energy metabolism and transmission of hereditary information, which ensures a proper state of the immune system. The action of phosphites as biostimulants is built on inducing plant resistance to biotic stress factors (disease agents) and abiotic ones (for example, low or high temperature), through the synthesis of phytoalexins (an active immunity factor), which are a group of organic chemical substances produced by the plant in response to pathogen attack or stress. These compounds are the plant's natural immune mechanisms. After applying phosphites, the cell wall, which is a natural barrier to the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms, is also strengthened and the spread of microorganisms is reduced.
Through induction of the immune system, plant health and general condition improve. Using potassium phosphites cannot completely replace the deficiency of basic phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, but it can keep plants in tone at moments when nutrients in the soil are in a form hard for them to access. Phosphorus is very important for plants, especially at the moment of laying down and forming reproductive organs. Therefore phosphorus feeding of fruit crops is extremely important throughout the growing season.
Using phosphites reduces losses from biotic and abiotic stresses. These products have no waiting period after their application. They also have no toxic effect on the environment.
Phosphorus and potassium from phosphite are easily and quickly absorbed by plants. They help improve the general condition and growth of the aboveground part of plants and of the root system. They strengthen the natural resistance of trees and shrubs to biotic and abiotic factors and improve harvest quality. The fertilizer can be used for fertigation and foliar feeding.
The phosphorus contained in the fertilizer is easily absorbed by leaves and roots, even at low temperatures when plants cannot take it from the soil.
This liquid fertilizer, because of the ease of plant uptake and free movement, provides a systemic action. In addition to feeding, it can help in plant protection (a fungicidal and bacteriostatic effect is observed), for example in protection against apple scab and against fire blight. It supports the natural processes of the immune system by stimulating the production of plant phytoalexin. It limits the spread of pathogens in the plant.
Their doses and composition are chosen based on the goal planned. At the start of the growing season, doses for pome and stone fruits are recommended at 1.2–1.5 l/ha, with a recommended amount of water of 400–1000 l/ha, and after harvest, for disease prevention, it can reach 2.0–4.0 l/ha. When growing fruit trees and shrubs, a rate of 2–3 l/ha is recommended after flowering until fruit colouring begins, 3 to 4 times per season.
The effect of phosphites on the root system
It has been proved that phosphites in the root system directly inhibit the development of microorganisms that cause fungal diseases and also stimulate the plant's own protective mechanisms, suppressing such diseases as downy mildew, scab, bacteriosis, mildew and others. Phosphites have an insignificant effect on the development of most soil fungi, which makes their use ecological and safe for the environment. These properties of phosphites make it possible to use them in fertigation systems. The stability of phosphites in plants is a key factor in their effectiveness in controlling diseases over quite a long period of time. All this contributes to higher yield and marketable look of fruits, and to the content of dry matter, carotenoids and anthocyanins.
Research on the effect of phosphites on plants when applied to the foliage has been carried out for a long time. The results of this research have been presented by many scientists: C.J.Lovatt, R.L. Mikkelsen, A.E. McDonald, B.R.Grant, W.C.Plaxton, H.Forster, J.E.Adaskaveg, D.H.Kim, M.E. Stanghellini and others.
Potassium promotes the growth of xylem vascular bundles, thus improving the ability to transport and accumulate carbohydrates, and raises plant resistance to stress under drought and high and low temperatures.
To solve the problems described above, ECOORGANIC offers the special fertilizer Ecoline Phosphite (K). The product contains 53% phosphorus in phosphite form, 35% potassium, and is enriched with boron (1.4%).
What are the advantages of the fertilizer Ecoline Phosphite (K)?
- The highest content of phosphorus (in phosphite form) and potassium among all similar products.
- Stimulates the plant's synthesis of phytoalexins, natural defenders of immunity.
- Shows fungicidal action on a wide range of pathogens and substantially raises plant resistance to fungal and bacterial infections.
- Strengthens root system growth.
- Raises the dry matter content in the marketable part of the crop of fruit and vegetable crops.
- Raises yield.
- Improves harvest quality.
- Environmentally safe, with no toxic effect on the environment.
- When used together, raises the effectiveness of fungicides.
The high potassium content in the fertilizer ensures a substantial improvement in plant nutrition with this element, whose role in the early stages of plant growth and development is extremely important. Potassium regulates transpiration and respiration in the plant, so with sufficient potassium turgor is maintained and water losses under moisture shortage are reduced.