Plant Health Insights

In winter 2018, an on-farm chickpea trial was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions Goondiwindi to evaluate the effect of applying Basis XC to starter fertiliser. The trial showed earlier crop emergence and higher chickpea yields when the grower's standard starter fertiliser (30kg/ha NPS Kote + 1% Zn) was treated with Basis XC versus untreated.

The greatest difference noticed in the crop throughout the trial was at crop emergence. The Basis XC-treated area had greater vigour, resulting in a higher plant stand. Root growth was also much more vigorous in the treated area, with a higher production of lateral roots and earlier nodulation.

These chickpea plants in Moree, New South Wales are from a block of a grower's paddock that was treated with Foundation LM. The grower reports that he is impressed with the size and health of the nodes and nodules on the plants. Photos were taken in August 2017.

Pulse crop growers know that phosphorus mineralization is key for optimum crop performance. By using Foundation LM, they can increase the availability of phosphorus in the soil to build the best foundation for their crop. 

Rhizobia use phosphorus to fix atmospheric nitrogen as ammonium nitrate (NH₄). If phosphorus is being tied up or not being cycled as fast as the rhizobia need it, they can't work at an optimum level and they won't have the nodulation they should have.