Performance of polyhalite as a multi

nutrient fertilizer for potato in Brazil

Simone da Costa Mello

Crop Science Department- University of São Paulo,
Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
Potato Production in Brazil

2016 -Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics- (IBGE)

Potato Production: 3,851.398 ton
Minas Gerais State (MG): 32.7% of total production
São Paulo State (SP): 17.3% of total production
Paraná State (PR): 21.3% of total production
Study- Potato- Tapira (MG) and Casa Branca (SP)

Soil Chemical Analysis of experimental sites

Site pH OM P K Ca Mg S
g/dm3 mg/dm3 mmolc/dm3 mg/dm3
Tapira 5.5 37.2 74.1 2.2 28.2 8.9 29.9

Casa Branca 4.9 18.4 4.6 1.1 14.6 4.4 3.6

 Potato Varieties

Tapira (MG)
Asterix variety - Long oval uniform red tubers with yellow
flesh.
French fries and processed products.

Casa Branca (SP)

Romeo variety – dark red tubers
Fried foods, baked foods and purees.
TREATMENTS K2O Blend N P2O5 Ca Mg S
rate
-----------------------------------------Kg/ha---------------------------------------
Blend I 0 0 150 526 574 0 326
4-14-2 MOP + Urea + TSP + SSP 75 3750 150 526 574 0 326
4-14-4 MOP + Urea + TSP + SSP 150 3750 150 526 574 0 326
4-14-6 MOP + Urea + TSP + SSP 225 3750 150 526 574 0 326
4-14-8 MOP + Urea + TSP + SSP 300 3750 150 526 574 0 326
Blend II 0 0 150 526 65 19 102
4-14-2 Poly + Urea + MAP 75 3750 150 526 65 19 102
4-14-4 Poly + Urea + MAP 150 3750 150 526 130 39 204
4-14-6 Poly + Urea + MAP 225 3750 150 526 195 58 305
4-14-8 Poly + Urea + MAP 300 3750 150 526 260 78 407
Blend III 0 0 150 526 65 19 106
4-14-2 K2SO4 + Urea + MAP 75 3750 150 526 65 19 106
4-14-2 K2SO4 + Urea + MAP 150 3750 150 526 130 39 213
4-14-2 K2SO4 + Urea + MAP 225 3750 150 526 195 58 319
4-14-2 K2SO4 + Urea + MAP 300 3750 150 526 260 78 426
Fertilization pre-plant
Planting of potato seeds

Planting potato seeds:

Tapira: September 4th, 2015

Casa branca: July 28th, 2016

Evaluated characteristics
Soil sampling

Soil sampling for each plot: 0-20

cm

Period: pre-plant and after

harvest

Chemical analysis: pH, EC, K, Ca,

Mg and S
Sampling of leaves
Sampling of petioles and leaflets (Young
expadend leaves)

- Tapira (MG): 36, 63 and 84 days after

planting (DAP).

- Casa Branca (SP): 26, 40, 57 and 71 DAP

- Chemical analysis – N, P, K, Ca, Mg andS

Potato Harvest
Harvest:
Tapira: January 18th, 2016
Casa Branca: November 5th, 2016
Size of tubers:
< 28 mm
28-33 mm
33-42 mm
42-70 mm
 No commercial yield - Diseases

Spongospora subterranea Streptomyces scabies

Pectobacterium carotovora supspp. Meloydogyne spp.

No commercial yield - Physiological disturbs

Silking Cracks Greening Lenticelose

 Potato quality

Qualitative characterisits:
- Starch
- Hardness
- Crunchiness
- Dry mass
- total soluble
- reducing sugar
- total soluble solids
Results – Tapira (MG)
 Soil fertility – K content

4
3.5 3.17a
K content (mmolc/dm3)

3 2.8ab 2.78ab
2.5 2.23b
2
1.5 1.33c
1
0.5
0
0 75 150 225 300
kg/ha of K2O
 Soil fertility – S content

70
59a
60
S content (mg/dm3)

