Talking SOP May 2013 [PDF, 735.49 Kb] - Tessenderlo Group

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was brought to America by a sailor returning fromChina. Its main development in the USA startedafter the Second World War, and was followedby development in Argentina and Brazil from the1970’s onwards (Fig. 1).Soybeans:a success storyDevelopment of the soybean crop is unique in the world of agriculture. At the end ofthe 19 th century, cropping was primarily limited to Asia. However, a large expansionin production started in the 20th century after the Second World War, first in theUSA and in the 1970’s and 80’s in South America, mainly in Brazil and Argentina.Soybeans now cover the fourth largest acreage in the world after wheat, maize andrice, with 260 million tons produced on more than 103 million hectares.Main soybean production andcropping areasCountry Production Area(tons)(ha)USA 83,171,600 29,799,800Brazil 74,815,400 23,968,700Argentina 48,878,800 18,764,900India 14,485,105 9,950,000The soybean is a leguminous vegetable of thepea family. It is primarily grown for oil but also isa valuable source of protein and is widely usedin human and animal nutrition. The plant grows intropical, subtropical and temperate climates andwas first domesticated in the northeast of Chinamore than 2000 years ago.By the 15th and 16th centuries, the soybean hadbeen introduced into India and Japan as well asinto several countries in South East Asia. But itwas not until the end of the 19th century that itFor centuries in Asia, the soybean was usedmainly for preparing a large variety of fresh,fermented and dried foods. It was not used toany great extent for animal feed, contrary to inthe USA where its first use was for forage and, tosome extent, as green manure. As a legume, theplant also improves soil fertility by fixing nitrogenfrom the atmosphere.The soybean consists of 20% oil, more than 36%protein, 30% carbohydrate and good quantities offibre, vitamins and minerals. Today, the majorityof the crop is processed into oil and meal and itaccounts for around two thirds of the edible fatsand oils consumed in the USA.Soybean oil is also used by industry and, morerecently, as a biofuel product. The high proteincake resulting from oil extraction can be processedinto soybean flour for human consumption orincorporated into animal feeds to complementmaize and wheat grains.Soybean croppingSoybeans grow in a warm, moist climate, similarclimatic conditions as for maize. The minimumtemperature for effective plant growth is about10°C, as lower temperatures tend to delayflowering. Effective cultivation requires a welldrainedloamy soil with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5.Sodic and saline soils inhibit germination of theseeds and should be avoided.On soils prone to leaching, mineral fertilization canbe split into two or more applications and on lowfertility soils, it is often more efficient to apply thefertilizer in a band along the seedling row.China 12,282,000 7,650,057Paraguay 8,309,790 2,805,470Canada 4,246,300 1,542,400Fig. 1: Evolution of soybean global productionand cropping area 1961 - 2011Russia 2,299,860 1,187,400Ukraine 2,264,400 1,110,300Bolivia 1,756,010 1,023,960Uruguay 1,541,000 862,100Other 6,865,606 4,328,159Total 260,915,871 102,993,246Source: FAO 2013 (data from 2011)K-Leaf TM SoluPotasse ® GranuPotasse ® Standard SOP
Phosphorus and potassium requirements (IFA 2013)Soil test levelRecommended fertilizer nutrients (kg/ha)*P 2O 5K 2OLow or normalclay contentHigh claycontentLow 40 - 60 100 - 150 120 - 180Medium 30 - 40 50 - 100 70 - 100Adequate 0 - 30 0 - 50 0 - 70High 0 0 0*For expected yields of 2,500 - 2,700 kg/ha; for each additional 1,000 kgadd an extra 10 - 15 kg P 2O 5/ha and 20 - 30 kg K 2O/ha.The soybean is able to fix adequate atmosphericnitrogen to produce yields of 3,000-4,000 kg/ha,if the nodules are well developed. Phosphorus istaken up throughout the growing season, withthe period of greatest demand starting just beforethe pods begin to form and continuing until about10 days before the seeds are fully developed.Potassium remains the most important mineralnutrient, particularly during rapid vegetativegrowth and seed formation. Any deficiencyshows up as chlorosis along the outside edges ofleaves, especially the older ones. Deficiencies ofmicronutrients are more common than with mostother field crops and shortages of Fe, Mn, Mo andZn can be observed in some cases.Potassium deficiency in soybean leafis illustrated in an experiment comparing the useof SOP and MOP in soil with an EC of 1.4 dS/m(Fig. 2).Kg/haFig. 2: Effect of potash form on soybean yieldin saline conditionsSource: SWRI, Iran 2003K-Leaf in soybean productionK-Leaf water-soluble SOP has been speciallydeveloped by Tessenderlo Group for foliarapplication and can be used to correct apotassium deficiency more quickly and efficientlythan soil application.Another interesting effect of its application isincreased root absorption of potassium. Thisis clearly illustrated in series of experimentsrecently carried out in Argentina on soils rich inavailable potassium. Results show an averageMt/haFig. 3: Effect of foliar application of K-Leafon soybean productionSource: INTA, Argentina 2011yield increase of 10 to 15% when 7.5 kg/ha ofK-Leaf is applied (Fig. 3). As potassium is nota limiting factor in these soils conditions, theadditional yield is due to its better assimilationthrough the roots stimulated by a better plantmetabolism.Today soybeans are considered a major source ofoil and proteins for human nutrition and livestockproduction. Potassium fertilization can help toincrease the yield and quality of the soybean cropthrough better mineral nutrition.Foliar application of water-soluble SOP suchas K-Leaf is a new concept in the fertilizationof broad acre crops that can enhance rootabsorption of nutrients to increase the efficiencyof soil-applied fertilizers or the natural fertility ofthe soil.Sulphur deficiency in soybean leafSOP: beneficial for yieldOn soils that are low in organic matter and prone toleaching, potassium should preferably be appliedin the sulphate form. As the crop is sensitiveto sodicity and salinity, potassium sulphate isrecommended in these conditions. This sensitivityK-Leaf TM SoluPotasse ® GranuPotasse ® Standard SOP
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Talking SOP May 2013 [PDF, 735.49 Kb] - Tessenderlo Group

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