Uptake of Foliar Fert
How Does Liquid Foliar Fertiliser Get into Your Plants?
As farmers, we're constantly searching for ways to improve the health and vitality of our plants, while granular fertilizer is a well-known method, foliar fertilizer has gained popularity in recent years. Liquid Foliar fertilizers offer a direct and efficient way to provide essential nutrients to plants.
But have you ever wondered how foliar fertilizers actually make their way into the plants? In this blog post, we'll look at the process of how foliar fertilizers are absorbed and utilized by plants.
Leaf Anatomy: The Nutrient Uptake
Leaves play a crucial role in the process of foliar fertilization, the outermost layer of the leaf called the cuticle, acts as a barrier to prevent excessive water loss, it also poses a challenge when it comes to nutrient absorption, the cuticle is waxy and hydrophobic, which means that water-based solutions cannot penetrate it easily, but leaves are equipped with tiny openings called stomata which provide a passage for liquids.
Foliar Fertilizer Formulations: Factors for Absorption
Foliar fertilizers are formulated to facilitate absorption through the leaf surface, they typically consist of water-soluble nutrients and other additives designed to enhance uptake, the most effective foliar fertilizers are those with small nutrient particles, ensuring they can penetrate the stomata and the cuticle layer, also some formulations include surfactants or wetting agents that reduce surface tension allowing the solution to spread more evenly across the leaf.
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Uptake Mechanisms: The Journey into Plant Tissues
Once the foliar fertilizer solution lands on the leaf surface it encounters the stomata, these small openings act as gateways allowing the solution to enter the leaf interior, the movement of the fertilizer solution across the leaf's surface is primarily driven by two processes,- absorption and translocation.
Absorption: The nutrients present in the foliar fertilizer solution are absorbed by the cells surrounding the stomata, this process is facilitated by the concentration gradient between the solution and the leaf cells, as well as the chemical properties of the nutrients, some nutrients can move through the cell walls, while others are transported through the cytoplasm.
Translocation: After absorption the nutrients travel through the leaf's vascular system, which consists of xylem and phloem, the xylem transports water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves, while the phloem distributes sugars and other nutrients throughout the plant, the foliar-applied nutrients enter the plant's vascular system and are transported to various plant tissues, including the roots, stems, and developing fruits.
Factors Influencing Foliar Fertilizer Uptake
Several factors can influence the effectiveness of foliar fertilization:
Leaf Surface Conditions: The health and cleanliness of the leaf surface can affect nutrient uptake, leaves covered with dust, waxy residues, or fungal growth may hinder the absorption process.
Nutrient Concentration: Higher concentrations of nutrients in the foliar fertilizer solution can increase the uptake rate, but excessive concentrations could lead to leaf burn or toxicity.
Environmental Factors: Environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and sunlight intensity, can impact foliar fertilizer absorption, optimal conditions ensure better absorption and utilization of nutrients.
Foliar fertilizer offers a valuable method for providing essential nutrients directly to plant tissues, through the leaf's stomata and the vascular system, foliar fertilizers are absorbed and transported to different parts of the plant, supporting growth, development, and overall plant health, understanding the process by which foliar fertilizers enter plants.
We have Liquid N and can deliver direct to your farm. Our Liquid N comes in different forms:
If you want to know more about how liquid N can boost your crop, bring grass growth forward and other benefits check out the product pages.
If you’d like some advice tailored to you and your farm's needs, get in touch with us for a no obligation chat.
