Lessons On Phytotoxicity! Improper Fertilizer Application, Chemicals Affect Plant Growth

The country’s No. 1 Rice Farmer, Danilo Arcales Bolos of Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija who holds the official highest yield per hectare of 17-metric tons, has a very simple advice to other farmers – if you could help it, avoid using chemicals in controlling pests and weeds in your rice fields.
“Maski ano pa ang sasabihin nila na safe sa tanim ang herbicide at pesticide, nasasaktan pa rin ang mga tanim są chemicals at naapektuhan ang kanilang pagyabong at pamumunga,” Dan Bolos once told me.
While he uses a mix of Organic and In-Organic fertilizer, Bolos uses Fish Amino Acid to ensure that friendly insects abound in his rice fields and recommends “10 Fingers” in controlling weeds.
“Ugaliin nating gamitin ang ating mga kamay o 10 Fingers sa pagtatanggal ng damo sa ating mga palayan dahil siguradong hindi maapektuhan ang pagtubo at pamumunga ng palay,” he said.
While he learned this technique by actually doing it in his farm over the last 20 years, Bolos was actually giving a lecture on Phytotoxicity or the poisoning of the plants un-intentionally through the improper use of Fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides.
Phytotoxicity is described as the “adverse effects on plant growth, physiology, or metabolism caused by a chemical substance, such as high levels of fertilizers, herbicides, heavy metals, or nanoparticles.”
“Phytotoxicity is injury to plants caused by chemicals, including air pollutants, fertilizers, and pesticides. Because they are designed specifically to kill plants, herbicides pose the greatest risk of phytotoxicity when desirable plants are exposed these pesticides,” according to a journal published by an American University.
It delays seed germination or “burns” the seeds and alters plant metabolism, inhibits growth or causes plant death.
“Phytotoxicity symptoms may show up as leaf speckling, leaf margin necrosis (browning) or chlorosis (yellowing), brown or yellow leaf spots or patches, leaf cupping or twisting, plant stunting or plant death,” the journal said.
“Treatment for phytotoxicity in a small area of a plant may involve simply lopping off the stem to prevent the damage from interfering with the rest of the plant. Providing adequate water and good general care will usually rally the plant over time and reduce the chance of permanent injury,” it added.
The reason why I wrote about this subject today is because I fell victim to this when I directly applied fertilizer with the overly sensitive Soybeans seeds last week.
It was our farm workers, all members of the Indigenous Tribe Blaan who pointed out my mistake telling me: “Nasunog sa abono ang imong liso sa Soybeans (The fertilizer burned your Soybeans seeds).
The result was very poor germination which required reseeding.
It was a humbling and expensive lesson I learned from unschooled farm workers and an experienced farmer, Dan Bolos.
Now, I am wiser.
#farmisthebestclassroom!