Dear readers,

The latest issue of IPI’s e-ifc newsletter provides reports from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. In all papers, researchers are striving to make the most efficient use of potassium (K). 

Soil tests for K have been used for decades. But, as soils vary from place to place, sometimes within a very short distance, different soil extraction methods are needed in order to correctly assess soil K availability for plants. In some parts of the world, soil analysis is hardly used, and instead farmers are given a blanket recommendation which, in many cases, does not meet the crops’ demand. In other regions, soil analysis is available, but its cost and adaptability to crop needs is not precise enough. Yet, when soil K analysis is properly performed for both capacity and intensity of soil K, the results obtained provide reliable K fertilization advice.

We expect that new technologies will provide better procedures for analyzing K needs in plants. Farmers around the world need to make the most reliable analysis in order to use resources efficiently and cost-effectively, and we at IPI are investing to help them achieve this goal.

I wish you an enjoyable read.

Hillel Magen
Director