Wheat is a grass (Triticum aestivum) that belongs to the family Poaceae. Wheat is widely cultivated for its seeds, making it the second most important cereal after maize. It is also a crucial raw material for the milling industry to produce the flour used in baking. Wheat is required in bulk; therefore, its demand is so high that farmers must know the best fertilizer to increase their productivity and meet the market quality.
Below are the five best fertilizers for wheat in Kenya:
1. DAP Fertilizer
DAP fertilizer is one of the most remarkable chemical fertilizers the wheat plant needs for its growth during production.
5 Reasons Why DAP is the Best Fertilizer Wheat in Kenya
1. DAP has Nitrogen and phosphorus that are essential for the growth and production of wheat
2. DAP fertilizer processes phosphorus and nitrogen in sufficient quantities and is balanced with the plant’s needs for a more extended period to enhance the wheat’s maturity.
3. DAP is the primary source for processing nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient elements in the wheat plant.
4. DAP has phosphorus that increases the number of spikes, which helps improve some characteristics in the wheat plant.
5. DAP equips nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil, which leads to plant absorption and then increases plant cell growth and division and the accumulation of dry matter.
2. Chicken Manure Fertilizer
When it comes to manure, chicken pellets serve the best since wheat requires a high nitrogen and phosphorus level compared to any other plant. Chicken manure is also called poultry manure.
Reasons Why Poultry Manure is the Best Fertilizer for Wheat in Kenya
1. By using poultry manure as your organic fertilizer for your wheat, you will be maintaining the level of phosphorous in the soil at the level your wheat needs.
2. Poultry manure has a higher phosphorus content and is required in large amounts by the wheat plant.
3. Poultry manure contains all 13 of the essential plant nutrients used by plants, including the micronutrients that are fundamental to the composition of wheat.
4. Poultry manure has a high nitrogen level compared to other manures, which makes it ideal for wheat production.
5. Poultry manure promotes organic matter to soils, increases a soil’s water-holding capacity, and improves aeration
6. Poultry manure improves soil drainage, reducing erosion, fertilizer leaching, and soil structure.
3. Urea Fertilizer
Urea is the most commonly used fertilizer for dressing since it is mainly composed of nitrogen as the primary nutrient component.
Reasons Why Urea is the Best Fertilizer for Wheat in Kenya
1. Urea produces high amounts of nitrogen for the wheat plant, thus increasing the high yields.
2. Urea fertilizer is inexpensive compared to other nitrogenous fertilizers, thus lowering the production cost.
3. Urea comprises about 46% nitrogen, the primary component for growing essential wheat parts such as the leaves.
4. Urea is less harmful to the soil making, thus making it the best nitrogenous fertilizer for topdressing
5. Urea is an economical source of nitrogen for wheat; it can be applied by air, and its volatility issues are relatively low when temperatures are cool and during frequent rainfall.
4. UAN (Urea Ammonium Nitrate) 28% Fertilizer
A UAN (28% solution) is produced by combining urea, nitric acid, and ammonia; it is a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that ranges from 28 percent to 32 percent.
5 Reasons Why UAN 28% is the Best Fertilizer for Wheat in Kenya.
1. UAN 28% is Easy to Achieve a Uniform Application
UAN% fertilizer can be applied more uniformly than non-liquid fertilizer because liquid materials are more likely to be spread evenly through streamer nozzles.
2. UAN 28% is Compound Fertilizer that Provides a Balanced Nutrient in a Single Product
UAN 28%. Fertilizer contains three effective forms of nitrogen: urea, ammonium, and nitrate, fulfilling your crops’ nitrogen needs in a single product, thus reducing the production cost.
3. UAN 28% is Compatible, Thus Reducing Labour
UAN 28% fertilizer is compatible; hence, it can be mixed with herbicides, pesticides, and other nutrients; this helps to reduce the labour cost since several activities can be achieved at once.
4. UAN 28% Fertilizer is Cost-Effective
UAN 28% fertilizer is cost-effective since it can apply several materials simultaneously rather than making several separate applications
5. UAN 28% Liquid Fertilizer is Easier to Handle and Use
UAN 28%Liquid fertilizer solutions and fluid fertilizers are popular in many areas because they’re safe to handle, convenient to mix with other nutrients and chemicals, and easily applied.
5. NPK Fertilizer
NPK is a compound fertilizer composed of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Keeping in mind that wheat requires a lot of nitrogen, NPK is an ideal fertilizer for a farmer eying successful wheat farming.
6 Reasons Why NPK is the Best Fertilizer for Wheat in Kenya
1. NPK has nitrogen that enhances tillering, increases the head size and protein content, and improves the grain quality.
2. Contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which are required for high-yielding wheat.
3. The N element in NPK fertilizer prepares amino acids (proteins), nucleic acids, nucleotides, and chlorophyll in wheat plants.
4. NPK fertilizer is a very important component that helps increase the wheat plant’s growth.
5. NPK fertilizer can meet the nutritional needs needed for the metabolism process so that the growth of wheat plants is better.
Other Important Components of Wheat Fertilizer
Important components such as the micro-nutrients are required in smaller quantities, and most of these fertilizers are in liquid form and are applied through spraying.
They include:
1. Boron
2. Molybdenum
Fertilizer Application Ratio for Wheat in Kenya
Phosphorus and potassium are the essential nutrients after nitrogen for wheat cultivation. Usually, the total phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added to the crop at sowing.
A common composition of synthetic fertilizer for the three main nutrients (NPK) used is 20-10-0, 24-40-0, 30-15-0, 30-15-5, etc.
Fertilizer Schedule for wheat in Kenya
Planting is best done using a seed drill. Planting spacing should be 15 cm between rows. The seed drill and speed of planting should be set to deliver 120 to 140 kgs per Ha.
This is the optimum seed rate. Depending on the soil analysis reports, DAP Fertilizer is applied using 200-250kgs per Ha.
The recommended practice for wheat is to apply Nitrogen early before the four-leaf stage, but there are advantages to applying it even sooner.
Another approach is to split nitrogen fertilizer applications between fall and spring. Doing so limits nitrogen losses to volatilization and leaching in fall while still giving plants the fertility they need.
Dos and Don’ts When Applying Fertilizer on Wheat
1. Using Liquid nitrogen solution (UAN) can potentially burn leaf tissue, especially if high rates are broadcast on erect wheat, so granular nitrogen sources are generally preferred, particularly for single or later split applications.
2. When using the NPK fertilizer, the indicated nitrogen ratio is higher since it is the most required nutrient by the wheat plant.
3. You should make sure the topdress applications are early before jointing to maximize production efficiency
4. Use the splitting method for your nitrogen applications because it generally improves its utilization efficiency, minimizes investment risk, and safeguards the environment.
5. Ensure proper timing of placement and nitrogen source should be managed to fit climatic conditions, soil type
6. Always apply NPK fertilizer as per soil test recommendations as far as possible. If a soil test recommendation is unavailable, adopt a blanket recommendation of 80:40:40 NPK kg/ha.
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