Why the crop is short of nutrients the soil holds

A soil test can show that phosphorus, potash and zinc are present, while the crop still shows a shortage. The reason is availability: a nutrient can be in the soil in a form the roots cannot take up. Depending on the soil and its pH, a good part of what is applied can end up in such a form, which is why adding more of the same fertiliser does not always fix it.

What biofertilizers do

Biofertilizers are living cultures. Instead of adding a nutrient, they help the crop reach what is already in or around the soil, or fix nitrogen from the air. Each culture has its own job.

• Phosphorus. Phossoil (phosphate-solubilizing bacteria) increases phosphorus availability in the soil and improves flowering.
• Zinc. Zincosol (zinc-solubilizing bacteria) makes soil zinc available and increases leaf greenness.
• Potash. Potanex (potash-mobilizing bacteria) makes soil potash available, improving fruit size and quality. PotashNova (potash-solubilizing bacteria) increases potash availability, improving fruit weight and shelf life.
• Nitrogen. Rhizosoil (Rhizobium) and Azotogrow (Azotobacter) fix atmospheric nitrogen and make it available to the crop.
• Overall fertility. Terraafuse is a consortium of beneficial soil microbes that improves overall soil fertility.

The dose for each of these is 250 g per 200 litres of water. The dosage calculator gives the quantity for your volume of water.

How to choose

Start with your Soil Health Card, which tells you which nutrient is actually short, and then match the culture to it. Do not use all of them at once out of habit. If the card shows low organic carbon, read why soil tests keep saying low organic carbon, because the soil’s biology depends on it. All the products for locked-up nutrients are on one page.

Handling living cultures

• Store them cool and dry, out of direct sun, and use them before the date on the pack. Heat weakens the cultures, so do not leave packs in a vehicle or on the field edge.
• Do not mix biofertilizers with chemical fungicides or bactericides in the same tank. Apply them separately, and ask us before mixing a specific product.

What to expect

Biofertilizers support nutrient availability over the season. They are not an instant cure for a severe deficiency that is already showing on the leaves, and your agronomist may advise correcting that separately. If you are unsure, send us your Soil Health Card and your crop stage on WhatsApp.