Soil fertility

NDVI, NIR, infrared, multispectral satellite imagery - terms that we are increasingly coming across as precision farmers. What do they mean and how can we use them without becoming NASA engineers? 

Organic fertilisers are natural fertilisers that are derived from plant and animal sources. Examples of organic fertilisers include compost, manure, bone meal, and seaweed. They provide essential nutrients to plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They help improve soil structure, increase microbial activity, and reduce soil erosion. Organic fertilisers can also improve soil fertility and help plants absorb water and nutrients more effectively.

Planting of crops directly (no tillage) in preceeding cover crop (living or destroyed, i.e. mulched) or crop residues

Use of only superficial tillage without soil inversion. Reduced tillage is every type of cultivation without inverting soil and when 30 % of its surface is covered with crop residue.

Biostimulants are preparations containig active substances and / or microoorganisms which directly activate and regulate the functioning of the rhizosphere and improve the methabolic processes of plants.

This process involves tilling the soil to incorporate green manure and cover crops into the soil. Green manure and cover crops are used to improve the fertility and structure of soil, and by tilling the soil, the nutrients and organic matter from the green manure and cover crops are released into the soil, providing the soil with the necessary nutrients and organic matter that it needs.

Actinobacteria have plant growth promoting and biocontroll effects. Inoculation with Actinobacteria can result in reduction of use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Using Nitrogen -fixing bacteria for reduction of chemical N fertilizers. Soil inoculation with Nitrogen-fixing bacteria is a process where beneficial bacteria are added to the soil to help it absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that plants can use. This process helps improve the fertility of the soil and can be beneficial for long-term crop production. The bacteria can also help to improve the soil structure and water-holding capacity, as well as reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

If soil is depleted during crop production or in case of stress conditions (biotic and abiotic) biostimulants can be used on plant foliage. For example the nettle juice extract contains plant nutirents, hormones and have plant protection effect, furthermore it can improve the taste and of tomato fruits.

Siderophore producing bacteria help iron uptake of plants, they have antagonistic effect to pathogen bacteria.