I. Types of Potassium Fulvate
1. Mineral Type
Potassium fulvate from mineral sources is mainly extracted from lignite formed over hundreds of millions of years. It is rich in functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl and metho groups, and has high activity.
It contains a variety of nutrients such as trace elements, rare earth elements, plant growth regulators, and virus inhibitors, making the nutrition more abundant and the supply more reasonable.
Fulvic acid from mineral sources has a unique structure and is suitable for fertilizer addition. Fulvic acid from mineral sources has a large exchange capacity of pore structure, which can form soil aggregate structure, improve fertilizer utilization rate, and at the same time does not absorb moisture
2. Available models
Fulvic acid is extracted from plants by biochemical technology and then mixed with potassium oxide to make potassium fulvic acid. The main components of biochemical potassium fulvate are polysaccharides, lignin and protein, with very few functional groups.
The drawback of biochemical fulvic acid is that it is highly hygroscopic. When used as a functional fertilizer and compound fertilizer additive, if one ton weighs more than 25 kilograms, it will cause severe hygroscopic caking of the fertilizer, and even turn into a muddy state. This is determined by its inherent structure, and currently there is no effective solution within the industry.
Ii. Characteristics of Potassium Fulvate
1. Potassium fulvate is not a pure molecular compound but a heterogeneous, complex mixture with a large molecular structure and an extremely complex composition. In addition to a high content of fulvic acid, it is also rich in almost all the amino acids, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, various enzymes, sugars (oligosaccharides, fructose, etc.), proteins, nucleic acids, humic acid, VC, VE and a large amount of B vitamins and other nutrients required for plant growth.
Potassium fulvate, due to its high content of total amino acids and active groups such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, as well as the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups, has many organic chelating and complexing sites in its structure.
These coordination groups can undergo complexation or chelation reactions with many insoluble trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, molybdenum, copper, zinc and boron. At the same time, they can also undergo complexation reactions with phosphorus at other sites, thereby forming biochemical fulvic acid molecules as mediating carriers.
2.At the same time, it coordinates and promotes the absorption and transportation of trace elements and phosphorus in the plant's root system or leaves within the body. This not only avoids direct contact between trace elements and phosphorus, which could lead to mutual passivation and inactivation, but also plays a positive balancing role, thereby enhancing the utilization rate of both.
3. It flocculates without precipitating in saturated brine with high calcium and magnesium content, and has good stability and strong resistance to electrolytes. Relying on the buffer pairs composed of various groups, it can effectively resist acids and alkalis, has a large buffering capacity, and has strong exchange and complexation capabilities with metal ions.
4. With an average molecular weight of 300, it has high biological activity and is highly permeable to the plant cell membrane, a barrier. Through its multiple functions such as adsorption, conduction, transport, bridge, sustained release, and activation, it enables plant cells to absorb more water and nutrients that were previously inaccessible. At the same time, the nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and sugars accumulated and synthesized during photosynthesis are transported to the fruit part to improve quality and increase yield.
Iii. The Functions of Potassium Fulvate
(1) Soil Aspects
1. Regulating Acidity and Alkalinity: Potassium fulvate can regulate soil acidification, alkalization, and salinization, and neutralize acidified and alkalized soil.
2. Loosening the soil: Potassium fulvate can reconstruct the soil aggregate structure, break up compaction, make the soil loose and porous, and enhance its permeability and water and nutrient retention capacity.
3. Increase soil organic matter content: It can promote the reproduction of microorganisms, increase soil organic matter content, and enhance soil fertility.
4. Increase beneficial microorganisms: Potassium fulvate can promote the activities of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, providing nutrients and guarantees for their expansion and occupation.
5. Increase soil temperature: Potassium fulvate darkens the soil color and enhances its heat absorption. Physically reduce soil heat conduction, lower the fluctuations in soil temperature and humidity, and promote the active decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms to generate heat.
(2) Regarding fertilizers:
1. Nitrogen fixation: When nitrogen is applied to the soil, it can easily volatilize into the atmosphere or be eroded into rivers along with soil. It can adsorb nitrogen elements in the soil, reduce their volatilization and loss, and improve the utilization rate.
2. Phosphorus dissolution: When phosphorus is applied to the soil, it is easily fixed by the soil. It can liberate phosphorus from the soil through chelation with phosphorus and use it for plant absorption, thereby improving the utilization rate of phosphorus.
3. Activated potassium: Most of the potassium elements applied to the soil exist in the form of potassium salts and cannot be directly absorbed by crops. It can convert insoluble potassium into soluble potassium through ion exchange function, increase the available potassium in the soil and improve the utilization rate of potassium.
4. Micro-fertilizer: It can undergo chelation reactions with insoluble trace elements to form humic acid trace element chelates with good solubility that can be absorbed by crops, thereby facilitating the absorption of trace elements by the root system and leaves.
(3) Regarding crops
1. Promoting root growth: Rich in various nutrients, it promotes the development of crop root systems, increases the germination rate, and new roots can be seen within 3 to 7 days. At the same time, it significantly increases secondary roots, rapidly enhancing the plant's ability to absorb nutrients and water, promoting cell division, and accelerating crop growth.
2. Enhance stress resistance: Strengthen the soil's ability to retain nutrients and water, and increase the drought resistance of plants. It increases the organic matter in the plant cell SAP, significantly enhancing the crop's resistance to drought, waterlogging, cold and diseases and other adverse conditions.
The mechanism of drought and cold resistance is as follows: Firstly, it stimulates the activity of enzymes in the plant body. Through their regulation and catalysis, the cells in the plant body accelerate the absorption of water and nutrients, as well as reduce the water potential of leaves and enhance osmotic pressure and other metabolic activities, to stimulate the plant to physiologically adapt to the drought and cold survival environment. Second, it inhibits the accumulation of K in guard cells. When the plant encounters drought and cold, it can enhance its water retention capacity on its own, close the stomata on the leaves or reduce the opening degree, thereby reducing water evaporation.
3. Enhance quality: It can improve various quality indicators of crops, making fruits and vegetables have high sugar content, quick coloring, high vitamin C content, large fruit diameter, high firmness, and good surface luster, etc.
4. Early market entry: It can increase the early yield of crops, extend the harvest period, and enhance economic benefits.
5. Carbon sequestration and greening: It can enhance the photosynthesis of crops, increase the chlorophyll content, promote the absorption of more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by crops, and accumulate more dry matter.
Iv. Application Techniques of Potassium Fulvate
(1) Dosage
Generally, it is 1 to 3 kilograms per mu (bagged on top), and 20 to 40 kilograms per barrel fertilizer. The specific application amount should be adjusted according to soil fertility and crop requirements.
(2) Application time
Potassium fulvate from mineral sources works best when used during the most vigorous period of crop life. At this time, all life activities of the crop are most vigorous and the activities of various biological enzymes are very high. It is more appropriate to use it before and after crop germination, during the root growth period, before and after transplanting, and during the tillering and filling period.
(3) Application method
It can be applied through root fertilizer, top dressing or foliar spraying