How to Do It Series - Episode 8 - Using a Refractometer

Описание: This is the eighth episode of our How to Do It Series with Graeme Sait. With Karl's assistance, Graeme showcases a range of Nutrition Farming practices and how they can be practically applied at varying scales.

In this “how to do it” episode, we cover another essential facet of in-field monitoring: the most basic and low-cost tool for monitoring progress: the refractometer.

This device measures dissolved solids in plant sap to provide an indication of your growing skills. It is essentially a measure of your chlorophyll management skills because high brix readings are intimately related to chlorophyll density and associated nutrient density.

In this video, you will discover that this fascinating little tool can also offer an indication of your crop's all-important calcium status. It can also help detect a shortage of boron and likely weed pressure. Your refractometer can even pick up a coming hail storm (where brix levels inexplicably drop in the middle of the day, as the plant pumps sugars down to the roots to provide a reserve for rebuilding after the hail damage). Unfortunately, it’s hard to profit from this early hail warning, apart from preparing yourselves with a box of tissues as you watch your season decimated.

The most important use of a refractometer is measuring your susceptibility to insect attack. The higher the brix levels, the less likely insect pressure is. If you have insect pressure in one area and not in another, the affected area will always have a lower brix reading. I have never seen an exception to this rule, and I challenge you to find an exception.

I hope you find some tips you can use here, even if it’s just the revelation of using a gauze square to trap the particulate matter and isolate the sap when using a garlic crusher as a sap extractor.

Chapters:
00:00 - Title Sequence
00:44 - Why it is important
02:34 - Where to sample
03:05 - Sap Extraction
04:34 - Taking a Measurement & Interpretation
06:17 - Additional Uses & Benefits
07:41 - Monitoring Boron
09:11 - Ginger Crop Results
10:06 - End Credits

If you want to learn more about the Refractometer, check out Graeme's article "Ten Reasons to Own A Refractometer"
https://blog.nutri-tech.com.au/ten-re...

If you want to learn more about other monitoring tools…
https://blog.nutri-tech.com.au/super-...

Refractometer
https://nutri-tech.com.au/products/re...

Monitoring Meters & Equipment
https://nutri-tech.com.au/collections...

…or try our new NTS FulvX™ Powder
https://nutri-tech.com.au/products/nt...

Head to our website to find out more
https://nutri-tech.com.au/

Interested in attending a Certificate in Nutrition Farming course?
https://nutri-tech.com.au/pages/courses

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