What Are the Functions of Potassium Fertilizer? A Full Analysis of Its Effects and Uses
What are the functions of potassium fertilizer? What should be noted when applying potassium fertilizer? 1. The effects of potassium fertilizer on crops: 1. It helps crops make better use of nitrogen, increases protein content, and promotes the formation of sugars and starch; 2. It enlarges kernels, seeds, fruits, tubers and root tubers, and improves their shape and color; ...
What are the functions of potassium fertilizer? What should be noted when applying potassium fertilizer?
1. The effects of potassium fertilizer on crops
1. It helps crops make better use of nitrogen, increases protein content, and promotes the formation of sugars and starch;
2. It enlarges kernels, seeds, fruits, tubers and root tubers, and improves their shape and color;
3. It increases the oil content of oil crops and raises the vitamin C content in fruits;
4. It accelerates the ripening of fruits, vegetables and other crops, improves the shape, size, color and flavor of fruits and vegetables, and enhances their storage tolerance
5. It strengthens the products' resistance to bruising and natural rot and extends the storage and transport period;
6. It increases the strength, length and fineness, and the color purity, of cotton and bast fiber crops.
2. Reasonable application of potassium fertilizer
When crops lack potassium fertilizer, they develop "soft bone disease", are prone to lodging, and are often troubled by pathogenic bacteria and pests. Potassium fertilizer can be used as a base fertilizer or as a topdressing, and some types can also be used as foliar fertilizer, but the application effect is better when used as a base fertilizer and foliar fertilizer. Using potassium fertilizer as a base fertilizer can meet the crop's demand for potassium throughout the entire growth period, and is especially important for short-growth-period crops and soils obviously deficient in potassium. For long-growth-period crops such as cotton, a combination of base application and foliar spraying can be used. For sandy soils, a combination of base application and topdressing can be used. The mobility of potassium in soil lies between that of nitrogen and phosphorus. At present, when the soil available potassium content is below 100 mg/kg/mu, application is warranted; when the soil available potassium content is below 100-150 mg/kg, applying K??O??% - 5 kg/mu is sufficient; when the soil available potassium content is greater than 150 mg/kg, chemical potassium fertilizer may be applied sparingly or not at all depending on the crop type. For example: judging from the soil test results of our province over the past three years, the available potassium content is on the low side, which is due to emphasizing diammonium phosphate and urea while neglecting the use of organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. The money spent on buying urea can be used to buy 15-20 kg of urea and 5 kg of potassium fertilizer, increasing the amount of potassium fertilizer used, improving the disease resistance and stress resistance of crops, and achieving the goal of balanced yield increase.
3. The harms of excessive application of potassium fertilizer:
Potassium fertilizer has many benefits, but the more the better is not the case; it should be used strictly according to the required amount, as excessive application will bring adverse effects to crops.
1. Excessive application of potassium fertilizer not only wastes valuable resources, but also reduces crops' absorption of magnesium and calcium, which has an inhibitory effect on crop growth.
2. Excessive application of potassium fertilizer can cause harmful metals and harmful bacteria to exceed standards in some plots, leading to deterioration of soil properties and water pollution;
3. Excessive application of potassium fertilizer will weaken the productive capacity of crops.
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