Handbook for K fertilizer use on maize in China. 13 p., 2008 (in Chinese).By China Agriculture University (CAU) and International Potash Institute (IPI). Authors: Fusuo Zhang, Xinping Chen, Linlin Chen, and Weifeng Zhang (Department of Plant Nutrition, China Agricultural University); Junfang Niu (Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences); Lihua Jiang, Zhaohui Liu, and Haitao Lin (Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences); Kai Xiao (College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University); Jiagui Xie (Research Center of Agricultural Environment and Resources, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences).

This 13 page handbook presents the development of maize production, the role of potassium on maize, and methods of K fertilizer use in China. The authors collected and analyzed many experimental results in order to demonstrate the function of K in improving maize production and to provide improved recommendations for K fertilizer use on maize in China. This handbook will help technicians and farmers to give and use proper recommendations for K fertilizer use to improve maize yields in China.

Copies are available from Dr. Weifeng Zhang, Department of Plant Nutrition, China Agriculture University (CAU), Beijing, 100193, China.

Download the booklet from the IPI website.

Recent advances in potassium nutrition management for soybean based cropping systems. Proceedings of a regional seminar, 28-29 September 2007. National research center for soybean, (ICAR) Indore, India. pp126. Edited by A.K. Vyas, and P. Imas. Jointly organized by the National Research Centre for Soybean (ICAR), Indore and the International Potash Institute (IPI) Coordination India, in association with the Society for Soybean Research and Development, Indore. The proceedings are published by the National Research Center for Soybean (Indian Council of Agricultural Research; ICAR), Madhya Pradesh.

These proceedings include 11 papers describing the role of potassium in soybean yield and post harvest processing quality, the typical soybean production and cropping systems in Madhya Pradesh and other states in India, and the typical soils and potassium dynamics in soybean - wheat cropping systems.

To order a copy, contact Dr. A.K. Vyas, Principal Scientist (Agronomy), National Research Centre for Soybean, Khandwa Road, Indore-452017, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Tel.: +91 0731 2364879;
Email: director@nrcsoya.com

A full copy of the proceedings can be downloaded from the IPI website.

Special issue: Potassium and Magnesium. Physiologia Plantarum, V 133, 4, August 2008.

The journal published a special issue with eight selected papers that were presented at the IPI conference together with the International Fertiliser Society (IFS) and the Sabanci University organized in Cambridge, 5-7 December 2007. In the editorial, Dr. I. Cakmak and J.K. Schjoerring write "...there is surprisingly little research and published results on the importance of K and Mg for crop productivity and nutritional quality. Application of these mineral nutrients in crop production is very low in the developing world with high demand for food." The conference held in Cambridge in 2007 aimed to review and elaborate current knowledge and advances in research on K and Mg nutrition in plants, livestock and human beings.

The journal or selected papers can be purchased through Wiley Interscience.

Mapping potassium availability from limited soil profile data in Brazil. Prado, R.B., V.M. Benites, P.L.O.A. Machado, J.C. Polidoro, R.O. Dart, and A. Naumov. In: Digital Soil Mapping with Limited Data (Eds. A.E. Hartemink, A. McBratney and M. de Lourdes Mendonça-Santos). Published by Springer, ISBN: 978-1-4020-8591-8 e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-8592-5.

Available on www.globalsoilmap.net.

The paper by Prado et al. is based on a joint research project by IPI and Embrapa Soils, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Fertigation in Sugarcane. Proceedings of the National Seminar, 19-20 December 2007, Pune, India.

The seminar was jointly organized by the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) and the Directorate of Sugarcane Development, Lucknow, MOA, India. The proceedings contain 21 papers from various parts of India, and from IPI. For copies contact Dr. Arun S. Deshmukh, Senior Scientist (Irrigation Water Management) & Manager, VSI. Address: Manjari (Bk), Tal-Haveli, Dist-Pune, 412 307, Maharashtra, India.

New publications from the Potash Development Association, UK.

See also www.pda.org.uk.

Note: Hard copies of PDA's publications are available only in the UK and Ireland.

Potash for organic growers. No. 23, update.

This leaflet explains the principles of manuring for organic and conventional systems and the regulations affecting the use of different potash products.

See PDA website.