Properties of Potassium Nitrate and Methods of Application

Potassium nitrate, commonly known as fire nitrate, is made by re-crystallization after dissolving sodium nitrate and potassium chloride together or extracted from nitrate. Its molecular formula is 

KNO3, containing N13% and K2O46%. Pure potassium nitrate is white crystal, the crude product is slightly yellow, hygroscopic, easily soluble in water, and is chemically neutral and physiologically neutral fertilizer. It is easy to explode at high temperature and belongs to flammable and explosive substances. Pay attention to safety during storage, transportation and application.

Potassium nitrate is suitable for top dressing on dry land, and the dosage is generally 5-10 kg per 667 square meters. It has good fertilizer effect on crops such as potatoes, tobacco, sugar beets, grapes, sweet potatoes that prefer potassium but avoid chlorine, and it is also reflected in legume crops. If it is used for other crops, it should be combined with elemental nitrogen fertilizer to improve fertilizer efficiency. Potassium nitrate can also be used as top dressing outside the root, and the suitable concentration is 0.6% to 1%. In arid areas, it can also be mixed with organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer, and the dosage is about 10 kg per 667 square meters.

Since the N:K2O of potassium nitrate is 1:3.5 and the potassium content is high, the potassium content should be used as the basis for the calculation of fertilizers, and the nitrogen deficiency can be supplemented by elemental nitrogen fertilizer.