Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics

Bhatt, Rajan; Singh, Paramjit; Ali, Omar M.; Abdel Latef, Arafat Abdel Hamed; Laing, Alison M.; Hossain, Akbar

doi:10.3390/su131910689

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Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics

Rajan Bhatt

Paramjit Singh

¹,

Omar M. Ali

Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef

^3,*

Alison M. Laing

⁴ and

Akbar Hossain

^5,*

Regional Research Station, Kapurthala, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004, India

Department of Chemistry, Turabah University College, Turabah Branch, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia

Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt

⁴

CSIRO Agriculture & Food, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia

⁵

Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editor: Zakaria Solaiman

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10689; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910689

Received: 18 August 2021 / Revised: 10 September 2021 / Accepted: 23 September 2021 / Published: 26 September 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Soil Health Management)

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Abstract

In semi-arid tropics, sugarcane yield and quality are affected by deficiencies in soil nutrients, including potassium and calcium. We examined the effects of two different potassium fertilizers, a traditional muriate of potash (MOP) and polyhalite (which contains potassium and calcium), on sugarcane growth, yield, and quality. Experimental treatments compared a control 0 kg K ha⁻¹ (T₁) to potassium applied as MOP only at 80 kg K ha⁻¹ (T₂) and at 120 kg K ha⁻¹ (T₃), and potassium applied as an equal split of MOP and polyhalite at 80 kg K ha⁻¹ (T₄) and at 120 kg K ha⁻¹ (T₅). Relative to the control the potassium-enhanced treatments had improved rates of key growth parameters, and of cane yields, which were 4.4, 6.2, 8.2, and 9.9% higher in T₂, T₃, T_4,, and T₅, respectively, than in T₁. Regardless of fertilizer used, potassium applied at 80 kg K ha⁻¹ achieved the highest sugar purity and commercial cane sugar content. All potassium fertilizer treatments had reduced (although non-significant) incidences of three key sugarcane insect pests. The economic benefits of polyhalite were reduced due to its higher cost relative to MOP. Combining MOP and polyhalite equally to achieve an application rate of 80 kg K ha⁻¹ is recommended to enhance sugarcane growth and yield. View Full-Text

Keywords: muriate of potash; polyhalite; sugarcane; potassium fertilizer; B:C ratio

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Bhatt, R.; Singh, P.; Ali, O.M.; Abdel Latef, A.A.H.; Laing, A.M.; Hossain, A. Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10689. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910689

AMA Style

Bhatt R, Singh P, Ali OM, Abdel Latef AAH, Laing AM, Hossain A. Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics. Sustainability. 2021; 13(19):10689. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910689

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bhatt, Rajan, Paramjit Singh, Omar M. Ali, Arafat A.H. Abdel Latef, Alison M. Laing, and Akbar Hossain. 2021. "Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics" Sustainability 13, no. 19: 10689. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910689

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Polyhalite Positively Influences the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Potassium and Calcium-Deficient Soils in the Semi-Arid Tropics

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