What methods are there for identifying potassium fertilizers? Understand potassium fertilizer identification in one article
How is water-soluble topdressing fertilizer used in greenhouses? What methods can be referenced? First, combine topdressing with water-soluble topdressing fertilizer and select high-quality fertilizers, mainly multi-element compound fertilizers, using a combination of topdressing and water-soluble application. This can both solve the problem of nutrient needs of surface roots and, through topdressing, activate the soil layer, increase root vitality, and slow...
What methods are there for identifying potassium fertilizers? How to identify true and fake potassium fertilizersMethods for identifying potassium fertilizers:
The first is the iron plate burning method: place a small amount of fertilizer granules (large or small) on a red-hot iron plate and burn them. Any that do not melt, have no odor, and jump when heated can generally be identified as potassium fertilizer. If the iron plate is tilted so that the fertilizer granules are directly exposed to high-temperature burning, colored flames will appear. A golden, shining flame indicates sodium, and a light yellow flame tinged with pale purple indicates potassium. There is also a type of potassium fertilizer in powder form, which can be brick red, light red, or white. Its identification method is also burning it on an iron plate. Potassium fertilizer shows no melting and no decomposition, with no foul odor; while phosphorus fertilizer appears light gray. Although it also does not melt or decompose, it has an odor. Supplementary note: if fertilizer granules on the iron plate melt after high temperature and produce thick smoke, any that give off an ammonia odor are ammonium nitrogen fertilizers, and those that only melt without an ammonia odor may be nitrates; if the fertilizer granules on the iron plate do not melt and do not jump, but have an odor that is sour or smells like bone, they may be phosphorus fertilizer.
The second is to dip a saturated potassium fertilizer solution onto an iron wire loop, burn it in a high-temperature flame, and observe the flame color. However, distinguishing the flame colors of potassium and sodium alone is very difficult to master. But if inferior potassium fertilizers outside the usual types are encountered on the market, for example, small blocks or powder of unrefined potassium feldspar, then only laboratory testing methods can be used to determine the soluble potassium content. The burning method alone can only provide qualitative identification, not quantitative determination. In other words, it can only distinguish true from fake, not judge good from poor quality. Therefore, when choosing and buying chemical fertilizers, farmer friends should go to regular sales outlets to avoid being deceived.
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