Exploring Redox, Sap Analysis, and Foliar Nutrition Developments
There has been some exciting new ideas that are surfacing that have developed support and enthusiasm over the last few seasons. Redox, sap analysis, and foliar nutrition developments, like the amino products. Interestingly, although all three have great potential but we must be mindful that because they are new they are not the only solutions or perhaps the best solutions we have.
Understanding Redox in Plants and Soil
Redox is an extremely complicated process. RP is generated, by the respiration of plants, by the production of electrons by dehydrogenase and by the activity of terminal oxidoreductases. We do now know how to measure this within the plant or soil. Light, temperature, stress, leaf shading, new and old leaves can all have different redox reactions at differing times. The ability to measure and know is important but the solutions are still fundamentally the same: managing soil in a way that builds organic matter, increases a diverse microbial community, increasing mulches and retaining moisture in hot summers or light soil.
Sap Analysis: A New Measurement System
Sap analysis is still quite new and has not really been compared with existing sampling procedures so it is a new system of measurement. With existing analysis we achieve similar results on what is or is going to be a deficiency or excess, and if our last tissue analysis is done after ear emergence we are able to plan these issues into next year’s nutritional plan. In whatever form you consider appropriate it is often the case that we have difficulty in balancing many nutritional problems with foliar feeding and the management of stress with products. Managing symptoms not causes comes to mind. The core solutions are still to manage soil in a way that builds organic matter, to increase and develop diverse microbial communities, shade and reduce soil temperatures with mulches and carbon to retain moisture in areas that suffer a moisture deficit. The hope is to develop some stability, last winters flooding had a huge impact on redox, life in soil, nutrition. The following spring heat had a huge impact on redox, life in soil, nutrition. Let us be mindful of this fact rather than forgetful!
The Importance of Soil Management
In very hot summers we are finding that managing covers and straw can be hugely beneficial in all the above so the soil system can develop to help stabilise and balance redox reactions, they can influence nutritional uptake as and when the plant requires. Managing moisture and temperature fluctuations and giving the soil stability will have the largest impact on redox, biology, nutrient exchange and continued and active rooting. In very dry soil systems using a stripper header we see that we can actively have a carbon mulch through the hot summer with green cover crops being devoured and recycled underneath. The start is not treating the plant but managing the soil.
