To ensure good long-term crop yields, it is vital to ensure that plant roots are in good condition. Therefore, it is necessary to know the keys to rooting plants in order to obtain the best results in new plantings.
Importance of roots
Roots play a fundamental role in the plant world as they fulfill a series of essential functions for the life of crops. First of all, they allow the absorption of nutrients, mineral salts and water from the soil. Thus, they are one of the main links in the nutritional chain of plants. Secondly, they allow the plants to be anchored to the soil, preventing them from being moved by weather conditions such as wind or rain. Thirdly, they contribute to food storage, a function that is particularly useful in adverse periods such as drought or dormancy. Last but not least, some roots themselves constitute food that we consume on a daily basis, such as carrots.
Therefore, knowing the keys to rooting plants will help to improve the condition of crops. This can be useful especially when transplanting new plants since getting the root to take hold and develop correctly is one of the main challenges in this type of activity.
Factors that help plant rooting
Adequate temperature
One of the main keys to rooting plants is to have a warm and adequate temperature for our crops. We must take into account that by themselves, plants are not capable of producing heat, so if they are not in an environment that provides it, they will not be able to develop their roots properly.
Soil temperature is capable of modifying the behavior of nutrients, the activity of the microbiology present and, in addition, the root architecture, as can be seen in the following image.
A temperature range between 20 ºC and 25 ºC is ideal to ensure the best proportion between new and superficial roots and deep roots, which ensure the stability and anchorage of the plant.
Humidity levels
Just like temperature, if we want to get the plants to root in the best possible way we have to consider an environment in which there is sufficient humidity. Otherwise, the crops could slow down their growth or fail to provide the desired fruit. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is necessary to find a balance in humidity levels as excessive humidity is also detrimental to the plants.
So if you have to decide where to plant or set up control equipment in your greenhouses, look for the most suitable humidity levels for each crop and situation.
Presence of microorganisms
In every gram of soil there are millions of different microorganisms based on bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa.
The balance between those that affect plants and those that are considered beneficial to the soil affects the ability to produce new roots.
Therefore, the great challenge of the agriculture of the future is to offer all the advantages for the management and development of all the groups of microorganisms present, giving life to the environment and obtaining enormous benefits in all crops.
Accumulated nutrient reserves
Another key to rooting plants when planting stems is the reserves accumulated by the stem. This is important because in many cases the stems do not have leaves or are not yet green, so they cannot produce roots or carry out photosynthesis properly.
Use of fertilizers
When cuttings or cuttings are taken from existing plants with poor nutrition levels, it is likely that the new plants will also be deficient in this regard. Therefore, applying fertilizers that provide the necessary nutrients will help to root the plants.
Specifically, in the face of transplantation, the products that can help you the most are:
Soil-Max. It is a soil activator that helps to keep the soil alive and in a suitable condition for transplanting.
Agran Amino. It consists of a combination of animal amino acids that allows to obtain a greater energetic contribution, rooting, flowering and fruit fattening.
For best results it is recommended to apply 3-5 L/ha SOIL-MAX + 3 L/ha AGRAN AMINO.
Do you have any doubts about how to improve the rooting process of your crops? Contact our contact our team to get the best personalized advice.
