Pro K™ 0-0-20: Organic Liquid Potassium Fertilizer for Crop Production

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As an essential nutrient for plant growth, Potassium availability is critical for optimal plant growth. Many US soils with adequate organic matter can supply some, if not all potassium for crop production. Although when soil K supply is less than optimal, an organic liquid potassium fertilizer program is required, with no better alternative than Pro K™ 0-0-20.

Understanding Pro K™

Pro K™ is a 20%, fully soluble liquid organic potassium fertilizer for crop production. With the lowest published application rates with all crops and most soil conditions, Pro K™ is the highest efficiency potassium and is approved for organic use in over 40 states across the US.

The most unique, and relevant feature of Pro K™ is its plant derivation. As a complete plant-derived organic potassium, Pro K™ stands alone in commercial agriculture as a productive, highly soluble liquid potassium source and is an excellent tank-mix partner that is more efficient than other potassium sources. By design, this opens the grower’s options for both application availability and timing of sprays.

Showing a tremendous result in a variety of crops, Pro K™ 0-0-20 brings an increased yield and quality to market with applications starting after bloom. For wine grapes, essential applications of potassium from Pro K around veraison increase color, Brix, and sugar content. Adding 1 quart to herbicide or SOP sprays provide an added plant-derived immediate uptake of potassium when it’s needed most.

Fruits accumulate large amounts of K, so leaf symptoms are more likely and most severe as fruit approaches maturity during heavy crop years (Hanson, 1996)

Limiting Factors to Potassium Fertilizers

• Potassium Sulfate, K 2 SO 4 will have S as a mineral component then must be solubilized to “free” up a K molecule.
• Potassium Nitrate, KNO 3 will have Nitrates and may be an alteration to rhizosphere pH or interfere with K uptake.
• Potassium Chloride, KCl with its high salt index and the Chloride that must be dissipated or gassed-off.
• Potassium Hydroxide, KOH has a very high pH.

Cannabis & Potassium

During flowering, marijuana requires additional potassium, either concurrently with or immediately after lowering nitrogen and phosphorus levels to trigger the transition from vegetative growth to flower buds.

A potassium deficiency in Cannabis may appear like a lack of nitrogen or phosphorus, as both conditions result in yellowing and dying of the lower leaves. Potassium can also be inhibited by high levels of sodium (Na) in soils. The condition is distinguished by the way it begins at the leaf edge or margin, at its worst, new leaves are reduced in size, and flower buds do not fatten.

Potassium in Potatoes

In university studies, potassium has been identified as a vital nutrient in the production of top-quality potatoes as they require substantial quantities of K. Among all nutrients, potassium is the most readily absorbed by potato plants. As much as 280 lbs. of potassium per acre is removed by a 500-cwt crop. Future and current crops will suffer from a lack of quality and uniformity in their yield, specific gravity, storage capacity, and increased external defects if that nutrient is not replenished.
 
Potassium plays an important role in controlling a plant's water intake and ensuring plants can withstand drought conditions. Additionally, potassium plays a key role in the turgidity of plant cells

as well as the movement and conversion of sugar into starch within the tuber. Besides increasing potato yields, potassium is also useful in improving crop quality because blackspot bruising is reduced, specific gravity is increased, and chip and fry colors are improved.

• An SOP limiting factor is solubility for spray solutions above 5% unless using powdered material unlike Pro K™, is 100% water-soluble for spray or fertigation applications and a farmer-friendly liquid
• The very light release rate of coated K materials makes it difficult to see immediate corrections in plants and/or fruit that require high application rates. With Pro K™ you can often see results in as little as 24-48 hours
• The sulfur in SOP is 18%, which may restrict rates in several cases where the sulfur can contribute to anaerobic soil conditions.
• It is recommended not to apply K to soils with concentrations over 25-40 ppm and always know the amount of potassium in the water source (20-40 ppm).

Potassium Chloride Limiting Factors

The biggest disadvantage of KCl is its chloride content, potassium chloride has an extremely high salt index at 116. Because some crops like potatoes, tobacco, almonds, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, walnuts, and citrus are sensitive to chloride, Pro K™ 0-0-20 is often preferred over potassium chloride. Crop sensitivities are highly dependent on growing conditions. Soil salinity and salinity and chloride in the irrigation water can also play a role.

The microbes that convert ammonia in the soil to nitrates can be limited by chlorides in the soil, but Pro K™ has none of that baggage, making it a microbe-supporting nutrient. Furthermore, if MOP is added to soils already rich in chlorides, toxicity may occur. In the case of chloride-sensitive crops or chloride-rich soils, Pro K™ 0-0-20 provides an optimal solution since it is significantly lower in chlorides.

Potassium chloride use may present a risk, based on factors such as:

1. Irrigation water ECw (a measure of salinity) and chemical composition.
2. Timing of fertilizer applications in relation to planting or growth of a crop during the rainy season.
3. Amount of rainfall over a growing season
4. Insufficient irrigation or irrigation combined with below-average rainfall for crops.
5. The application rate of potassium and if it will be split into more than one application 

Benefits of Pro K™ 0-0-20

• Provides a near-immediate plant response
• No application risk of phytotoxicity
• Cannot tie up in soils because of molecular derivation
• Non-salt-contributor and does not contain chlorides
• Works on all plant life in all stages
• Instantaneous delivery of key nutrients
• Known to improve drought resistance