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Best management practice of potassium for sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.) in Northwest China

The objectives of the project are to: 1)To determine the critical level of soil K for sunflower production; 2)To study the influence of K source and time of application on sunflower seed yield and quality as well as their interactions with different water regime;3)To establish 4R potassium management practices in sunflower production.

IPNI-2015-CHN-C14

Overview Related

The effect of potassium (K) fertilization at various water regimes on oil sunflower yield and quality was studied during 2015 to 2017 in Dingxi County of Gansu Province. The experiment was a randomized complete block designed with three replicates. There were three irrigation regimes: 1) rain-fed without plastic mulch (R); 2) double ridges of plastic-mulched furrows added at sowing (PM); and 3) PM plus irrigation (PMI). Read more

Year of initiation:2015
Year of completion:2017

Interpretive Summary

2017

The effect of potassium (K) fertilization at various water regimes on oil sunflower yield and quality was studied during 2015 to 2017 in Dingxi County of Gansu Province. The experiment was a randomized complete block designed with three replicates. There were three irrigation regimes: 1) rain-fed without plastic mulch (R); 2) double ridges of plastic-mulched furrows added at sowing (PM); and 3) PM plus irrigation (PMI).

2016
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This project was initiated in 2014, and the objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the critical level of soil potassium (K) for sunflower production; 2) assess the right source and timing of K application; and 3) determine the appropriate combination of K rate and water regime.

2015

This northwestern China study on 4R K management for sunflower examined K application, the effect of K source and timing, and the interactions between water regimes and KCl rates on sunflower yield and quality. In Gansu, K fertilization increased the seed yield of oil sunflower by an average of 11%, and 14 of 20 sites showed a positive yield response, and increased head diameter, 1000-seed weight, kernel weight, oil content, unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid.

2014

The purpose of this project was to establish best management practices for K in sunflower for Northwest China after three years (2014 to 2016) of study on right source, rate and timing of K fertilization. Potassium application significantly increased total dry matter, seed yield, head diameter, weight of 1000 seeds, kernel rate, and oil content.

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Project Leader

Tianwen Guo, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Project Cooperators

Pingliang Zhang

IPNI Staff

S. Li

Location

Asia \ Eastern Asia \ CHN

Topics

4r rate, balanced nutrition, fertilizer economics, nutrient use efficiency

sunflower

Potassium (K)