As we all know, potassium fulvate is very helpful in improving soil quality, helping crop growth, improving crop yield and quality, especially the effect of mineral source potassium fulvate is more obvious.
Mineral potassium fulvate is good, but the good effect is based on the correct use, and it also has contraindications.
What are the contraindications in the use of mineral source potassium fulvate? How to use it to achieve the best results? What is the best growth period for crops?
With these questions in mind, we will give you a comprehensive answer below.
What is Mineral Potassium Fulvate? How is it different from Biochemical?
Although both are potassium fulvate, they are very different in terms of raw materials, ingredients, price, dosage, and effect.
1. Comparison of raw material sources
Mineral potassium fulvate is mainly fulvic acid extracted from weathered coal, peat, lignite and other raw materials. Simply put, the fulvic acid in mineral source potassium fulvate is a pure natural humic acid extract with better activity .
The biochemical potassium fulvate is mainly fulvic acid extracted from raw materials such as sugar cane, beet, and monosodium glutamate. Fulvic acid in biochemical potassium fulvate is a kind of artificial imitation mineral source substance.
2. Comparison of product ingredients
Potassium fulvate from mineral sources (generally containing more than 50% fulvic acid and more than 12% potassium oxide), contains a large number of functional groups such as methoxy, hydroxyl, and phenolic hydroxyl that are beneficial to the absorption of soil crops (the main function is to increase the concentration of fulvic acid activity and utilization) and dozens of mineral elements.
The main components of biochemical potassium fulvate are proteins, polysaccharides, lignin and other substances. Although there are also functional groups in mineral source fulvic acid, the content is very small.
3. Market price comparison
The effect of mineral is much better than that of biochemical potassium fulvate, but its production cost is high, and its market price is much more expensive than biochemical potassium fulvate.
Although the price of mineral source potassium fulvate is high, but because the amount of mineral source potassium fulvate is very small and the overall effect is very good, it is more cost-effective than using biochemical potassium fulvate in terms of overall economic calculations! For example, 1-2 catties of mineral source potassium fulvate is applied per mu, and the cost investment per mu is only 10 to 20 RMB. Larger ones cost 30 RMB per mu!
4. Dosage comparison
When using mineral source and biochemical potassium fulvate, in terms of the amount of fertilizer used under the same fertilizer conditions, if we only need to use 1 part of mineral source potassium fulvate to achieve the desired effect, Then we need to use 10 times or more biochemical potassium fulvate in the ground to achieve the same effect as using 1 part of mineral source potassium fulvate. In other words, the normal dosage of biochemical potassium fulvate is 10 times that of mineralized potassium fulvate!
Take the use of base fertilizer as an example: If one mu of land normally needs to use 300-500 grams of mineral source, and one mu of land needs to use about 5-10 kg of biochemical.
5. Acid-base comparison
The use of mineral-sourced potassium fulvate will not cause the problem of soil overacidity or alkalinity, which is beneficial to the adjustment of soil pH; while the pH value of biochemical potassium fulvate is acidic, if it is used in large quantities for a long time, it will easily lead to Soil acidity continues to increase.
6. Stability comparison
Mineral source potassium fulvate has a very stable structure, it is not easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate, and it will not be weathered. However, the biochemical potassium fulvate has an unstable structure, which is easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate, and is also prone to weathering problems.
The outstanding effect of mineral source potassium fulvate on soil crops
- Remove compaction, reduce salinity, alleviate the hazards of heavy cropping, activate soil, adjust soil pH, gradually improve soil aggregate structure, and improve soil fertility;
- Enhance root activity, stimulate root growth, promote germination, enhance seedling vigor, strengthen straw, green and thick leaves, promote early maturity, increase crop yield, and improve fruit quality;
- Enhance the robustness of crop growth and improve the crop’s resistance to cold/drought/waterlogging/disease and insect pests;
- Provide energy for the reproduction and activity of microorganisms. The high activity and quantity of microorganisms in the soil can naturally greatly improve the decomposition and utilization rate of fertilizers and reduce the use of large chemical fertilizers. soil-borne diseases;
- Promote heavy metals in the soil, buffer crop saline-alkali damage, and alleviate crop fertilizer damage.
Under normal circumstances, if you can insist on using mineral source potassium fulvate 2-3 times a year, then the organic matter content of the soil, field fertility and soil looseness and permeability can be significantly improved, but this process may take 2 – 3 years or even 3-5 years.
The use of mineral source potassium fulvate and the amount of each crop
1. The best way to use
The commonly used methods of using mineral-sourced potassium fulvic acid are: spraying, drip irrigation, root irrigation, ditch irrigation or flushing. It can also be evenly sprinkled into the planting ditch and then watered in time, but it can save the cost of use and improve the efficiency of fertilizer use. In terms of aspects, the method of flushing potassium fulvic acid with water or flooding after spreading is not recommended.
2. Optimal dosage
- For field crops, the general dosage for base fertilizer is 1-2 kg per mu, and the general dosage for drip irrigation or irrigation is 200-300 grams per mu.
- For fruit tree crops, the general dosage for base fertilizer is 3-5 kg per mu, and the general dosage for drip irrigation or irrigation is 2-3 kg per mu.
