In agricultural production, choosing the right fertilizer is a key factor in improving the quality and yield of vegetables. The choice of fertilizer not only affects the growth rate and disease resistance of crops, but is also directly related to the taste, nutritional value and safety of the final harvest. The following systematically analyzes how to achieve the goal of “good quality and high yield” through rational use of fertilizers from the perspectives of organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, biological fertilizers and scientific fertilization methods.
- Organic fertilizer: the basis of green planting
Organic fertilizer is the essence of traditional agriculture, mainly including farmyard manure, compost, green manure and commercial organic fertilizer. Its advantages are to improve soil structure, increase microbial activity, and slowly release nutrients to avoid “overeating” of crops.
a. Mature farmyard manure: such as chicken manure, sheep manure, cow manure, etc., which need to be fully fermented (about 2 months in summer) to kill insect eggs and pathogens. Chicken manure has a high nitrogen content and is suitable for leafy vegetables; cow manure has a lot of fiber, can loosen the soil, and is suitable for root crops.
b. Composting: Mix kitchen waste (fruit peels, vegetable leaves) with straw for composting. After composting, it is rich in humic acid and can increase the sugar content of tomatoes and cucumbers. Experiments show that the vitamin C content of spinach using compost increases by 20%.
c. Green manure: Planting plants such as alfalfa and astragalus and then turning them into the soil is especially suitable for repairing compacted soil. Planting leguminous green manure can also fix nitrogen and reduce the subsequent use of nitrogen fertilizer.
- Inorganic fertilizer: a precise supplement of “nutritional needles”
Chemical fertilizers have high nutrient concentration and quick effect, but they need to be scientifically proportioned. A common misunderstanding is that excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers leads to leggy growth or accumulation of nitrites.
a. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio: leafy vegetables (such as lettuce) require high nitrogen (such as 20-10-10), and fruit vegetables (such as peppers) require high potassium (such as 15-15-30). Testing the soil before planting can avoid blind fertilization, for example, excessive phosphorus will inhibit zinc absorption.
b. Slow-release fertilizer: such as coated urea, which can reduce nutrient loss and is particularly suitable for use in the rainy season. In eggplant cultivation, slow-release fertilizer increases yield by 12% compared to ordinary urea, and the fruit size is uniform.
c. Medium and trace elements: Calcium fertilizer (calcium nitrate) can prevent tomato navel rot; boron fertilizer (borax solution) can promote flower bud differentiation. It is recommended to spray 0.2% borax on the leaves of broccoli during the budding period.
- Biofertilizer: Activate the “ecological engine” of the soil
Microbial fertilizer improves nutrient utilization and reduces soil-borne diseases through bacterial community activity.
a. Rhizobium agent: used in leguminous crops, it can increase soybean yield by 15%-20% and reduce nitrogen fertilizer input by 30%.
b. Bacillus subtilis: inhibits pathogens such as bacterial wilt, and has significant effects in continuous cropping plots. After using it on a farm in Jiangsu, the cucumber seedling death rate dropped from 25% to 5%.
c. Seaweed fertilizer: Contains natural growth hormones. After using it, the sugar-acid ratio of strawberries is improved, and the shelf life is extended by 2-3 days.
Conclusion: The core of high quality and high yield lies in “taking soil health as the basis and accurately supplying on demand”. It is recommended that small-scale growers mainly use organic fertilizers and functional fertilizers; large-scale production needs to formulate formulas based on soil test data. Remember, fertilizer is the “food” of crops rather than “medicine”. Only scientific feeding can harvest natural deliciousness.
