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Popular Kheti
Volume -2, Issue-2 (April-June), 2014
Available online at www.popularkheti.info
© 2014 popularkheti.info
ISSN: 2321-0001

Foliar Feeding of Plant Nutrients

Shilpa Kaushal*, Rachna Rana, Sunil Kumar and Ramesh Kumar
Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK Himachal Pradesh
Agricultural University, Palampur-176 062, Himachal Pradesh, India
*Email of corresponding author: cutebaby039@gmail.com

Foliar feeding is a common practice of supplying nutrients to plants through their

foliage. It involves spraying water-dissolved fertilizers directly on the leaves. Foliar
feeding can provide the nutrients required for normal development of crops in cases
where absorption of nutrients by the roots system is suboptimal. Foliar feeding with
fully water-soluble fertilizers at critical stages dramatically increases yields and
improves yield quality. The efficiency of nutrient uptake is considered to be 8-9 folds
higher when nutrients are applied to the leaves compared with nutrients applied to
soil. Foliar fertilization can prove a great tool in correcting the nutrient deficiencies
and providing much needed nutrients during stages of high nutrient demand in crop.

Introduction
Foliar feeding is a technique of feeding nutrient to plants by applying liquid fertilizer (either in
solution or suspension) directly to the crop canopy. If used wisely, it can be more efficient,
economical, environmental friendly and target oriented when used to supplement soil
fertilization. Now days, foliar feeding is a widely adopted strategy in modern crop management
where it is used to ensure higher or optimal crop performance by enhancing crop growth at
certain growth stage, correcting the nutrient deficiency in crop and enhancing crop tolerance to
adverse conditions for crop growth. Foliar application overcomes soil fertilization limitations
like leaching, insoluble fertilizer precipitation, antagonism between certain nutrients, heterogenic
soils unsuitable for low dosages and fixation/absorption reactions like in the case of phosphorus
and potassium.

History
The ability of plant leaves to absorb water and nutrients was recognized approximately three
centuries ago. The application of nutrient solutions to the foliage of plants as an alternative
means to fertilize grapevines was noted in the early 19th century (Gris, 1843).With the aid of
fluorescent and radio-labelling techniques in the first half of the 20th century it became possible
to perform more accurate investigation in the mechanisms of leaf cuticular penetration and
translocation within the plant (Kannan 2010).In the early 1980s, studies on foliar application of
fertilizers were investigated for selected crops, including cereals. However, most of the

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researches were limited to micronutrients in high-value horticultural crops (Eddy 1999 and Higgs
2001).

Foliar feeding: conditions for application

1. When soil conditions limit availability of soil applied nutrients.
2. In conditions when high nutrient loss rates of soil applied nutrients may occur.
3. Stage of plant growth: when the internal plant demand and the environment conditions
interact to limit delivery of nutrients to critical plant organs.
Meteorological Conditions Favouring Foliar Applications
Time of Day: Late evening; after 6:00 p.m.
Early morning; before 9:00 a.m.
Temperature: Low (18-19; ideal 21)
Humidity: High (greater than 70 % relative humidity)
Wind speed: Low (less than 8 kph)
Rainfall: Within 24 to 48 hours after a foliar application may reduce the application
effectiveness, as not all nutrient materials are immediately absorbed into
the plant tissue
Foliar feeding: methods for application
The different methods for foliar feeding of nutrients are use of spray pumps, sprinkler system
and aeroplane sprayers.
Foliar feeding: commercial formulations
Types of Fertilizer Materials: Not all fertilizers are suitable for use as a foliar spray.
Qualifications for fertilizer materials should be as follows:
• Low salt index: Damage to plant cells from high salt concentrations can be considerable,
especially from nitrates (NO3-) and chlorides (Cl-).
• High solubility: Needed to reduce the volume of solution needed for application.
• High purity: Needed to eliminate interference with spraying, solution compatibility, or
unexpected adverse effects on foliage.
Water soluble NPK Fertilizers
Grade Total Ammonical Urea Nitrate Water Water
Nitrogen, Nitrogen % Nitrogen % Nitrogen soluble P O soluble K O
2 5 2
% min. min. min. % min. % min. % min.
19-19-19 19 4.5 10.5 4 (max) 19 19
17-44-00 17 0 17 0 44 0
00-52-34 0 0 0 0 52 34
18-18-18 18 0 18 0 18 18
12-61-00 12 12 0 0 61 0
00-00-50 0 0 0 0 0 50

