Conquering Salinity: Nova PeKacid and MagPhos in Chilaca Chili Cultivation in Mexico

Battling Saline-Sodic Soil

The challenge for technical advisor Pedro Flores Alarcón was two-fold:

• Soil Amelioration: Finding a solution to efficiently flush excess salts and sodium from the root zone via the irrigation system.
• Targeted Nutrition: Ensuring the crop received a high concentration of phosphorus and key micronutrients to promote strong flowering despite the challenging soil environment.

The ICL Solution: A Two-Product Strategy

To overcome these hurdles, Pedro implemented a strategic fertilization program utilizing two specialized ICL products designed for high-value crops and challenging water quality:

Soil Conditioning with Nova PeKacid

The first step involved the application of Nova PeKacid (0-60-20) through the farm’s irrigation pivot. PeKacid is a highly concentrated, acidic P-K fertilizer.

“I really like Nova PeKacid because our soils here are naturally saline-sodic. When we apply PeKacid through the irrigation pivot, we immediately see that it helps to wash the salts out of the root zone.”

By acidifying the irrigation water and the soil around the roots, Nova PeKacid effectively neutralizes alkalinity and facilitates the flushing of detrimental salts, creating a much healthier environment for nutrient uptake.

Boosting Flowering and Balance with Nova MagPhos

Following the soil conditioning, Nova MagPhos was applied to provide a balanced source of essential elements crucial for reproductive development. This product delivers a powerful combination of:

• High phosphorus (P) that supplies the essential energy needed for flowering and successful fruit set.
• Potassium (K) that helps maintain the plant’s osmotic balance, which is vital for regulating water and nutrient movement and improving overall stress tolerance.
• Magnesium (Mg) supporting the green color of chlorophyll, directly improving photosynthetic efficiency.

The Results: Enhanced Flowering and Overall Plant Health

The combined application of Nova PeKacid and Nova MagPhos delivered significant, measurable benefits across the Chilaca Chili crop. PeKacid was efficient in salt flushing, successfully mitigating the effects of saline-sodic conditions and improving nutrient availability and water use efficiency. The extra supply of phosphorus in PeKacid strongly induced flowering. Pedro observed a powerful response to the initial PeKacid application.

“The application of PeKacid also strongly promotes flowering in the plants.”

The follow-up with MagPhos ensured that the high level of induced flowering was supported by sufficient energy and regulatory nutrients for a balanced crop development.

“MagPhos helps us because it brings phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Additionally, it helps to balance the overall health of the plant.”

By employing this specialized ICL fertilization strategy, Rancho San Luis successfully turned a challenging soil condition into an opportunity for high-performance and balanced crop growth. ICL’s Nova water-soluble fertilizers have again proved themselves to be a powerful solution to manage challenging soil and water conditions.