Foliar spray is a method of applying nutrients or other agricultural spray products directly to the leaves of plants. The nutrients are absorbed directly through the leaf cuticle and epidermal cell walls into the leaves. Foliar sprays allow for efficient delivery of nutrients to the plant leaves without disturbing the roots. Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients like iron and manganese can be supplied to plants through foliar spray.
Benefits of Foliar Spray Industry
Foliar spraying offers several advantages over traditional soil application methods:
- Immediate availability: Nutrients absorbed through leaves are available to plants immediately for photosynthesis and growth. This is much faster than waiting for nutrients to be taken up by roots from soil.
- Higher efficiency: Foliar Spray application has a higher efficiency of nutrient use compared to soil application since it minimizes leaching and fixation losses in soil. Up to 90% of the applied nutrients may be absorbed by leaves.
- Supplies seasonal deficiencies: Nutrient deficiencies occurring during certain growth stages can be efficiently supplemented through foliar sprays even when soil application may not be practical.
- Boosts yield and quality: Timely foliar sprays boost photosynthesis,chlorophyll production and blossom set, leading to higher crop yields and better quality produce. Nutrients sprayed at critical growth stages have shown 10-15% increases in crop production.
- Effective for immobile nutrients: Certain micronutrients like iron, manganese, and zinc are not readily mobile in plants and inefficiently taken up from soil by roots. Foliar sprays ensure adequate supplies of these immobile nutrients.
- Faster plant response: Symptoms of deficiency are corrected much faster through foliar applicationas the response time is only a few days compared to 2-3 weeks through soil application.
Key Nutrients Used in Foliar Spraying
Nitrogen: Nitrogen is the most commonly used nutrient for foliar sprays due to its quick corrective effects on plant growth and coloring. Urea and nitrate forms are commonly used.
Phosphorus: Soluble phosphates like phosphoric acid are used for foliar P nutrition in many row crops, fruits and vegetables to boost blooming and fruit set.
Potassium: Potassium nitrate and potassium sulphate are widely used K sources for foliar sprays in several crops. They improve drought tolerance, disease resistance and quality.
Micronutrients: Secondary and micronutrients like magnesium, calcium, sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc and boron play critical roles in plant biochemical processes. Deficiencies are effectively managed through foliar application.
Foliar Spray Scheduling and Techniques
Proper timing is important for maximum effectiveness of foliar sprays. Some general guidelines on spray scheduling include:
- Early morning or late evening are ideal as leaves are turgid and absorb more moisture without rapid drying.
- Young, actively growing leaves absorb nutrients better than older leaves.
- Apply before or after rain to avoid nutrient run-off.
- Repeat at 7-10 days interval for sustained supply.
- Use appropriate additives like spreaders, stickers and wetting agents to enhance coverage and absorption.
- Low volume sprays covering both leaf surfaces are more efficient than high volume coverages.
- Spray to run-off for even distribution but avoid excessive drenching which may damage crops.
Global Adoption of Foliar Spray Technology
With the demonstrated benefits of foliar spray in minimising yield losses, its use is growing rapidly worldwide. Major agronomic crops like wheat, rice, corn, soybean, cotton, fruits & vegetables are increasingly relying on timely foliar nutrition programs.
In Asia, countries like India, China, Thailand and Vietnam have promoted large scale adoption driven by technological advancements. Foliar fertiliser use in India has grown at over 10% annually to manage intensive cropping systems.
Europe and North America are matured markets where precision foliar applications are integrated into sophisticated crop management practices. Precision farming technologies assist in custom-blending different formulations for crops.
In South America, foliar nutrition industry is expanding fast especially in Brazil and Argentina due to their dominant positions in grains and oilseed exports. Different formulation types are utilised as per soil and climatic conditions.
Africa still lags in usage but countries with large irrigation projects are learning from Asian examples to boost smallholder farm productivity. On-going R&D works on optimising formulations for tropical conditions.
The global foliar fertilizer market valued at USD 3 billion in recent years will surge beyond USD 5 billion by 2027 as sustainable intensive production rises to feed growing world population. Foliar spraying aids in reducing dependence on mono-cropping and expanding multiple cropping cycles.
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