In this episode, AgroTroia's "Success in Agriculture" program was a guest in the wheat field of farmer Haki Gül in the Hatunçayırı area of Kangal, Sivas. Together with AgroTroia agricultural engineers Nuh and Cemal, and the participation of growers Bekir Taşdemir, Ruşen Arslantaş, brother Ahmet, headman Cemal Toptaş, and agricultural engineer presenter Burcu Özkan, plant nutrition in wheat - and especially the benefits nutrition provides in the fight against rust - was addressed within the framework of the wheat nutrition program. In an episode that recalled that one in every two fields in Turkey is a wheat field, it was strongly emphasized that AgroTroia products are not a rust pesticide but nutrition products that strengthen plant condition.
Soil Preparation and Sowing
The foundation of the work in wheat is correct soil preparation. In soils low in lime and with high pH, the pH is brought down with a sulfur and amino acid application before sowing, and the organic matter is raised. In drilled sowing, about 20-24 kilos of seed are applied per decare, and in broadcast sowing up to 27-28 kilos; the seed is placed at a depth of 4-6 cm, with firm planting and homogeneously. Seeds that fall too deep can be carried off by birds and insects, while shallow sowing also creates the risk of collapse and drying out. The program emphasized the importance of turning to sulfur fertilizers and avoiding the 18-grade fertilizers in high-pH soils - except in the Black Sea Region - for the soil's water-holding capacity and organic matter.
Tillering-Period Nutrition
The key to yield in wheat is tillering. Each of the shoots that burst out beside the mother plant means a head. For this reason, during the tillering period, 100 cc of Copperas, 100 cc of boron-zinc, and 200 cc of Aminado are applied per decare. Aminado develops and accelerates the root structure, while boron-zinc supports maximum tillering; Copperas strengthens the root collar and makes the plant resistant to diseases. It was reported that when Copperas is applied, the wheat yellows slightly for a while and then rapidly surges; that this is the sign of maximum tillering and should not be a cause for concern.
An Activator Approach Against Rust
The region's biggest, long-standing trouble is rust (yellow rust, brown rust, black rust). The program emphasized that rust is suppressed not with a fungicide but with an activator that secures plant condition. During the stem elongation period, the flag leaves are strengthened with Activo and the leaf blade is broadened; as photosynthesis increases, the plant produces more of its own food and gains resistance against disease. It was stated that fungicides weaken the cell wall, whereas keeping the wall strong makes fighting fungal infection easier. In application, phosphorus and trace element supplements, as well as seaweed, are added alongside Activo. As a field example, it was shared that rust which had formed in one grower's field recovered a week after this application.
Root Collar and Sunn Pest Control
Another main disease in wheat is fusarium-based root collar rot. Farmers often try to solve this with a rust pesticide during the stem elongation period; yet by preventing spore reproduction with copper-based Copperas during the tillering period, it can be tackled early. After the stem elongation period, as head and grain formation begin, sunn pest control comes to the fore. It was reported that most of the world's sunn pest species are found in our country, that with the banning of aerial control the cost has fallen to the farmer, and that many growers lose yield because they cannot spray. While everyone is dealing with rust right up to rust, in this approach sunn pest and condition are prioritized early for the head. For the sulfur supplement that completes the nutrition, Liquid S80 is recommended.
AgroTroia products featured in this episode
Copperas - copper nutrition and condition against root collar rot
Activo - flag leaf and an activator against rust during the stem elongation period
boron-zinc - zinc-boron support that increases tillering
Aminado - amino acid supplement that develops the root structure
Liquid S80 - liquid sulfur supplement for pH and soil
In Kangal, Sivas, a healthy wheat field obtained through correct nutrition even in relatively unproductive soil became an example that rust can be suppressed with an activator, and that root collar and sunn pest can be managed with an early, condition-based program. One grower sharing that he applied his program at a per-decare cost four times lower than a competing program on the same area also highlighted the importance of getting high yield with low inputs in a period of difficult economic conditions.
Source: AgroTroia - "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.