Dr. Modesto Mojena Graverán
According to United Nations data, by 2025, 83% of the world’s population (8.5 billion people) will live in developing countries. Can agriculture meet the demands for food and other essential agricultural products for this constantly growing population? We are not certain, but we do know that we must face the challenge.
Agricultural production is obliged to achieve high yields with quality and profitability. To do this, it is necessary to prevent nutrient loss due to various causes (volatilization, leaching, fixation, etc.), making production more sustainable, and healthier, and especially protecting the soil resource.
How do we become more productive, sustainable, and profitable?
In the natural process of photosynthesis, plants obtain the carbon they need. Still, in addition to carbon (C), they also absorb hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) from carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and from water (H2O) in the soil. The rest of the nutrients: macronutrients, nitrogen (N); phosphorus (P); potassium (K); calcium (Ca); magnesium (Mg); sulfur (S) and micronutrients, boron (B); chlorine (Cl); copper (Cu); iron (Fe); manganese (Mn); molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn), must dissolve and become part of the mix of compounds present in the soil water (soil solution).
In other words, all these elements are incorporated through water, plant residues, organic fertilizers, or chemical fertilizers, and are important for the growth of coffee and its fruits. Adequate and balanced fertilization during the annual production cycle will provide sufficient nutrients for optimal development, differentiation, and maturation.
With a good climate and adequate crop management, we will achieve the expression of the maximum genetic potential of the coffee plants.
But, what should a fertilization program look like? First, it must supply the crop with the necessary nutrients in adequate quantities, use the most efficient fertilizers, and apply them at the most opportune time, according to the plant’s use or demand, soil type, and prevailing climate.
It is important to know that the plant absorbs ions, not fertilizers. Fertilizers are chemical products that provide nutrients, they are inert salts, without charge that, upon contact with water (soil solution), release nutrients in ionic form (cations and anions).
Almost all compounds present in the soil solution exist as ionic species, and the path nutrients take to become available forms for the plant can be complex, and varied, and are known as cycles.
Managing a Coffee Plantation
Managing a coffee plantation requires knowledge of fertilization techniques and the products to be used. Initial or establishment fertilization is aimed at promoting good root development and plant growth. In this first stage, phosphorus and organic matter are essential.
During the first two or three years, small but frequent applications of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are recommended. These three elements will be discussed in the next column. How should the applications be? How often? What do the experts recommend? etc.
Dr. Modesto Mojena Graverán
Is an Agronomist Engineer with a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the Agrarian University of Havana. With more than 30 years of field experience, Specialist in plant nutrition, agroecology, and sustainable agriculture, among others. He has over 20 publications on plant nutrition, production systems, and agronomic management of tropical and subtropical crops. He has participated in various national and international scientific research and events and, is currently the R&D Manager at SQM Commercial in Mexico and Commercial Manager for Central America and the Caribbean.
