Fertilization programs for onions
The holistic approach of Haifa for plant nutrition offers the growers diverse options for enhancing the plant performance and fertilizer use efficiency. According to Haifa's plant nutrition approach, the fertilization program takes in consideration alternative fertilizer formulas and alternative application methods (fertigation only, fertigation + foliar, fertigation + controlled release fertilizer or controlled release fertilizer only) for each growth stage and for different environmental conditions to match the plant's nutrition special needs.
These fertilization programs take into consideration:
- The plant uptake curve for each element (macro, secondary and micronutrients) and each plant growth stage.
- The best application method for each plant growth stage and for every environmental and climate condition (the methods can be fertigation only, fertigation + foliar, fertigation + controlled release fertilizer, controlled release fertilizer only).
- Alternative fertilizer formulas or application methods for different conditions that may occur during the growth cycle such as unpredictable climate conditions (drought or extreme temperature) and plant diseases that will damage roots absorption or the leaf's activity.
Special foliar fertilizers with prolonged and better action can be added to the fertilization programs to improve the root uptake and boost plant performance, as part of the overall nutritional program.
Main fertilization programs for onions are:
1. Base and side dressing A simple and basic program where fertigation cannot be use.
2. Base application with Multicote™ controlled release fertilizer + side dressing For better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and less soil compaction.
3. Nutrigation™ using straight fertilizers + side dressing For better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and soil compaction.
4. Base dressing with Haifa Turbo-K™ and fertigation using Poly-Feed™ (NPK soluble fertilizer) A precise nutrient formula application, better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and less soil compaction.
6. Complementary foliar nutrition To enhance plant performance during periods of special needs (nutrients disorders or abiotic stress)
Basic assumptions for the following fertilization programs:
Growing medium: Open field.
Soil type: Light to medium.
Expected yield: 65 MT/Ha (85% moisture).
Kilograms of macro nutrients removed by 1 ton marketable product
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
CaO |
MgO |
S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3.0-4.0 |
1.3-1.8 |
2.5-5 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
1.8-2.8 |
Examples of 5 detailed Fertilization programs for onion:
Option 1. Base and side dressing
A simple and basic program where fertigation cannot be use.
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
400 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
235 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haifa K-Mag 0-0-22+18MgO +22 SO3 |
250 |
|
|
|
250 |
|
|
Dolomite 26% |
254 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Urea 46-0-0 |
|
|
|
|
226 |
|
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
N |
862 |
45 |
|
|
104 |
|
|
P2O5 |
122 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
K2O |
60 |
45 |
|
|
55 |
|
|
MgO |
30 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
CaO |
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha)
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
MgO |
CaO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
235 |
122 |
215 |
60 |
66 |
* In soil with high phosphorus levels use Haifa Turbo-K™ 18-09-18
Option 2. Base application with controlled release fertilizer (Multicote™) + side dressing
For better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and less soil compaction.
Due to the high nutrients use efficiency with Multicote™, application rates can be reduced to about 70% of the N and K2O compared to conventional fertilization.
|
|
Application rate - % of common practice |
% coated nutrients |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
|
Light soil |
60-70 |
100 |
70 |
70 |
- |
30-50 |
|
Heavy soil |
70-90 |
100 |
80 |
50 |
- |
30-50 |
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|||||
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
|||||||||||
|
Multicote™ Agri 15-15-15 |
1000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
Dolomite 26% |
250 |
|
|
250 |
|
|
|||||
|
Multi-K™ 13-0-46 |
|
|
|
100 |
|
|
|||||
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
|||||||||||
|
N |
150 |
|
|
13 |
|
|
|||||
|
P2O5 |
150 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
K2O |
150 |
|
|
45 |
|
|
|||||
|
MgO |
25 |
|
|
25 |
|
|
|||||
|
CaO |
65 |
|
|
65 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
MgO |
CaO |
|
|||||
|
163 |
150 |
195 |
50 |
130 |
|
||||||
Option 3. Fertigation using straight fertilizers + side dressing
For better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and less soil compaction.
