Calcium requirements of Virginia Bunch peanuts in the Mareeba-Dimbulah area of North Queensland

Abstract

Data from 3 years of field experiments involving 16 sites were used to determine rates and forms of calcium required to correct poor yields and shelling percentages of Virginia Bunch peanuts in North Queensland. The application of 250 kg calcium/ha as lime or 125 kg/ha as gypsum was sufficient for maximum pod and kernel yield in separate experiments over two seasons. Relative pod yield and relative shelling percentage were regressed against soil calcium using five models. Cate-Nelson separations gave the best separation of responsive and non-responsive sites. This model was therefore used to derive, for extension purposes, a critical soil exchangeable calcium concentration (prior to sowing) of 1.4 m.e./100 g. The coefficients of determination were 0.53 and 0.60 for relative pod yield and relative shelling percentage respectively.