Success using Polysulphate Fertilizer on Tomato Crop

Mr Sakharam Dhondage has been farming since the 1980’s, producing tomatoes from his farms in Nashik, Maharashtra. The farm is supplied with water which is very low in calcium and magnesium. Previously these nutrients were supplied through multiple fertilizer applications each growing season.

Better Way to Fertilize Tomatoes

Interested to find a cheaper, more effective alternative to this practice, Mr. Dhondage took part in a field test conducted within the framework of the ICL India, to test Polysulphate fertilizer (the polyhalite-based fertilizer from ICL) in a trial carried out on his farm.

Gaining and Saving with Polysulphate

The results were excellent. Compared with the multiple applications, a single application of Polysulphate before planting provided enough calcium and magnesium for the whole growing season. The per plant yield was 13Kg in ICL Practice whereas it is 10Kg in Farmer Practice. Which is 30% higher than the Farmer Practice. The shelf life of the tomato was of 12 days and 8 days in ICL and Farmer Practice respectively. The yield q/ha was 312 and 275 in ICL and Farmer Practice respectively. The additional returns per hectare were of Rs. 56,250/- with a Marginal Cost Benefit Ratio of 14.06.

 “Polysulphate saves on work time and materials – you only apply it once to the crop” says Dhondage, “and time equals money, so applying Polysulphate increases my profit.”