Scientific application methods and technical key points for potash fertilizer
Potassium is one of the three essential fertilizer elements. Many vegetables often require more potassium than nitrogen and phosphorus; well-grown vegetables contain potassium at 2.5%-7% of their dry matter, higher than their nitrogen and phosphorus content. Most vegetables absorb more potassium than nitrogen; for example, the nitrogen-to-potassium ratio absorbed by cucumber is 1:(1.5-1.7), by pumpkin is 1:2.1, and by tomato is 1:...
Potassium is one of the three major nutrient elements essential for crop growth and development. To improve the application effect of potash fertilizer, in addition to applying it in combination with nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, special attention should also be paid to mastering the following principles:1. Apply it to potassium-loving crops. Different crop types have different potassium requirements. Leguminous crops are the most sensitive to potassium, and application produces significant yield increases. Tuber crops rich in carbohydrates and sugar-rich crops such as sugar beet, watermelon, and fruit trees, as well as cash crops such as cotton and tobacco, also require relatively large amounts of potassium. Among gramineous crops, corn is the most sensitive to potassium, while applying potash fertilizer to rice and wheat produces relatively smaller yield increases. Therefore, when applying potash fertilizer, farmers should, according to the potassium requirements of the crop, give priority to applying potash fertilizer to potassium-loving crops; for example, applying additional potash fertilizer to corn can make the grains plump, and applying potash fertilizer to cotton can prevent premature aging of the plants.
2. Apply it to potassium-deficient soil. Soil potassium content and potassium-supplying capacity determine the fertilizer effect of potash fertilizer. Soils with low potassium supply are prone to potassium deficiency, and coarse-textured sandy soils show better response to potash fertilizer application. Therefore, potash fertilizer should be applied preferentially to such soils to meet the crop's potassium demand for growth and development and obtain better economic returns. The application rate of potash fertilizer should also be increased for root or tuber crops.
3. Apply it to high-yield fields. After crop yields increase, each harvest removes a large amount of potassium from the soil, causing soil potassium deficiency. If it is not replenished in time, yield will be noticeably affected, and to a certain extent this becomes a limiting factor for high crop yields. Therefore, potash fertilizer should be applied mainly to high-yield fields to give full play to its yield-increasing effect.
4. Apply it rationally according to the characteristics of potash fertilizer. Potash fertilizer has low mobility in the soil and is suitable as a base fertilizer applied to the soil layer where roots are dense; for sandy soil, half can be used as base fertilizer and half as topdressing. Potash fertilizer should be applied as early as possible, as applying it too late gives a poorer fertilizer effect. This is because crops generally require a large amount of potassium in the early growth stage and less in the later stage, mainly relying on the redistribution of nutrients in the organs, so applying potassium in the later stage is less effective than applying it in the early stage.
5. Apply it in combination with nitrogen and phosphorus according to environmental conditions and potassium application levels. When crops encounter harsh growing conditions such as low temperature, drought, or severe pests and diseases, timely supplemental application of potash fertilizer can improve crop stress resistance and help achieve a better harvest.