Russia: Innovation of a New Method for Corn Cultivation During Drought

SadaNews - The press office of Kazan Agricultural University reported that scientists from the university have developed a new method for cultivating corn during periods of drought.

 

According to the office, the innovative method involves feeding the plants with liquid organic mineral fertilizers during a critical growth period - at the stage of developing six true leaves. A mixture of nitrogen and zinc-based preparations, which acts as an "ambulance" for plants under stress, has proven particularly effective, as this treatment in dry years increases corn yield by 17 percent and starch content by 8-10 percent.

Professor Radik Safin, one of the contributors to this innovation, points out that this method addresses the problem of sharp declines in crop productivity due to moisture shortages, when the root system fails to supply the essential nutrients needed for the plants.

He states: "The rootless fertilization method allows for faster delivery of mineral nutrients and their integration into the plant's metabolic processes. This is particularly important during drought periods when the supply of nutrients to the root system is limited due to dry soil."

According to the researchers, this technique will be economically beneficial for farmers, as the increased yield per ton per hectare allows the cost of the preparations used to be recovered many times over.

A source at the university indicates that, on average, over three years, the increase in yield was 1070 kilograms per hectare - equivalent to 13.8 percent of the control group.

Source: Novosti