Dr Terry Mabbett, in conversation with Omex Agrifluid’s technical sales manager, Ben Odunlami and export sales manager, Oskar Winkler explains how zinc, the ‘make or break’ nutrient for maize, has gone foliar

Most widely grown, biggest global production, highest yield per hectare and biggest above ground biomass of all cereal crops, that’s maize. And prime target for foliar feeding with soluble nutrients, says Ben Odunlami, technical sales manager and Oskar Winkler, export sales manager, Africa at Omex Agrifluids.

Zinc is the ‘make or break’ nutrient. Odunlami and Winkler told African Farming how zinc has gone foliar. “Top of our product list is Kingfol Zn, formulated with the highest quality mineral elements, marketed as a highly concentrated liquid formulation (70% Zn w/v) and applied as a seed treatment at 0.25l/100kg seed,” says Ben. “Constituents disperse easily with no requirement for pre-mixing and ideal for correcting a specific zinc deficiency.”

“Targeted at the seedling stage is a pair of products that boost growth and establishment,” said Winkler. “Omex 3X Emulsion with a full complement of macro and micronutrients and Omex Bio 20 offering the same nutrient profile but with an added biostimulant boost from natural compounds sourced from a specific marine alga (seaweed). African maize producers can use either depending upon the availability in their country. Both are applied as foliar sprays in the early vegetative stages of the crop.” said Winkler.

“Potassium is a major requirement for fast growing maize crops,” says Odunlami, “with Omex offering two equivalent products – Omex K41 (41.00% potassium w/v) and Omex Sequential 2 (40.00% potassium w/v) and applied as foliar sprays at, respectively, 3.0-5.0 l/ha and 2.5 l/ha. Maize growers can use either depending upon availability in their country.

As the ‘make or break’ nutrient for maize, zinc is required throughout the entire period of crop growth to ensure zinc-enriched grain. Enrichment of maize grain with high levels of zinc is a growing global challenge to ensure the health and well-being of human populations who rely on maize as the main staple. Many African countries fall into this category. With soils being either inherently deficient in zinc or deficient in plant available zinc, there are major constraints on zinc moving from the soil and into the roots of the maize plant. Zinc deficiency is aggravated in soils with high organic matter, a high pH and those rich in phosphorous, which locks up zinc as insoluble zinc phosphate. An alternate way to get zinc into the maize plant, is through the leaves using soluble zinc as a foliar spray.

So I asked Oskar what Omex had to offer African maize growers to satisfy this need for zinc during active growth stages of the crop. “This essential requirement can be provided by one of our newest and most novel products. Omex Zynergy containing zinc (4.72% w/v), but also copper (2.66% w/v) and sulphur (9.10% w/v), is applied as a foliar spray at 0.5–1.0 litre of product per ha. This unique complex of copper and zinc corrects deficiencies and improves plant health and tolerance to abiotic stress,” Winkler told African Farming. 

Last but not least, in the Omex portfolio products for African maize is Omex Sulphomex containing nitrogen (15.00% w/v) and sulphur (87.50% w/v). Deficiencies of either nutrient are reflected in both crop yield and produce quality with deficiency symptoms featuring various forms of foliar chlorosis (leaf yellowing), and often difficult to distinguish.

The source of sulphur deficiency is the most interesting. In years gone by sulphur from industrial pollution was an important source for cereal crops including maize. But as countries across the world including those in Africa strive to clean up their industries, so sulphur deficiency has shown itself with farmers required to rectify the situation. “Omex Sulphomex is applied as a foliar spray to maize at a rate of 1.5 – 3.0 l/ha," Odunlami told African Farming.

Foliar feeding is clearly the way forward for maize. It allows farmers to rapidly treat crops with appropriate products at the right time in relation to specific stages in crop growth and development and any specific nutrient deficiency. Omex Agrifluids has a comprehensive portfolio of high quality soluble nutrient products in both liquid and water soluble suspension to meet maize farmers’ needs across the continent of Africa.

The innovative ZHKA 350 2-axle rear tipping semi-trailer has an aluminium body, offering a range of features designed for optimum performance and versatility

With a gross vehicle weight of approximately 31 tonnes and an unladen weight of approximately 6 tonnes, depending on the equipment, the ZHKA 350 offers an impressive payload. Thanks to the nova-grey curved frame front, which saves weight in favour of the payload and stabilises the frame, as vertically acting forces are optimally bundled and transferred to the fifth wheel coupling plate. 

Moreover, the presence of a steel guide on the underside of the curved chassis has a rounded shape, which makes manoeuvring easier, as there is more freedom of movement for the tractor unit without corner surfaces. In addition, 9,300 mm long aluminium body, being conical in shape, allows even moist materials like manure and silage to slide off easily, thus favouring the unloading of any agricultural transport goods. 

The rear wall with rubber seal and turnbuckles as well as the 400x400 mm grain hatch make the ZHKA 350 versatile for a wide range of transport goods, including grain and even rapeseed as well as moist loads such as manure. No liquid escapes, as the body is completely sealed. Particularly noteworthy is the pendulum rear wall with double-jointed hinges and double hook locking, which enables lateral levelling of up to 300 mm and fast unloading.

The air suspension with tilt lowering results in a very smooth ride on the road. This feature is optional and can also be deactivated if required. To secure the load, the ZHKA 350 is supplied with a roller tarpaulin with platform as standard. The standing platform at the front of the Fliegl tipper semi-trailer is bolted directly to the sleeve of the tipping cylinder, allowing the platform to swivel backwards over the fifth-wheel plate when tipped up, reducing the overhang forwards over the kingpin.

The compressed air supply and electrical connections are installed on the platform, allowing the driver to couple the connections while standing.  Another optional feature is the hydraulic TopLift Light folding roof which provides a simple and quick cover for silage and wood chips and, depending on the equipment variant, can be conveniently controlled from the driver's seat through a radio remote control.

With this semi-trailer, Fliegl Agrartechnik GmbH is further expanding its product range in the agro-truck sector and offering a more cost-effective alternative to the push-off semitrailer.

For more information, visit: www.fliegl.com 

Organised by FederUnacoma, in Bologna from 6-10 November, the 46th edition of EIMA 2024 offers a plethora of innovations to Moroccan operators

Innovations like the REAL space—a space dedicated to robots, drones and more generally, to all those highly automated technologies—are capable of increasing production yields, improving the sustainability of crops and optimising the use of production factors. 

These are requirements that are truly stringent for the agriculture of the North African state of Morocco, which is particularly exposed to the consequences of climate change. Reduction of water supply sources, soil impoverishment, loss of productivity and decline in agricultural incomes are the main challenges that Moroccan agriculture has been facing positively in recent years.

Keeping this in mind, the focus on innovation continues with the usual exhibition of the winning models of the ‘Technical Innovations 2024’ competition and with the numerous in-depth technical meetings on the most relevant issues for the primary sector and for the world of agricultural machinery. 

Technology will also be the protagonist in the spaces outside the pavilions, in the outdoor areas where the show of the finalist tractors of the Tractor of the Year will be staged, as well as demonstrations of vehicles for bioenergy supply chains, trials of gardening and green care machines.

To date, more than 1,500 companies—500 of which from abroad—have already formalised their participation in the event, but the number is destined to grow further in the coming weeks, bringing the total number of exhibitors to the highest levels in the history of the exhibition.

For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eima.it/