- For fruit and vegetable crops, the general dosage for base fertilizer is 2-3 kg per mu, and for flushing or drip irrigation, the general dosage is 200-500 grams per mu (200-300 grams at seedling stage, 300-500 grams at adult plant stage) .
- For crop spraying, it is generally necessary to dilute the concentration of 2000-8000 times (the concentration used at the seedling stage must be low, and the concentration used at the adult stage can be slightly increased). The growth period, etc., the specific concentration needs to be adjusted flexibly by all of us. About the dilution method: If it is diluted 3000 times, you can use 5 grams and 15 kilograms of water to dilute. For crop furrow application, the dosage per mu is generally controlled at about 1-2 kg.
- When spraying, flushing, drip irrigation, etc., generally use it once every 10-15 days, and generally use it 2-3 times throughout the growing season.
3. The best use period
Generally speaking, it is recommended to use mineral-sourced continuously for about 2-3 times during the crop growing season. Among them, the best use periods for mineral-sourced potassium fulvate on crops are: seedling stage, transplanting and planting Before and after, before and after germination, root growth period, tiller filling period, before flowering, early stage of young fruit expansion, after young fruit is bagged, and before fruit coloring.
These periods include the use of crops such as field crops, fruits and vegetables, and fruit trees.
Generally speaking, mineral source is best used in the vigorous growth period of crops, because the absorption activity of various organs and tissues on crops is relatively strong, and the enzyme activity of various microorganisms is also high.
Contraindications and common misunderstandings in the use of mineral source potassium fulvate
1. Cannot replace chemical fertilizers and must be used together with other fertilizers
The main function of mineral-sourced potassium fulvate is to improve soil conditions, help crop growth, enhance crop resistance, improve fertilizer utilization rate, reduce fertilizer usage, reduce crop diseases, and promote increased production and good harvest.
However, it has limited effect on supplementing nutrients for crops, so it is not recommended to use mineral source potassium fulvate instead of other fertilizers.
Therefore: when using mineral source potassium fulvate (especially when using as base fertilizer or top dressing), it should be used together with other compound fertilizers, organic fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, bacterial fertilizers, etc. (play their respective advantages and synergize each other)
When used in conjunction with other fertilizers, the amount of fertilizer can be reduced appropriately, because the mineral-sourced potassium fulvic acid can improve the absorption and utilization rate of fertilizers.
2. It cannot be used directly or in high concentration
Everyone must remember: Mineral source potassium fulvate must be diluted twice before use, especially when spraying, flushing, and drip irrigation are carried out at the seedling stage of crops, otherwise it is easy to cause crops to burn seedlings, roots, and leaves. problems, and when used at high concentrations, it is easy to cause the problem of crop growth inhibition.
Because the concentration of high-quality mineral potassium fulvate is very high, there is a great risk in using it without secondary dilution.
Therefore, the correct way to use mineral-sourced potassium fulvic acid is: take the second dilution method when diluting, and take a small amount of multiple times when using it.
3. It should be prepared and used immediately
In the case of different water hardness and softness, after the mineral source potassium fulvic acid is prepared in water, it is easy to produce flocs if left for a long time (especially hard water preparation), so the most correct way to use it is: dissolve and use immediately, It is best to use up once after preparation.
4. Potassium fulvate is not a universal fertilizer
Although it is said that mineral-sourced potassium fulvate has strong applicability and good use effect, and can be widely applied to most crops and soils, it is not a panacea.
Generally speaking, it is best used in the seedling stage, vigorous growth stage and plots with low organic matter content of crops, but because of its dark color, it is not suitable for use in the fruit coloring stage. In addition, it is not suitable for use with acidic fertilizers.
5. The weather not suitable:
Potassium fulvate from mineral sources cannot be used in rainy days or before rain, nor in high temperature and strong light weather, otherwise the effect of use will be greatly reduced.
6. The effective period of mineral source potassium fulvate
If it is sprayed or flushed, drip irrigation, etc., the effect will be seen in about 5-7 days, because the mineral source potassium fulvate of small molecular organic matter can be directly absorbed by the roots and leaves of crops.
However, if it is used to improve the soil, the process will be relatively long. Generally, it needs to be used continuously and it takes 2-3 years or even 3-5 years to see significant effects in the field.
7. Mineral potassium fulvate can use together with microbial fertilizer to increase efficiency
On the one hand, it can provide energy for the reproduction and activity of microbial bacteria in the soil.
On the other hand, the beneficial microorganisms in the soil can in turn promote the decomposition and absorption of mineral potassium fulvate.
The combination of the two can improve soil aggregate structure, break soil compaction, reduce the damage of heavy cropping, adjust soil acidity and alkalinity, improve soil looseness and permeability, improve soil water and fertilizer conservation ability, improve fertilizer utilization rate, enhance crop growth, and promote crop growth. It has very good complementary effects in developing root system, enhancing crop stress resistance, improving crop yield and quality, inhibiting the reproduction of soil pathogens, reducing crop soil diseases, and reducing the problem of dead seedlings and rotten roots of crops.
