Anglo American partnership for next-gen fertiliser

Farmers around the world rely on potassium fertilisers, but much of the applied potassium goes unused, often washing out of the soil before it can be absorbed. This inefficiency drives up costs and contributes to overall environmental stress.

A new alternative, polyhalite, is changing that. This naturally occurring mineral fertiliser delivers potassium along with calcium, magnesium, and sulfur in a single product. It avoids the drawbacks of conventional options: it doesn’t increase soil salinity like potassium chloride, and it requires minimal processing compared to potassium sulfate. The result is a fertiliser with a low carbon footprint and broad nutritional profile.

Anglo American is producing polyhalite fertiliser in the form of granules (POLY4®). To understand how these perform in real-world conditions, Anglo American partnered with researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) and the University of Queensland. Using X-ray techniques at Microscopy Australia’s UniSA facility, the team studied how POLY4® and polyhalite chips behave in different soil types compared to standard potassium fertilisers.

Their findings show that both the polyhalite fertilisers release nutrients slowly and steadily, improving uptake and reducing waste when compared to the potassium fertilisers. Once the soluble nutrients are released, the remaining gypsum continues to support soil health. Together, these insights highlight polyhalite’s potential as an efficient fertiliser while contributing to healthier, more resilient soils.