SOP has two distinct advantages over MOP Sulphate of Potash (SOP) has two distinct advantages over MOP:
- lower salt content,
and ii) lower chloride composition.
i) High salt content can damage crop yields and quality. With significantly lower salt content,
SOP is the most appropriate fertilizer for salt-sensitive and high-value crops such as bananas,
potatoes, carrots, beans, celery and almonds.
ii) High amounts of chloride increase the potential for burning plants, which can hinder crop yields
and quality. MOP has a chloride level of 47% and SOP has zero making it more appropriate for
crops such as coffee and tobacco.
SOP improves the yield and quality of many crops grown in areas with arid soils that are prone to
the accumulation of chloride ions. Due to its low salinity and low chloride levels, SOP is
commonly used on high-value crops that are sensitive to salt and chloride. These crops include
certain fruits and vegetables, coffee, tobacco, almonds and potatoes.
Demand for these high-value crops was spurred by population increases and rising incomes.
As a result, production of SOP-intensive crops has grown significantly over the last two decades
(with the exception of tobacco).
From 1989 to 2010, global vegetable production grew 112% to 966m tonnes and global fruit
production grew 72% to 609m tonnes.
China is the largest global producer of vegetables at 65% of global supply. India is the largest global producer of fruits with 33% of supply, followed by
Vietnam at 11% and China at 9%.
Global coffee production grew 41% in from 1989 to 2010 to 8.4m tonnes,
and global almond production jumped 98% to 2.5m tonnes.
Brazil is the largest producer of coffee at 36% of production, whereas the US is the largest producer of almonds at 59% of total supply.
The global coffee supply/demand balance is forecasted to remain relatively tight into 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Potato production growth has been more modest, with global supply increasing 17% from 1989 to
2010.
Potatoes are still the fourth-largest food crop behind rice, wheat and corn.
In 2010, potato production totalled 324m tonnes. China, India, and Russia are the three biggest producers of
potatoes. Collectively these countries control 50% of global potato supply.
Unlike other SOP intensive crops, tobacco production growth has been weak over the last two
decades. Global tobacco production growth has remained flat going back to 1989 with 2010
production at 7.1m tonnes. China is the largest producer of tobacco worldwide, accounting for
47% of global supply.