Agriculture.ph Blog

Fertilizer solves zinc deficiency in crops

A seaweed-based organic fertilizer which is said to address micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc (Zn) deficiency, in rice and other crops was one of the products that farmers should not have missed at the recent Agrilink trade show held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City.

The fertilizer is called MegaZinc Plus, which is claimed to increase rice yield by a minimum of 20 cavans per hectare, increase resistance of rice plants to pest and diseases, increase tillering, induce uniform maturity of grains, and increase milling recovery. It has 1.62% zinc seaweed extracts plus auxins, gibberelins and cytokinins as active ingredients.

Florentino Pangilinan, owner and general manager of Central Luzon Farmers Agro Center in Cabanatuan City, the producer of MegaZinc Plus, said that zincis the most critical micronutrient to rice growth, with Zn deficiency now considered as the third most widespread nutrient disorder in lowland rice areas of Asia, next to nitrogen and phosphorus.

Symptoms of Zn deficiency in rice manifest at 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting. Slight deficiency leads to slight stunting in plant growth and decreased tillering of the rice plant with browning or yellowing of leaves; while very severe deficiency results in the death of the plant. Those that recover will show substantial delay in maturity and reduction in yield by as much as 50 percent.

Agriculture experts say that Zn deficiency can be corrected by adding Zn compounds to the soil or by dipping seedlings in Zn solution before transplanting, but the high cost associated with applying Zn fertilizers in sufficient quantities to address Zn deficiency means additional expenses for poor farmers.

Pangilinan said that using MegaZinc Plus entails only minimal cost to the farmers. One liter of MegaZinc Plus which costs R350 is enough to use for one hectare of ricefield.

MegaZinc Plus is applied at 20 to 45 days after transplanting (DAT) for transplanted rice and at 20 to 50 days after broadcasting for direct-seeded rice, both at a dosage of 10 tablespoons per 16 liter of water.

Pangilinan said that farmers all over the country who have tried MegaZinc Plus on their rice plants have got very good results. One of them is Silverio Almayda of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija who obtained a yield of 10.96 tons per hectare with the application of MegaZinc Plus at 45 days after transplanting. Farmer cooperator Christopher Luna of Ormoc City also observed increased tillers of rice applied with MegaZinc Plus over that of rice without MegaZinc Plus.

Aside from rice, MegaZinc Plus is recommended for use also on corn, mango, onion, sugarcane, citrus, melon, cucumber, garlic, bush beans, cabbage and pechay.

Written by Melpha Abello

Source: Manila Bulletin