50
41.5b 41.3b
40
30
20
10
0
POLY MOP K2SO4
300 kg/ha of K2O
 Leaf nutrient - Ca and Mg contents at 36 DAP
Interation Source X rates at 36 DAP Interation Source X rates at 36 DAP
Ca - Leaflet Mg - petiole

POLY K2SO4 MOP 8 POLY K2SO4 MOP

Ca conc. in the leaflets (g/kg)

11

Mg conc. in the petioles (g/kg)

10.6a 7.5
10.5
7 6.81a
10
9.5 9.33b
6.5

9 6
8.55b
8.5 5.5
5.12b 5.15b
8 5
300 kg/ha of K2O 300 kg/ha
1 of K2O
 Leaf nutrient - Ca and Mg contents at 63 DAP
Interation Source X rates - Ca - Leaflet Effects of K sources - Mg - Leaflet

11 POLY K2SO4 MOP 6 Poly K2SO4 MOP

Mg conc. in the leaflets (g/kg)

Ca conc. in the leaflets (g/kg)

10.6a
10.5 5.8 5.72a
10
5.6
5.48b
9.5 9.33b
5.4
9
8.55b
8.5 5.2 5.15ab

8 5
1
300 kg/ha of K2O
 Nutrient uptakes - tubers

Nutrient uptake by tubers 90 K Ca Mg s

75
60
(kg/ha)

45
30
15
0
0 75 150 225 300
Kg/ha K2O
 Commercial yield

Commercial Yield (t/ha)

35
y = 0.0432x + 16.142
30 R² = 0.9968

25

20

15
0 75 150 225 300
Kg/ha K2O
 Quality potato

20 POLY K2SO4 MOP

15.23a 14.31ab
15 13.56b

10

5
1.33a 1.24ab 1.2b
0
Hardness (N) Crunchness (N/mm)
 Quality potato – Starch content
Interation Source X rates

16
POLY K2SO4 MOP
Starch content (g/100g)

15
14.28a
14 13.53a
13 12.63a 12.39ab
12 11.42b
11.19b
11
10
225 300
Kg/ha K2O
 Quality potato

20 POLY K2SO4 MOP

19
Dry mass (%)

17.96a
18
17.38a
17
16.43a

16 15.78ab 15.81b
15.59b

15
225 300
Kg/ha K2O
Results – Casa Branca (SP)
 Soil fertility – Ca content

25
19.2a
Ca content (mg/dm3)

20

15 12.7 b
9.5c
10

0
POLY MOP K2SO4
75 kg/ha of K2O
 Soil fertility – Ca content

18
15.5 a
15 14.5 a
Ca content (mg/dm3)

12
11.3 b
9
6
3
0
POLY MOP K2SO4
150 kg/ha of K2O
 Soil fertility – Mg content

8
6.5 a
Mg content (mg/dm3)

6 5.5 ab
4.75 b
4

0
POLY MOP K2SO4
300 kg/ha of K2O
Leaf nutrient – Mg and S contents in the leaflets

Fertilizer Mg content in Mg content in S content in the

the leaflet at 26 the leaflet at 40 leaflet at 57
DAT DAT DAT

MOP 3.66 b 3.34 b 2.78 b

SOP 4.31 a 4.84 a 3.63 a
POLY 4.18 a 4.71 a 3.11 a
 Total Yield

30
Total yield (t/ha)

27.8 a 27.9 a
28

26

24.3 b
24
POLY MOP K2SO4
 Commercial yield

45
Commercial yield t/ha

40 167 kg/ha = 44,51 t/ha

35

30 y = -0.0005x2 + 0.1671x + 30.546

R² = 0.8929

25
0 75 150 225 300
Rates of K2O
 Quality potato

21

20.29a
Hardness (N)

20

19.14 ab
19
18.53 b

18
MOP SOP POLY
 Conclusions
a) The effect of polyhalite on commercial yield depends on the soil
fertility, considering K, Ca, Mg and S as source of nutrients:

The K rates improved the potato commercial yield at Tapira (MG).

The amount of 167 kg K2O ha-1 improved the potato commercial yield
at Casa Branca (SP)

c) Polyhalite fertilizer improves the important characteristics of

potato quality as starch content, hardness and crunchiness.
Thank you!!!