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Foliar feeding: desirable characteristics

1. Solubility: foliar fertilizers should be able to either dissolve or suspended in water and
contain an active ingredient chemical compound as salts, chelates or complexes of mineral
nutrients.
2. Molecular weight/size: foliar fertilizer must contain low molecular weight or molecules of
smaller size in order to have higher penetration of leaf cuticle.
3. Solution pH: solution pH should be adjusted for better activity of nutrient and to prevent
the scorching or burning effects.
4. Form: The absorption rate of ammonium ions into the leaves is faster than that for nitrate
ions. Urea has higher leaf penetration than other inorganic N fertilizers. KCl fit for use for
soil fertilization but unfit for foliar application due to its rapid crystallization over leaf
surface (Porro et al., 2006).

Foliar feeding: factors affecting effectiveness

The effectiveness of foliar feeding may be subjected to several factors. These factors can be
divided into four major groups:
1. Spray solution
2. Environmental conditions
3. Leaf characteristics and
4. Plant state
Spray Solution: Several factors play a role for spray solution:
1. Solution pH – pH mainly affect the solubility level of several elements such as
phosphorus, which improves its solubility as pH decreases. pH may affect the ionic form of
the elements and this may affect the penetration rate as well.
2. Ionic stage/molecule type – materials with high molecular weight penetrate much slower
than those with low molecular weight (Haile 1965 and Kannan 1969).
3. Solution water tension – decrease in the interfacial surface tension of a water droplet
increases the exposure sites for uptake into the leaf (Leece 1976). Lower water tension
improves penetration through the stomata as well (Greene and Bukovac 1974).
4. Spray droplet size – different drop size may affect the interaction with the targeted surface
and the possible drift of the solution from the targeted plant. Bigger drops may resist drift
but decrease penetration through the plant canopy.
Environmental Conditions: The environment can influence leaf absorption, cuticle
development or physiological reactions related to active absorption mechanism (Flore and
Bukovac1982). Among the major factors:
1. Humidity – it has direct influence on the rate of dehydration of the spray drop. In high
humidity, the solution will be active for a longer period enabling solutes to penetrate before
it dries completely. In low humidity conditions, stomata are closed and plants may develop a
thicker cuticle, yet in high humidity conditions the stomata are open and plants may develop
a thinner cuticle.

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2. Temperature – when solution dehydration is not a limiting factor, temperature rise

increases absorption (Jyung et al., 1964).Temperature may have negative relations with
humidity - as temperature decreases, humidity may rise.
3. Light – in high light levels the cuticle and the wax layers are thick compared to low light
levels (Macey 1970, Hallam 1970, Reed and Tuley 1982), yet the light effect can be related
to the stomata opening and the temperature resulting from the radiation.

Leaf Characteristics
1. Leaf age – as the leaf ages it tends to thicken with more wax and broader cuticle tissue. This
increased barrier reduces penetration rate.
2. Leaf surface – some plants have high density hairs (trichomes), which may cause the spray
drops not to contact with the actual leaf surface – the water drops ‘stand’ on the hairs. Leaf
surface texture may differ between plants. Smoother surfaces may cause the spray to slide
with a lower wetting rate, while rough surfaces will hold the spray drop and have a greater
wetting rate.
3. Leaf disposition –leaf angle towards the ground influences spray solution retention on the
leaf surface (De Rutter et al., 1990).
4. Leaf shape – different leaf shapes may determine the effective surface in contact with the
spray drops.
5. Plant species – Plants can be divided into those that grow in wet habitats (hydromorphic)
and dry habitats (xeromorphic) and differ in cuticle thickness, stomata position
(adaxial=upper side/abaxial=lower side), and shape.

