Beneficial root fungi help plants absorb nutrients more efficiently Sunlight and water are the most obvious, but certainly not the only, factors in plant health. Beneath the soil surface in the tiny space surrounding the plant’s roots, a vital interaction is...
Seventeen Plant Nutrients You Need to Know There is a delicate balance between too much of a good thing and not enough. Finding the optimum nutrient balance for maximum yield is a perpetual challenge for growers. All plants require 17 essential nutrients for growth....
Fertilizer and lime management must be based on the individual grower’s needs To sustain profitability, growers’ approach to fertilizer and lime management must be based on the unique needs of the farm. Dr. Matt Kleinhenz, associate professor at The Ohio...
Triggering Plants’ Immune Response Provides Protection Against Disease For nearly a century, plant scientists have known that when a plant survives a disease, it often is more resistant to subsequent infections. It’s as if the plant’s immune system...
Foliar sampling is a powerful tool for fertility management in the orchard. Both plant tissue analysis and soil testing hold a piece of the puzzle that is the plant-soil relationship, neither one should be a substitute for the other. However, where soil sampling is...
Determining N, P, K deficiencies in strawberries through visual observations Identifying nutrient deficiencies in strawberries can be a tricky business. First off, disease symptoms are often similar to those of nutrient deficiencies and it can be hard to tell the two...
Diagnosing and correcting magnesium deficiency in vineyards. One of the important characteristics of vineyard soils when it comes to supplying nutrients is its “cation exchange capacity,” or its ability to supply the nutrients that come in cation form...
Recognize the visual signs of micronutrient deficiencies in apples Macronutrients tend to get all of the attention when it comes to plant nutrition, while micronutrients are frequently overlooked. When left untreated, micronutrient deficiencies and toxicities can...
Without effective fertility management, citrus yields will be reduced on alkaline soil types. Most calcareous soil situations are created during the bedding process on flatwoods soils. A typical flatwoods soil has an alkaline, loamy horizon (layer) about 40 inches...
Proper management of nitrogen is an essential element to successful citrus production. While growers seek every unique advantage they can to produce superior crops over their competition, often there are unavoidable common ties – even among the most...
Micronutrients play a critical role in citrus production and tree health While a lot of attention has been focused on foliar nutrition as a means of promoting tree health in the face of HLB, many growers are learning that application of key micronutrients makes sense...
Foliar nutrition takes on enhanced role in the battle against HLB Since HLB (Huanglongbing) was first identified in Florida in 2005, its spread has been rapid across all citrus-producing counties in the state. Today, the disease is entrenched with ever-increasing...
Your trees are trying to tell you something. Learn how to interpret the signs. For success in citrus production, growers need to be in tune with what’s going on in their grove. When something doesn’t appear right — whether it’s one tree or an entire...
Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) can provide growers with cost-effective, sustainable options for nutrient delivery in the greenhouse. Water soluble fertilizers (WSF) have long been growers’ primary choice for nutrient delivery in commercial greenhouses,...
Establish a good fertilizer program for high-quality spring crops The only constant during the springtime is change, particularly in the greenhouse industry. For growers, spring can feel like dealing with the indecisive Goldilocks in the classic Three Bears fairytale....
Monitor overall plant health with a strong IPM program The term Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is often misleading because a good IPM program looks at a bigger picture than just pests-overall plant health. Without a doubt, the best management practice for any IPM...
Diagnose nutrient deficiencies correctly to treat the real problem The best approach to treating nutrient imbalances is a preemptive one, because symptoms of nutrient imbalances frequently show up long after irreversible cosmetic damage has occurred. Establishing a...
