Alfred Opiyo
Certified Expert
This year many regions across east Africa have recorded excessive down pour of rain which have come with lots of benefits I.e reduced cost of production as far as cost of irrigation is in question however, far from this benefit other antagonistic effects also came handy introducing huge losses this season and subsequent production seasons to many growers if appropriate steps are not taken to avert the results at the end of it all. There are many areas I would enlighten in regard to this but allow to focus on soil fertility in regard to effect of too much rain on nitrogen availability in the soil. Nitrogen, potassium and sulfur are among the most beneficial elements to crops we grow, Nitrogen among these three is the most mobile in soil especially when soils are moist giving example with current situation you will find that most crops out there had been supplied with the required doses of nitrogen in nitrate or ammonium forms however the fertilizer earlier applied seem not to be giving positive result. Why?.
Here's the reason. Nitrogen being mobile in wet/ moist soils as I had earlier indicated this characteristic expose it to high level of leaching which is it get dissolved in water and move down the soil profile beyond reach of root hairs of the plants hence the pale color you notice. Another way Nitrogen is lost at time like this when part or every where in your farm is water logged/ soil is saturated with water is through denitrification which means conversion of nitrates back to nitrogen gas this happen when oxygen levels in the soil deteriorates so the devitrifying bacteria uses the available organic and in- organic nitrates as source of energy leaving the plants with inadequate amount to utilize hence poor growth and crop performance.
What to do:-
Farmers are advised to do split N fertilizer supplemented with foliar fertilizer (when applying foliar remember to use sticker to avoid being washed away by rain)
For next season do acomprehenssive soil analysis to establish Nitrogen available in soil vs crop requirements
Here's the reason. Nitrogen being mobile in wet/ moist soils as I had earlier indicated this characteristic expose it to high level of leaching which is it get dissolved in water and move down the soil profile beyond reach of root hairs of the plants hence the pale color you notice. Another way Nitrogen is lost at time like this when part or every where in your farm is water logged/ soil is saturated with water is through denitrification which means conversion of nitrates back to nitrogen gas this happen when oxygen levels in the soil deteriorates so the devitrifying bacteria uses the available organic and in- organic nitrates as source of energy leaving the plants with inadequate amount to utilize hence poor growth and crop performance.
What to do:-
Farmers are advised to do split N fertilizer supplemented with foliar fertilizer (when applying foliar remember to use sticker to avoid being washed away by rain)
For next season do acomprehenssive soil analysis to establish Nitrogen available in soil vs crop requirements