TROPSOILS INDONESIA
Field Research Brief # 12
June, 1985

Title: Response of Peanuts and Soil Base Levels to Applied K at
Three Lime Levels in Sitiung 1

Experiment #: 1102

Researchers: Dan Gill and Gene Kamprath

Objectives: 1. To examine the effects of rates of K applied at 3
Al saturation levels on peanut yield, on Ca, Mg
and K uptake, and on exchangeable cation levels
in the soil.
2. To study how rates of K applied at 3 Al
saturation levels affect K retention and leaching
into the profile of a typic dystropept.

Soil: Typic dystropept. FCC: Cak.

Treatments: This experiment is a split plot with 4 replications.
The main plots are lime levels 0.375, 2.25 and 6.5 t/ha.
Subplots are K rates: 0, 20, 40, 80, 120 and 240 kg K/ha.

Crop History: A local variety of peanuts was planted with
inoculum at a 25 X 25 cm spacing on 1 March. A maintenance dose
of 100 kg/ha TSP was applied, along with 250 kg kieserite/ha
applied to supply Mg which was thought to have perhaps limited
corn yields in the previous experiment. Harvest took place on 24
May (85 days after planting), when some seeds had begun to
germinate in the pods and foliar portions had deteriorated
considerably.

Results: Peanuts responded well to applications of lime (Table
1), as did the previous corn crop (see Field Research Brief #5),
but the peanuts did not respond as strongly to K as did the corn.
Peanut tops under the low and apparently even under the moderate
rate of lime did not respond to K (Figure 1), while the high lime
rate did respond up to the 40 kg K/ha rate. Response of peanut
yields is shown in Figure 2, with no response at the low lime
level and a response to 20 kg K/ha for both the moderate and high
lime levels. It would appear that low levels of K are sufficient
for growing "local" peanuts in this area. Soil and plant sample
data are not yet available, but it is hoped that they will
contribute to a better understanding of fertility management in
this region.








Table 1. Response of peanuts to 3 lime rates at Sitiung 1.


Lime Rate
Lt/ha2
0.375
2.25
6.5


Tops
t/ha

2.00
2.67
3.17


Peanuts
(t/hal
2.01
2.70
2.92


Shelling
%

69
72
71




*


/ fpp/ije cm raf's:
65 /a
Y i- -2/- +
r x
/


X x o- o.37Y




0 tO
TO PS
x x




2.0
o Fo

I.5
o "O qo eo k o /
,4pp it K (Ks/)

e~cf-AX V3 Ae /i ase/


3. 0
3.0 /---------- --"-------------

PE ur: -x *x x

-) .- 6. //
4 -o x- f.2c9 X (,
So- o.0-7 Is
P.o --



0 a'o o go /Ao ,.o
Ilo ffio

: Ax-'. C2 774t-1_^ ^_^ p


5


/57