Peanut
Which Fertilizers Should You Use with Peanuts?
3-18-18+
3-18-18+ is a liquid solution with the best source of potash and phosphorus that is immediately available to the soil. No need to wait for rain or for breakdown times, 3-18-18+ can be easily applied during many stages of growth to ensure crops are getting the phosphorus and potassium they need for the best possible growth.
Bio-Act
Bio-Act® is a a nutritional plant supplement that can be used as a soil treatment, seed start, or foliar feed. Bio-Act® contains a blend of micro-nutrients and minerals that provide a unique source of nutrition to the plant and to the soil. This blend of micro-nutrients also contains humic acid which provides valuable nutrition for the plant and adds feed value to the crop.
25-0-0
25-0-0 is a controlled released nitrogen designed to provide nitrogen supply to the soil and to the plant in the most efficient way possible. The 25-0-0 is made with a special blend that binds to the nitrogen ion, helping to keep it in a solid state until the plant absorbs and metabolizes the nitrogen.
This form of nitrogen has been recorded to last up to 300 days in the soil. This design allows a farmer to use less nitrogen but with a higher efficiency rate to get more usable nitrogen to the plant. This helps cut costs, cut wait and soil pollution, and allows for a much more beneficial growing environment.
Liquid Calcium as a Gypsum Alternative
Gypsum (calcium sulfate) has long been used to supply calcium and improve soil structure, especially in compacted or sodic soils. But gypsum comes with limitations—slow breakdown, bulk application challenges, and reduced solubility in dry conditions.
Liquid calcium, like AgriTec’s Pro-Cal®, offers a more efficient, fast-acting alternative that delivers the same core benefits—without the drawbacks of traditional gypsum applications.
Faster, More Available Calcium
Unlike gypsum, which requires water and microbial activity to break down before calcium becomes available, Pro-Cal provides immediately soluble calcium. That means plants can begin absorbing it within days of application, making it ideal for in-season corrections and rapid crop response.
No Bulk Spreading or Specialized Equipment
Gypsum is heavy and typically requires bulk spreaders or specialized applicators. Pro-Cal can be applied with standard sprayers or fertigation systems, making it easier to incorporate into any fertility program, at any time during the season.
Improves Soil Structure and Infiltration
Like gypsum, Pro-Cal helps displace excess sodium and flocculate clay particles—improving water infiltration, reducing compaction, and enhancing soil tilth. This makes it an effective solution for sodic soils or fields with drainage issues.
Dual Action: pH and Soil Health
Gypsum does not alter soil pH. Pro-Cal, however, provides the additional benefit of raising low soil pH, helping unlock tied-up nutrients and support healthier microbial activity—offering two benefits in one product.
How does liquid calcium affect peanuts?
Peanuts have a high calcium requirement, especially during pod development. Unlike many crops, peanuts absorb calcium directly through the developing peg, not the roots. That means calcium must be present in the topsoil and in an available form during pegging and pod fill—or the yield and quality will suffer.
Applying liquid calcium like Pro-Cal® ensures a fast-acting, immediately available source of calcium right where the plant needs it most.
Supports Pod Set and Shell Development
Calcium deficiency is one of the leading causes of poor pod fill and “pops”—empty shells without viable kernels. Pro-Cal supplies soluble calcium that is immediately accessible to developing pegs, promoting full pod set and strong shell formation. This reduces pops and increases marketable yield.
Enhances Early Root and Peg Growth
Liquid calcium improves early root vigor and supports strong peg development. A well-established root system sets the stage for high-yielding, resilient plants, while healthy pegs ensure consistent fruiting.
Improves Soil pH and Nutrient Balance
Pro-Cal® also works to neutralize acidic soils more rapidly than ag lime, creating optimal conditions for nutrient availability and microbial activity. This is critical in sandy soils common in peanut-producing regions, where pH can fluctuate quickly.
Maximizes Grade and Market Value
Calcium is directly linked to kernel size, shell integrity, and oil content—all key factors in USDA grading. A consistent calcium supply through Pro-Cal can lead to higher grades, better quality, and increased profit per acre.
How does ag-lime compare to liquid calcium?
Ag-lime has a pH neutralizing (carbonate material) effect on soil after 6 to 8 months from application, but does not immediately correct soil calcium deficiency. In contrast, liquid calcium goes to work in one hour.
Liquid calcium is mined from the ground in the same way that limestone is extracted and pulverized. But unlike limestone, the process doesn’t stop there. The crude material goes through a process of heating, liquifying, and then extracting the pure soluble liquid calcium, doing away with all the sediment that would normally end up in your soil, and chelating the calcium to make it ready for agriculture use. The raw calcium is then mixed with carrying agents, surfactants, and chloride to make the ease of application and delivery simple and very effective. Chloride in this small amount is proven to increase photosynthesis in the plant creating faster and stronger growth, and also increasing drought resistance and disease resistance and suppressant. Please note, chloride in this form is not the same as the crude chloride used on roads and in tractor tires. Just as some forms of lime are used for hardening soil before construction, or to be mixed with concrete, there is a distinct difference and importance in understanding ag grade products meant for agriculture purposes, and crude material used for construction or in tires.
University backing of liquid calcium
AgriTec has land grant university research from multiple universities, showing how calcium changes soil pH, and just how crucial and important calcium is to the soil and to the plant. AgriTec continues to conduct studies and build further evidence that calcium is more effective than dry lime and raising soil pH and improving soil conditions.
"Liquid calcium chloride, an often-overlooked nutrient, is essential for plant growth. Deficiencies of this nutrient have been verified in Kansas. Chloride is essential for photosynthesis and serves other critical roles in plants. Plants take up chloride as the Cl- ion. This ion is very mobile in the soil and is subject to leaching. Soil testing and plant analyses have proven useful in identifying potential deficiencies of chloride. Recent Kansas research has verified a need for chloride fertilization on some soils."
"Unfortunately, the role of calcium in plant nutrition is often eclipsed by interest in macronutrients or specific micronutrients. Many are overlooked and only considered when deficiency disorders influence the economic threshold of produce quality and value. However, we know that calcium 1) is a multifunctional nutrient in the physiology of crop plants and 2) in the soluble form influences availability and uptake. Nitrogen-use efficiency of urea-containing fertilizers is also increased with soluble calcium sources such as calcium nitrate."
"We apply fertilizer nutrient materials to the above ground growing portion of the plant. We have seen that materials are absorbed by the plant and move rather freely in the plant. The amounts may at first seem relatively small, but to offset this handicap, the efficiency is high. In fact, this is the most efficient method of applying fertilizer to plants that we have yet discovered. If we apply these materials to the leaves in soluble forms, as much as 95% of what is applied may be used by the plant. If we apply a similar amount to the soil, we find about 10% of it to be used."