Optimise foliar fertiliser with biology
Foliar application has proven to be the most efficient method for delivering crop nutrition, as plant leaves will directly absorb the applied nutrients. Increasing awareness of the role of biology in this process provides an opportunity to enhance or optimise foliar fertiliser with biology. By including biology in your foliar mix, you can increase nutrient uptake and biology offers additional benefits.
Whether you are growing cereal crops or crops for grazing, plant nutrition will be at the forefront of your mind with warmer weather around the corner. Now is the time to start planning foliar nutrition for your plants.
With tissue testing becoming more readily available, we can identify the macro and micro nutrients plants lack. Ensuring a holistic approach to crop nutrition is essential, as they all play different roles in healthy plant function. If your biology isn’t fully cycling and active, then you must apply the nutrients your crops need artificially.
Vermiwash – an ideal foliar companion
A worm-based biostimulant (vermiwash) such as NutriSoil is an ideal companion to your foliar fertiliser application. Worms are very efficient nutrient recyclers. When worms decompose organic matter, they produce compounds essential to plant and soil health, at the same time restoring microbes to balance. One of these compounds is fulvic acid, which readily binds to nutrients, including trace elements such as copper, magnesium, iron and zinc. Being such a small compound, fulvic acid can easily slip from the leaf surface into the leaf stomata, carrying the nutrients and biology with it. Thus improving the efficiency of nutrient absorption and initiating the rhizophagy process. The Rhizophagy process is when microbes enter the plant through the stomata and then are excreted out the root tips of the plant increasing root surface area as well as microbial biomass in the soil, leading to more natural nutrient cycling.

DNA analysis has proven that a vermiwash has the most diverse mix of microbes of all the biostimulants on the market. Including microbes in your foliar application has multiple benefits.
Microbes and the compounds they produce perform various functions vital to plant health. This includes roles in non-nutrient growth promotion, nutrient cycling, protection from diseases and pests, improving photosynthesis, and increasing resilience during stress.
With the number of frosts reported across many districts, the actions of Pseudomonas fluorscens (found in Nutrisoil) can help protect plants from frost damage. P. fluorscens produces secondary metabolites and antibodies, displacing the bacteria on plant leaves that initiate frost formation. Removing these unwanted bacteria improves the plant’s tolerance to cold weather.
Including NutriSoil in your tank mix will also benefit soil health. For example, increased activity in the plant root zone unlocks nutrients that may be unavailable due to poor soil health. Stimulating root growth will improve soil organic matter, contributing to water infiltration and water-holding capacity.
Tank Mixing Guideline
There are a few guidelines to think about when preparing your tank mix for optimal results, and they include –
- Use a clean water source (water hardness less than 70ppm is optimal; do your best!)
- Balance your nutrition (do a tissue test if possible; otherwise, use a broad spectrum NPK trace fertiliser)
- Add your biology last (for best results; use Nutrisoil within 16 hours of mixing)
- Timing of application (plant leaf surface should not be above 26oC)
- Tank mix order (water, nutrients, biology)
Learn how to dissolve urea for foliar application here – https://youtu.be/3Fuwxlk1e-M?si=-yjVxHnu8uxTWJg5
Whether cropping or grazing, active biology is essential to optimising soil and plant health. Healthy soil and plants require less input and support profitable farming systems.
Find out more about NutriSoil foliar plant food here – https://nutrisoil.com.au/nutrisoil-liquid-spray/