By Zac Sarian
By Zac B. Sarian
On April 13, 2019, at the Agribiz Kapihan, Tony Magno of Pangasinan told us he was really impressed by Yara’s Premium Crop Nutrition Solutions that we featured in the November 2018 issue of Agriculture Magazine. We are the editor of the magazine published by Manila Bulletin.
Magno reported that by using the recommended formulations for rice, he was able to harvest more than 200 cavans per hectare. He had a problem, however. The two copies of the magazine that he bought were taken by his friends and he does not have any copy to refer from now.
Well, we told him he can order from the Circulation Department of the Manila Bulletin, Muralla corner Recoletos Sts., Intramuros, Manila.
What are the nutrition solutions for rice? One is the Yara Vera Viking Ship Zn. This is urea with procote zinc technology. This formulation has only a small amount of zinc but when used to fertilize rice, the increase in yield is very significant. In a two-year experiment at the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), the formulation increased yield by 22 percent. On the other hand, a PhilRice report reveals that if the zinc-deficiency in lowland rice is addressed, the potential yield increases up to 1 ton per hectare. That’s equivalent to 20 cavans of palay.
There are three other groups of Yara power brands. One is Yara Mila which offers big advantages over the traditional fertilizers used by local farmers. How? The nitrogen in ordinary fertilizers is in the form of ammonium. The ammonium has to be transformed into nitrate form before it is absorbed by the plants. In the process of transformation into nitrate, as much as 50 percent of the nutrients are lost. Also, because the ordinary fertilizer is in ammonium form, it makes the soil acidic which is bad for the plants and the soil.
On the other hand, the nitrogen in YaraMila is in the form of nitrate so that it is readily absorbed by the plants and does not make the soil acidic.
Furthermore, most other complete fertilizers in the market contain only Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). On the other hand, YaraMila’s formulations are complete with the macro elements plus the necessary micronutrients. Micronutrients are in very small amounts but they pack a lot of power.
YaraMila Aktibo is one of the YaraMila formulations. This is a 21-6-12 grade with added micronutrients – sulfur, magnesium and boron. It promotes faster growth, strong and unblemished stems, excellent vigor, and good grain filling. It is best recommended for rice grown in irrigated farms. It is also good for corn.
This was originally published on Manila Bulletin’s Agriculture News section on April 27, 2019.
