Successfully marketing potassium nitrate for fertigation
Scientific research with potassium nitrate in the fertigation program showed that orange, banana and tomato were more tolerant to salt stress than with potassium chloride or potassium sulphate. This outcome led to new selling points for the market development of potassium nitrate.
Research into the composition of the nutrient solution on the resistance of plants to environmental stress
Plants are increasingly exposed to stress as a result of higher temperatures, drought and salinisation. This can lead to lower crop yields and quality. To counteract this as much as possible, plants need to be made more resilient to deal with these stress factors. Perhaps the right choice of the various water-soluble potassium fertilizers in the fertigation program can play an important role in this.
Trial setup in orange.
Comparison of 3 potassium-containing fertilizers in orange, banana and tomato
A scientific trial has been set up to test this. Three identical experiments were conducted, each on a different crop. Cuttings from ‘Valencia’ orange trees, and ‘Williams’ banana and ‘Rodade’ tomato plants were transplanted into pots with river sand or river sand/calcium carbonate (80:20 v/v) and treated with a nutrient solution based on potassium chloride [KCl], potassium sulphate [K2SO4] or potassium nitrate [KNO3]. Otherwise, the fertilizers used in these three nutrient solutions were identical. Due to the choice of potassium-containing fertiliser, the three solutions differed in the nitrate [NO3] to ammonium [NH4] ratio, and the chloride [Cl] or sulphate [SO4] content.
With potassium nitrate, growth was most vigorous under saline growing conditions
The results were determined by several growth factors, such as the increase in plant height, plant weight, and the number of newly formed leaves. In each experiment, growth was most vigorous in a nutrient solution containing potassium nitrate, less vigorous in a solution containing potassium sulphate, and least vigorous in a solution containing potassium chloride.
These results clearly indicate an advantage in the use of potassium nitrate compared to potassium chloride or potassium sulphate in fertigation of crops growing in desert soils where the irrigation water is generally saline. Even though the amounts of nitrogen and potassium applied in all three fertilization programs were the same.
The outcome of this research led to a new selling point for the market development of potassium nitrate
Thus, this research showed that the use of potassium nitrate as the most ideal potassium-containing water-soluble fertilizer can contribute to increased plant resilience to a growing environment that is becoming increasingly hotter, drier, and saltier. This resulted in new selling points for the market development of potassium nitrate.
Reference
Oosthuyse, S.A. & Holwerda, H.T. (2016). Nutrient salt balance differences on the growth of potted banana, orange or tomato plants growing in sand or sand/CaCO3 and fertigated with highly saline solutions. Acta Horticulturae. 127-134. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1112.18
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Are you looking for support in market development as a business growth strategy for one or more water-soluble fertilizers? Please contact Harmen Tjalling Holwerda of HSPN Consulting.
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