Written by Steve Holloway from Soil Fertility Services
Like many other crops, wheat requires various nutrients for optimal growth and development. Nitrogen is one of the most critical nutrients for wheat, as a key component of proteins essential for the plant’s structure and function.
When Nitrogen is applied to wheat, it directly influences the plant’s ability to produce proteins, including the gluten proteins that give wheat dough its elasticity and ability to rise. However, the primary reason for applying Nitrogen to wheat isn’t just to improve grain protein content and increase overall yield. Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll, the green pigment that enables plants to carry out photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy, which they use to fuel their growth and development; therefore, adequate Nitrogen supply ensures that wheat plants can produce enough chlorophyll to maximise photosynthesis, leading to increased biomass production, including grain yield.
While focusing on grain protein content is crucial, especially for wheat used in bread-making, balancing Nitrogen applications with other nutrients like Phosphorus and Potassium is essential to ensure overall plant health and productivity. Excessive application can also lead to environmental issues such as groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions.
The flag leaf, often acclaimed as the powerhouse of photosynthesis in cereal crops, plays a pivotal role in the plant’s reproductive success. With its specialised biological formulations, SFS ensures this critical leaf receives the nourishment it merits. The biological products not only enhance Nitrogen levels precisely where they’re most needed, but also bolster flag leaf vitality, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and maximise carbohydrate production; offering a promising future for wheat cultivation.
Beneficial biological applications can increase chlorophyll content and enhance enzymatic activity. Consequently, due to their biological symbiotic workforce, winter wheat plants display lush, greener flag leaves ready to harness sunlight with unparalleled vigour.
However, the benefits of foliar Nitrogen combined with microbes, extend well beyond foliage, penetrating the core of profitability – the grain itself. Optimising nutrient uptake and distribution facilitates sturdy grain development and increased yields with superior quality, enhanced plumpness, density and uniformity. Furthermore, the qualitative attributes of the harvested grain are equally remarkable, with heightened protein content and superior milling characteristics.
SFS champions sustainability on multiple fronts, harnessing cutting-edge formulation technologies. Their biological fertilisers not only minimise Nitrogen losses through volatilisation and leaching but also mitigate the environmental impact while optimising resource utilisation.
As the global agricultural landscape grapples with its own sustainability, this technology emerges as a beacon of responsible stewardship. It gives you confidence that your farming methods are environmentally friendly, leading to greater fertiliser efficiency and lower reliance on chemistry for disease and insect control.
Soil Fertility Services’ Complex Foli-N is the perfect solution for your crop’s late Nitrogen requirements. It supplies stabilised amino Nitrogen, complexed with a beneficial microbial consortium in a rich base of humic and fulvic compounds.
