NewsTORONTO, Oct. 6, 2014 /CNW/ - Verde Potash (TSX: "NPK") ("Verde" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development ("CNPq", Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) has awarded Dr. Gaspar Korndörfer, Professor at the Federal University of Uberlândia ("UFU"), a research grant of R$513,693.90 (approximately CAD $236,000) to fund a research program to further demonstrate the full range of agronomic applications of ThermoPotash ("TK").
TK is a highly efficient source of potash that has numerous agronomic applications such as: a) increasing plant resistance against diseases, insects and drought; b) correcting soil acidity without releasing CO2; c) increasing soil availability of Phosphate; and d) improving food quality and taste. TK has a multitude of benefits yet to be explored and quantified. This research will be an important contribution towards fully understanding the whole array of advantages offered by this innovative fertilizer ideally conceived for tropical agriculture.
The proposal from UFU to further develop TK was one of the chosen applications to a CNPq research fund program (MCTI/CT-Agronegócio/CNPq Nº 38/2013) that supports research projects, development and/or technological innovation focused on agricultural inputs.
The CNPq financed TK research program at UFU will have two phases. The first phase will consist of lab work, to be held at the Institute of Agricultural Science at UFU, involving the in-house cultivation of millet. The second phase will involve fieldwork with sugarcane culture aged one and one and a half years old, to be planted in fields close to the university. Both phases will involve chemical, incubation and leaching processes. In total over 50 tonnes of TK will be applied.
President & CEO, Cristiano Veloso, commented: "I would like to congratulate Dr. Gaspar Korndörfer for overseeing this groundbreaking research. As one of Brazil's leading agronomists of soil fertility and one of the world's foremost experts in sugar cane plantation, Dr. Korndörfer is aptly placed to conduct this TK research program. It is encouraging to see the Brazilian federal government investing over half a million Brazilian reais in the development of TK."
Work on using the Company's potassium silicate rock to produce TK began in the early 1980s by Brazilian academics. Verde built on that work with its own research and development, having started its own agronomic trials in 2009 and have continued through to the present. The results of these tests have demonstrated the product's efficacy as a source of potassium, silicon and calcium, as well as its ability to address the acidity of Brazilian soils. As a result, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) approved TK for use as a potash fertilizer on June 24, 2013, making the product eligible for sale in Brazil. The additional work Dr. Korndörfer will be conducting is expected to continue adding value to the product, confirming its advantages in improving agronomic efficiency, increasing consumers and universities knowledge and thus providing an excellent marketing tool for the product.
About Professor GasparKorndörfer
Dr. Gaspar Korndörfer is currently a Professor of Agriculture at the Graduate Institute of Agronomy of Agricultural Sciences at the Federal University of Uberlândia. He has a post-doctorate from the University of Florida and earned his doctorate in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition from ESALQ of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. His past research includes groundbreaking work on the use of biologically available silica in the plantation of sugarcane, demonstrating silica's role in protecting crops from pests and enhancing crop resistance to drought. During his career, Dr. Korndörfer has published one book, 13 book chapters, over 120 articles in national and international journals and 219 papers in conferences. He has produced 21 technical innovations for production. He has participated in more than 30 scientific events abroad, many of which as a guest speaker. From 2007-2011, Dr. Korndörfer served as a Member of the Chamber of Agriculture of FAPEMIG, the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais. Dr. Korndörfer specializes in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, Management and Fertilization of Sugarcane Production and Fertilizer Technology.
About the Federal University of Uberlandia
The Federal University of Uberlândia ("UFU"), located in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, is a renowned educational institution and is amongst the best universities in Brazil. The UFU supports the formation of groups of institutional research to stimulate scientific production and technological innovation. It is an institution that values critical dialogue with the community so as to ensure access to all economic, scientific, technological and artistic cultural heritages.
About CNPq
CNPq, a research financing branch of the Federal Government, fosters scientific and technological research, encourages the formation of Brazilian researchers, and contributes to the national development and recognition of research and Brazilian researchers from various institutions of the international scientific community. CNPq invests over US$ 400 million annually in science, technology and innovation projects.