African maize offers big opportunities for foliar feeding

Dr Terry Mabbett, in conversation with Omex Agrifluid’s technical sales manager, Ben Odunlami and export sales manager, Oskar Winkler explains how zinc, the ‘make or break’ nutrient for maize, has gone foliar

Most widely grown, biggest global production, highest yield per hectare and biggest above ground biomass of all cereal crops, that’s maize. And prime target for foliar feeding with soluble nutrients, says Ben Odunlami, technical sales manager and Oskar Winkler, export sales manager, Africa at Omex Agrifluids.

Zinc is the ‘make or break’ nutrient. Odunlami and Winkler told African Farming how zinc has gone foliar. “Top of our product list is Kingfol Zn, formulated with the highest quality mineral elements, marketed as a highly concentrated liquid formulation (70% Zn w/v) and applied as a seed treatment at 0.25l/100kg seed,” says Ben. “Constituents disperse easily with no requirement for pre-mixing and ideal for correcting a specific zinc deficiency.”

“Targeted at the seedling stage is a pair of products that boost growth and establishment,” said Winkler. “Omex 3X Emulsion with a full complement of macro and micronutrients and Omex Bio 20 offering the same nutrient profile but with an added biostimulant boost from natural compounds sourced from a specific marine alga (seaweed). African maize producers can use either depending upon the availability in their country. Both are applied as foliar sprays in the early vegetative stages of the crop.” said Winkler.

“Potassium is a major requirement for fast growing maize crops,” says Odunlami, “with Omex offering two equivalent products – Omex K41 (41.00% potassium w/v) and Omex Sequential 2 (40.00% potassium w/v) and applied as foliar sprays at, respectively, 3.0-5.0 l/ha and 2.5 l/ha. Maize growers can use either depending upon availability in their country.

As the ‘make or break’ nutrient for maize, zinc is required throughout the entire period of crop growth to ensure zinc-enriched grain. Enrichment of maize grain with high levels of zinc is a growing global challenge to ensure the health and well-being of human populations who rely on maize as the main staple. Many African countries fall into this category. With soils being either inherently deficient in zinc or deficient in plant available zinc, there are major constraints on zinc moving from the soil and into the roots of the maize plant. Zinc deficiency is aggravated in soils with high organic matter, a high pH and those rich in phosphorous, which locks up zinc as insoluble zinc phosphate. An alternate way to get zinc into the maize plant, is through the leaves using soluble zinc as a foliar spray.

So I asked Oskar what Omex had to offer African maize growers to satisfy this need for zinc during active growth stages of the crop. “This essential requirement can be provided by one of our newest and most novel products. Omex Zynergy containing zinc (4.72% w/v), but also copper (2.66% w/v) and sulphur (9.10% w/v), is applied as a foliar spray at 0.5–1.0 litre of product per ha. This unique complex of copper and zinc corrects deficiencies and improves plant health and tolerance to abiotic stress,” Winkler told African Farming. 

Last but not least, in the Omex portfolio products for African maize is Omex Sulphomex containing nitrogen (15.00% w/v) and sulphur (87.50% w/v). Deficiencies of either nutrient are reflected in both crop yield and produce quality with deficiency symptoms featuring various forms of foliar chlorosis (leaf yellowing), and often difficult to distinguish.

The source of sulphur deficiency is the most interesting. In years gone by sulphur from industrial pollution was an important source for cereal crops including maize. But as countries across the world including those in Africa strive to clean up their industries, so sulphur deficiency has shown itself with farmers required to rectify the situation. “Omex Sulphomex is applied as a foliar spray to maize at a rate of 1.5 – 3.0 l/ha," Odunlami told African Farming.

Foliar feeding is clearly the way forward for maize. It allows farmers to rapidly treat crops with appropriate products at the right time in relation to specific stages in crop growth and development and any specific nutrient deficiency. Omex Agrifluids has a comprehensive portfolio of high quality soluble nutrient products in both liquid and water soluble suspension to meet maize farmers’ needs across the continent of Africa.