Hi Everyone,

An essential facet of the Nutrition Farming philosophy relates to in-field monitoring to provide more precision in crop nutrition.

The most basic and low-cost tool to monitor your progress is a 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.

Warm regards,

Graeme Sait

CEO

Nutri-Tech Solutions

Refractometer

A single tool that can be utilised to predict yield, quality, pest and disease pressure and stress resistance.

The refractometer is an indispensable tool for Nutrition Farming®. This simple, robust instrument can utilise just a couple of drops of sap or juice to provide valuable data for crop management. It measures brix levels (total dissolved solids) which give an indication of plant sugars, minerals and vitamin content. The link between high brix levels and inherent pest and disease resistance has been conclusively established. Good brix levels also ensure good taste, longer shelf-life and better yields.

Product Benefits

• The refractometer measures brix from 0 – 32°Bx.
• Pocket-sized and lightweight.
• Accurate to within 0.2%.
• The refractometer comes in a high-density plastic case lined with contoured foam.

You can place your order online below, email sales@nutri-tech.com.au or phone on 07 5472 9900.