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
Multi-K™ 13-0-46 |
|
100 |
140 |
140 |
170 |
|
|
Haifa MAP™ 11-52-0 |
|
75 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
|
Magnisal™ 11-0-0+16MgO |
|
34 |
68 |
68 |
90 |
|
|
Haifa Cal™ 11-0-0+26CaO |
|
50 |
50 |
75 |
75 |
|
|
Ammonium Nitrate 34-0-0 |
|
25 |
25 |
50 |
50 |
|
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
N |
|
42 |
48 |
48 |
66 |
|
|
P2O5 |
|
46 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
|
|
K2O |
|
46 |
64 |
64 |
78 |
|
|
MgO |
|
5 |
11 |
11 |
14 |
|
|
CaO |
|
13 |
13 |
13 |
20 |
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha)
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
MgO |
CaO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
204 |
139 |
252 |
41 |
59 |
Option 4. Fertigation using Poly-Feed™ (NPK soluble fertilizer)
Precise nutrient formula application, better nutrient use efficiency, saving application costs and less soil compaction.
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
Poly-Feed™ 12-43-12 |
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 19-19-19 |
|
|
240 |
|
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 14-7-21 |
|
|
|
300 |
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 12-5-40 |
|
|
|
|
675 |
|
|
Magnisal™ 11-0-0+16MgO |
|
|
60 |
60 |
110 |
|
|
Haifa Cal™ 11-0-0+26CaO |
|
|
60 |
60 |
110 |
|
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
N |
|
5 |
61 |
58 |
110 |
|
|
P2O5 |
|
19 |
46 |
21 |
34 |
|
|
K2O |
|
5 |
46 |
63 |
270 |
|
|
MgO |
|
|
10 |
10 |
18 |
|
|
CaO |
|
|
16 |
16 |
29 |
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha)
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
MgO |
CaO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
234 |
120 |
384 |
38 |
61 |
Due to the high fertilizing efficiency of the Multicote™, the application rate will be only ~70% of the N and K2O common application practice:
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
Multicote™ Agri 15-15-15 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 19-19-19 |
|
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 14-7-21 |
|
|
100 |
150 |
|
|
|
Poly-Feed™ 12-5-40 |
|
|
|
|
600 |
|
|
Magnisal™ 11-0-0+16MgO |
|
60 |
60 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Haifa Cal™ 11-0-0+26CaO |
|
60 |
60 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
N |
45 |
35 |
30 |
37 |
95 |
|
|
P2O5 |
45 |
19 |
7 |
11 |
30 |
|
|
K2O |
45 |
19 |
21 |
32 |
240 |
|
|
MgO |
|
10 |
10 |
10 |
14 |
|
|
CaO |
|
16 |
10 |
16 |
24 |
|
Total nutrients (kg/ha)
|
N |
P2O5 |
K2O |
MgO |
CaO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
242 |
112 |
357 |
44 |
72 |
Complementary foliar nutrition - To enhance plant performance during periods of special needs (nutrients disorders or abiotic stress)
Foliar application of nutrients provides complementary fertilization with high added value, corrective nutrition when deficiencies are noticed and growth boosting during critical stages of the crop development. This foliar nutrition program can be added to all fertilization programs.
|
Stage description |
Pre-plant |
Establishment |
Vegetative growth |
Bulb initiation |
Bulb development |
Maturation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
duration |
|
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Fertilizers (kg/ha) |
||||||
|
Poly-Feed™ 20-20-20 |
|
1 kg/ha, conc. 0.5% |
1.5 kg/ha, conc. 0.5% |
|
|
|
|
Magnisal™ 11-0-0+16MgO |
|
|
|
2 kg/ha, conc. 1% |
2 kg/ha, conc. 1% |
|
|
Haifa Bonus™ |
|
|
|
5 kg/ha, conc. 2% |
5 kg/ha, conc. 2% |
|
Related Articles:
NPK Fertilizers - Water Soluble Fertilizers
Plant Fertilizer & Plant Nutrition