Potassium nitrate (KNO3) is a type of fertilizer with a high content of nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen and potassium are some of the most important macro nutrients needed by plants for strong and healthy growth.
Potassium nitrate fertilizer is one of the most important fertilizers for tomato farming. Tomato is one of the crops that consume a lot potassium and nitrogen. During the vegetative, flowering and fruiting stage, tomato plants use a significant quantity of nitrogen and potassium.
The use of potassium nitrate for tomato growing can lead to an enhanced yield in tomato plants. Potassium nitrate fertilizer can also improve the ability of tomato plants to withstand pests and diseases, adverse weather conditions and other types of stress.
Application of potassium nitrate in Tomato farming
Potassium nitrate fertilizer can be applied to tomato plants in the following ways:
Side Dressing
Side dressing is a way of applying fertilizer to growing plants. To side dress potassium fertilizer to tomato plants, the potassium nitrate granule can be placed few centimetres away from the Tomato plant.
It is better to bury the potassium nitrate fertilizer few centimetres away from the tomato plants. Burying the potassium nitrate fertilizer makes the plants to optimally use the fertilizer.
Top Dressing
Top dressing is the spreading of fertilizer on the surface of the soil or the surface of the plants grown on the soil. Potassium nitrate fertilizer can be top dressed to plants. This is mostly done to grasses and similar crops.
Base Dressing
Base dressing is the application and ploughing of fertilizer into the soil. Base dressing is done immediately after land preparation, before the planting of crops.
Potassium nitrate can be applied using base dressing techniques.
Fertigation
Fertigation is the application of soluble fertilizer to the root zone of plants through the drip irrigation. To fertigated potassium nitrate to plants, you need to dissolve the potassium nitrate fertilizer in water.
After mixing the fertilizer in water, the venturi injector hose should be dipped into the fertilizer solution. Once, the pump is switched on and the drip irrigation system is fully pressurized, the fertilizer solution will be sucked into the drip irrigation system. The fertilizer solution will then be emitted to the root zone of every plant.
Fertigation is the most efficient way of applying fertilizers to plants. Fertigation can significantly increase the yield of crops.
Fertigation also enables farmers to apply fertilizer to plants in small doses intermittently, sometimes daily. This makes crops to use fertilizers more optimally.
Foliar Application
Potassium nitrate can be sprayed to the surface of the tomato plants through the use of sprayers like a knapsack sprayer in a process called foliar application of fertilizers.
To use foliar application, mix 100-200 grams of potassium nitrate with water and spray the mixed solution the leaves and other surfaces of the tomato plant. Foliar application should be done in the morning or evening when the intensity of the sun is low.
About Potassium Nitrate
Potassium nitrate fertilizer is type of soluble fertilizer that supplies two macro-nutrients namely potassium and nitrogen to plants.
The following are the chemical properties of potassium nitrate fertilizer:
- Potassium (KNO3) content: 99.4%
- Potassium Oxide (K2O) content: 46%
- Nitrogen content: 13%
- Moisture: 0.1%
- Suphate (SO3) content: 0.01%
- Chloride content: 0.03%
- Iron (Fe) content: 0.002%
- Magnesium (mg) content: 0.004%
- Heavy Metal content: 0.001%
Tomato Farming
Tomato farming involves the cultivation of Tomato with the aim of harvesting and marketing the Tomato fruits for consumption or for sales to the public. Tomato farming starts from soil preparation to the marketing of the harvested Tomato fruits.
The steps to take to grow tomato include land preparation, picking of seeds, planting, irrigation, application of pesticides, application of fertilizers, harvest and marketing of the produce.
Should you need more information about the use of potassium nitrate for Tomato farming, please call us on 08025141924.
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How to use potassium nitrate fertilizer