Peanut research proves power of Polysulphate
If someone asked you to pick the number of countries where peanuts are a crop, what would you say? If your answer was close to a hundred you would be close. In fact 112 countries grow the peanut crop and that’s why news from Vietnam of the power of polyhalite to increase yield and improve quality is so interesting.
Peanut potential
Push up the productivity of the peanut crop and farm incomes could potentially go up in parallel. Moreover peanuts, as a legume, are an important part of the traditional rotation in the central coast region of Vietnam. Not to mention their contribution to the local and regional diet.
Investigating the power of polyhalite
With those three reasons in mind the research team, supported but the International Potash Institute (IPI), began their research to evaluate the effects of K and polyhalite. They also hoped to develop fertilizer recommendations for the Central Coast of Vietnam.
Crop development was monitored closely from germination to harvest. Soil examinations were carried out before and after harvest to measure the texture, pH, organic matter and residual levels of nutrients.
The full methodology and the results are published and available to download from the IPI website by
clicking this link .
Proving how peanuts and soils benefit
The results of the work in peanut plots are positive. They show that giving optimum K (60 kg/hectare) and polyhalite (214 kg/hectare) doses in two applications gave rise to 24% increase in yield and 98% increase in net benefit to the farmer. In addition it was found that using polyhalite created a balanced N-P-K-S management leading to enhanced soil fertility and a sustainable cropping system.
