1/7 @Agricura_ZW Agronomy Tip 23/365.
BENEFITS OF LIMING
Liming improves soil structure & nutrient availability in the soil & ultimately crop productivity. Liming also provides some plant nutrients such as Calcium or Magnesium @basera_john @MoLAWRR_Zim @AgritexS @terrymap1 Image
2/7 Liming improves Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE) by crops. Use of fertilizer alone without Lime result in poor fertilizer uptake & reduce the economic benefit of using fertilizer. In economic terms, Lime is an enabler to get the best return on fertilizer @agribusinesszw Image
3/7 Investment. Lime reduces availability of toxic elements in the soil such as Aluminium & Manganese. This result in improved root development & ultimately nutrient uptake. Liming improves the soil physical structure resulting in good crop emergence @agribusiness110 @Madanzit Image
4/7 Greater root proliferation & crop stand. Liming creates a conducive environment for beneficial soil micro-organisms to carry out essential processes e.g Nitrification. A good example is that of the Soyabean crop - for the Rhizobium @WendyMadzura @MaminiminiObert @MM_Garden1
5/7 Inoculant to function properly (trap atmospheric Nitrogen & fix it into usable nitrates) - a process widely known as Nitrogen fixation. There must be a conducive pH range of 5.5 - 6.5 & that explains why legumes & other crops are sensitive to low soil pH @CdeNMaswerasei Image
6/7 Liming will increase crop productivity in ALL crops.
Liming promotes a more rapid breakdown of organic matter in the soil. Liming suppresses some problematic weeds such as Witch weed @Fifi_dvc @SandraNabasirye @Gugulethu_CM @mrLethario @MukuvariKaroi @MudhumeniMukuru Image
7/7 Some herbicides (pre-emergent) will not work properly in low pH soils hence liming soils will enhance the efficacy of soil applied herbicides @Agricura_ZW @basera_john @MoLAWRR_Zim @BongayiGokoma @PhiriDivah @Madanzit @VundaFarm #ZimAgricRising @mmawere @zfu_official Image

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More from @onias_mlambo

22 Jan
1/6 @Agricura_ZW Agronomy Tip 21/365.
#Good Land Husbandry Techniques.
#Soil & Water Conservation.
There are many alternative soil & water conservation technologies which can be used together with conservation tillage to improve water conservation & soil fertility @basera_john
2/6 Whilst reducing soil erosion problems in your field. One such technology is CONTOUR PLOUGHING. On sloping land it is important to plough along the contour & not up & down the slope. This will help reduce soil erosion & keep moisture in the soil @MoLAWRR_Zim @zfu_official
3/6 So that plants can grow well to give good yields. If you plough along the contour, rainwater will not run down through the field & soil erosion will be less. Rainwater will be stored in the furrows & it will infiltrate into th soil. To ensure @agribusiness110 @agribusinesszw
Read 7 tweets
21 Jan
1/12 @Agricura_ZW Agronomy Tip 20/365.
SPLIT APPLICATION OF NITROGENOUS FERTILIZERS
In most cases, nitrogen fertilizer is the most costly major nutrient in any fertilizer program. By placing all the nitrogen requirements at planting @basera_john @MaminiminiObert @Madanzit
2/12 A farmer must rely on adequate rainfall during th growing season so that the crop can efficiently utilize the nitrogen. SPLIT APPLICATION is the process of matching nitrogen supply for a pre-established target yield & a given level of soil moisture @agribusiness110 @mmawere
3/12 And then supplying the remaining nitrogen as moisture conditions improve. SPLIT APPLICATION is a strategic & a risk management tool in DRYLAND CROPPING. The practice serves as a way of managing plant nitrogen uptake more efficiently – Nitrogen Use Efficiency @WendyMadzura
Read 12 tweets
20 Jan
1/8 @Agricura_ZW Agronomy Tip 19/365
AMMONIUM NITRATE & UREA
There are 2 types of fertilizers which are normally used as top dressing by farmers - Ammonium Nitrate (AN) & Urea. Ammonium nitrate have got 34.5% of Nitrogen while Urea have got a slightly higher content @basera_john
2/8 That's 46% N. While farmers are aware of these 2 types of top dressing fertilizers - NOT many are knowledgeable about the correct way of applying UREA in particular.
Ammonium nitrate can be easily placed onto the ground next to the crop @CdeNMaswerasei @Fifi_dvc @MM_Garden1
3/8 While Urea has to be applied DIFFERENTLY. Placing Prilled/Granular Urea on top of the soil - next to the crop as is the case with Ammonium nitrate is TECHNICALLY WRONG due to it's high ability to VOLATILIZE into the air as AMMONIA GAS @MoLAWRR_Zim @AgritexS @SandraNabasirye
Read 8 tweets
19 Jan
1/12 @Agricura_ZW Agronomy Tip 18/365. Fall Armyworm (FAW) is a devastating trans-boundary pest of Maize. The pest displays a wide host range attacking over 80 different plant species including major crops e.g. Cotton, Groundnuts, Sorghum, Wheat, Potatoes, Soyas
@basera_john
2/12 Its polyphagous nature present challenges in
management due to the presence of alternative hosts outside the production season of main
crops. So far losses due to confirmed/suspected infestations of FAW in Maize, Sorghum, Rice & sugarcane in African countries
@MoLAWRR_Zim
3/12 have been estimated at USD13.38 billion (CABI, 2017). Loss of yields of major food crops will have dire consequences on livelihoods of people in affected regions of Africa
@AgritexS @basera_john @MoLAWRR_Zim @agribusiness110 @faosfsafrica @Rusere_Ronald @MaminiminiObert
Read 12 tweets
19 Jan
1/8) Agronomy Tip 17/365, 2021.
The Bean Stem Maggot
Bean Stem Maggots also known as Bean flies are often considered as the most important field pest of beans in Africa. They account for yield losses ranging from 80 - 100% @basera_john @agribusiness110 @WendyMadzura @Fifi_dvc
2/8) The Bean fly has shiny wings & a black body. It lays its eggs on the first leaves of the bean seedlings as they emerge from the soil. The maggots hatch & enter inside the plant, where they feed. Bean stem maggots feed at the base of stems @SandraNabasirye @MoLAWRR_Zim
3/8) Which blocks movement of water & nutrients from the roots to the upper parts of the plant. The damage caused by Bean Stem Maggot is more serious during the seedling stage. The pest attack the plant at the beginning of the unfolding @CdeNMaswerasei @MaminiminiObert
Read 8 tweets
12 Nov 20
WEED MANAGEMENT:
WE ALL KNOW that weeds are problematic. They compete with our crops for nutrients, water, sunlight. They also harbour pests & diseases. If Shamva grass is not controlled timeously, it can cause up to 70% yield reduction in MAIZE! @basera_john @agribusiness110
A weed free field from planting to harvesting, together with superior genetics from Syngenta, Seedco, Monsanto etc. plus good "Agronomics" in a most likely "Good Season" is indeed a "formula for robust productivity & success" USE @Agricura_ZW HERBICIDES FOR CLEANER FIELDS
For a Maize monocultural set up: A combination of Metolachlor 1.5Lt/ha + Atrazine 3Lt/ha is ideal in terms of pre-emergent HERBICIDES. Those into rotations ~ a combination of Metolachlor 1.5Lt/ha + MCPA 3Lt/ha is ideal! @basera_john @agribusiness110 @MoLAWRR_Zim @WendyMadzura
Read 6 tweets

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