Method and composition for agricultural potassium fertigation
View Patent ↗An agricultural potassium-fertigation method for emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation feeds a potassium-nutrient feedstock comprised of potassium formate and water to an active emitter-irrigation system discontinuously, at levels of 0.15 to 50 gal./min, during one to six nonconsecutive irrigation days during a crop cycle.
1. A method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field, said agricultural field being irrigated by means of an active emitter-irrigation system having a stream of flowing irrigation water upstream of said agricultural field, said method comprising the steps of:
(step 1) converting said irrigation water to treated irrigation water by charging a potassium-nutrient feedstock to said stream of said flowing irrigation water upstream of said agricultural field whereby said irrigation water is converted to treated irrigation water,
wherein said potassium-nutrient feedstock is comprised of potassium formate and water;
(step 2) irrigating said agricultural field with said treated irrigation water; and
(step 3) repeating step 1 and step 2 on 0 to 5 nonconsecutive irrigation days over a crop cycle.
2. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein said potassium-nutrient feedstock is a 50 to 75 wt. percent aqueous solution of potassium formate.
3. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein said potassium-nutrient feedstock is a 65 to 75 wt. percent aqueous solution of potassium formate.
4. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein said emitter-irrigation system is a micro-irrigation system.
5. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein said emitter-irrigation system is an overhead sprinkler system.
6. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.15 to 50 gal./min.
7. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.5 to 20 gal./min.
8. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 100 to 30,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.
9. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 300 to 10,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.
10. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock is continued from 1 to 9 hours during an irrigation day.
11. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.15 to 50 gal./min. and said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 100 to 30,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.
12. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.5 to 20 gal./min. and said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 300 to 10,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.
13. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.15 to 50 gal./1,000 gal. irrigation water.
14. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.5 to 20 gal./1,000 gal. irrigation water.
15. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.15 to 50 gal./1,000 gal. irrigation water. and said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 100 to 30,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.
16. The method of discontinuous emitter-irrigation potassium fertigation of an agricultural field according to claim 1 wherein, in step 1, said potassium-nutrient feedstock is charged at a rate of 0.5 to 20 gal./1,000 gal. irrigation water. and said charging of said potassium-nutrient feedstock provides a concentration of from 300 to 10,000 ppm of potassium as K2O in said treated irrigation water.