Plant State
• The physiological state of plants may have an effect, where plants with lower metabolic
activity have been shown to have a lower ‘sink’ activity, resulting in lower translocation

Foliar fertilization: the positive aspects

Foliar fertilizers can provide the plant nutrient at critical stages of plant growth where the
nutrient requirement of plant exceeds the normal uptake for certain nutrients (Fageria et al.,
2009).
• Foliar fertilization in rapid in action as compared to soil application.
• It also has a higher residual effect as compared to soil application when the crop residues are
incorporated after harvest (Chauhan et al., 2004).
• Since they are applied mostly at high nutrient requirement growth stage and directly to leaf
surface without any involvement of soil thus avoiding losses or fixation.
• It can target certain different growth stages effectively for enhancing yield and quality of
produce e.g. application of foliar N at post flowering stage in wheat increases the protein
content and grain yield (Woolfolk et al., 2002).
• Observed effects of foliar fertilization have included yield increases, resistance to diseases
and insect-pest, improved drought tolerance and enhanced crop quality (Haytovas 2013).

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Toxicity
Leaf damage can sometimes occur with foliar-applied fertilizers due to localized salt toxicity; the
presence of toxic compounds and contaminants; solution pH; or direct elemental toxicity
(Alexander and Schroeder 1987). The expression of toxicity can vary depending upon the degree
of localization of the deposited materials and can be influenced by the movement of the applied
material into and within the leaf tissue. The two most common toxicity symptoms are:
1) Isolated necrotic spots that occur when droplets dry and materials concentrate in discrete spots
(‘balling’)
2) Leaf margin and tip burn due to gravitational flow of spray material to these areas, or as a
consequence of internal re-distribution of the applied chemical through the transpiration stream
to the leaf margins and tips.
A common symptom of toxicity following the application of foliar fertilizers is ‘burning’ or
‘scorching’ which may be a consequence of cell rupture due to large differences in osmotic
pressure across the cell wall when highly concentrated fertilizer solution is applied to the leaf
surface (Greenway and Munns 1980). This type of foliar damage is generically described as leaf
burn and is most prevalent with compounds of high salt index (Clapp 2009).
Benefits of Foliar feeding over soil application
• Foliar Fertilization is the most efficient way to increase yield and plant health. Tests have
shown that foliar feeding can increases yields from 12% to 25% when compared to
conventional fertilization.
• Tests conducted in different locations under different environmental conditions have
reflected the following:
• When fertilizers are foliar applied, more that 90% of the fertilizer is utilized by the plant.
When a similar amount is applied to the soil, only 10 percent of it is utilized.
• In the sandy loam, foliar applied fertilizers are up to 20 times more effective when
compared to soil applied fertilizers.

Foliar fertilization: the limitations

• Increase in the inputs: apply after considering the benefit cost ratio i.e. it should be profit
generating.
• Availability of labour during fertilization schedule.
• Climatic constraints: cannot be applied at cloudy and rainy days. High wind velocity
decreases uniformity of spray.
• Leaf burns: due to use of high nutrient concentration or unbuffered nutrient solutions. Leaf
burns can lead to decrease in photosynthesis therefore leading to decrease in crop response
(Fageria et al., 2009).
• Plants with high nutrient status are less likely to respond to foliar fertilizers.
• Foliar fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) can be supplemented
along with soil applied fertilizers but cannot replace soil fertilization (Ling and Silberush
2002).

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Conclusion
Foliar fertilization can prove a great tool in correcting the nutrient deficiencies and providing
much needed nutrients during stages of high nutrient demand in crop. It increases the nutrient
content in crop foliage and residues from the crop will have high nutrient content. It can
efficiently supply nutrients during late growing season when the physiological efficiency of plant
to take nutrients from soil is decreased. When used to supplement soil fertilization, foliar
fertilization has a great potential to give higher yields under intensive cropping system. Foliar
fertilization can also enhance the crop tolerance to diseases and drought conditions.
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