Muriate of Potash: Does It Help in Growing Spirulina?

The term “potash” describes a wide variety of inorganic compounds containing Potassium in a soluble state. Some of the most popular potassium combinations include potassium chloride and potassium carbonate. The term “pot-ash” originates from the method of production used before the industrial revolution: extracting wood ashes. This material was used to make glassware, soap, and even explosives.

MOP or muriate of potash is commonly known as potassium chloride (KCL). Modern potash is produced by mining and processing reserves of minerals containing Potassium. Although most potash is contained in fertilizers, the application of this element goes far beyond agriculture.

Granular potash has several potential applications because of the ease with which it may be obtained according to modern processing methods like potash pelletizing.

By the end of this article, you will have learned how to make potash, what it is used for, what is muriate of potash and if potash is the same as Potassium.

What Is Potash?

Is potash the same as potassium? Potash is a salt that has a lot of Potassium in it. It is extracted from natural deposits made when sea beds dried up a few million years ago. Potassium is a key part of all living things, including plants, animals, and people.

Potassium is a vital component because when there isn’t enough Potassium in the soil, potassium-based fertilizers are used to increase crop harvests and enhance the quality of plants. Potassium shields crops from harsh weather conditions, enable plants to deal with disease, and keeps weeds and bugs away. 

Potassium prevents plants from withering, strengthens stems and roots, and helps move food. It turns on enzymes in plants so they can use water more efficiently. Plants can handle stress better when the soil has more Potassium in it.

Fertilizers are the sustenance for plants. Nutrient blends are mixtures of the elements that plants need to thrive. The three main components of fertilizers are Potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus (N-P-K).

Soil nutrients are used up during the growth of plants. When farmers gather their crops, they also gather those nutrients. Mineral fertilizers have the benefit of intensity. The minerals can be combined to comply with the standards; however, all plant nutrients, either contained in mineral or organic fertilizers, are the same. Inorganic fertilizers can be tailored to the unique dietary requirements of individual soil types and plants.

How many types of potassium fertilizer do we have? There are two types. Potassium is either combined with sulfate, also known as sulfate of potash (SOP), or combined with chloride, also known as muriate of potash (MOP). 

Spirulina and Muriate of Potash

Historically, “muriate” refers to any salt containing chloride. To answer the question, “what is potash and what is it used for?” Commonly employed in agriculture, potash refers to a group of fertilizers rich in Potassium. The uses of potash will be discussed later in this article. So, what is muriate of potash? Potassium chloride (KCl) is often known as MOP or muriate of potash.

In minerals, Potassium always exists as the positively charged cation (K+). The different types of Potassium fertilizers are frequently used in spirulina cultivation to compensate for mineral deficiency. Does algae help plants grow? Yes, it does. When used as a fertilizer, it can benefit your plants and the soil just like Potassium. 

In cases where the spirulina’s nutritional needs exceed what can be provided by the water alone, it is essential to add a source of Potassium (K). Did you know that you can use spirulina as fish food? Another benefit is that one can use spirulina for allergic rhinitis as it reduces symptoms. 

Chemical Features of Muriate of Potash 

Below are the chemical features of MOP:

• Approximately a 7-pH solution
• About half of the Potassium is present
• The chemical composition of KCl fertilizer is 0-0-60
• Equal amounts of Potassium (K) and chloride (Cl-) have been included
• A wide range of particle sizes and colors are available for potassium chloride
• There are 344 grams per liter of water that it can dissolve in at room temperature

How Is Potassium Chloride Made?

This mineral, potassium chloride, frequently occurs in nature. Usually, water is added to the soil surface at the sites of potassium chloride reserves, the chloride is dissolved in the water, and the resulting infused brine is recirculated onto the surface, where the liquid is dried up, and potassium chloride is left behind. This process is known as solution potash mining.

Similar to the way some marine salts are made, potassium chloride may be derived from the ocean. Among the minerals in oceans that can be harvested via conventional sun evaporation is potassium chloride.

What Is Potash Used For?

Agricultural Uses

Potassium chloride is currently among the most popular K fertilizer because it is inexpensive and contains more Potassium than other sources.

Most of the world’s potash supply goes toward feeding plants. Before tilling and planting, potassium chloride is usually applied to the soil’s top layer. Another option is to use it in a narrow band directly around the seed.

It doesn’t take much water for potassium chloride to dissolve. As a result of the negative charges on the sites of cation exchange found in clay and organic materials, the K+ will indeed be kept there. The Cl- part can be carried easily by the water. Fluid fertilizers made from a highly pure quality of KCl can always be sprayed through irrigation infrastructure.

Potassium chloride is the most common form of potassium supplementation. However, in some areas, plants thrive when exposed to Cl-. To fulfill this requirement, potassium chloride is frequently used. There are no known negative effects of KCl at typical application rates on water or air quality. The most crucial consideration is the presence of high salt levels in the area where the fertilizer is being dissolved.

Non-Agricultural uses

Potassium plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of both humans and animals. Because the body cannot keep it, it must be consumed frequently. Those on a low-sodium diet can use potassium chloride as a salt alternative. 

Once the ice has melted, it can be utilized as fertilizer; thus, it does double duty as a deicer. The absence of calcium in freshwater necessitates its usage in water softeners.

How to Use Muriate Of Potash?

Your soil must have an adequate potassium level for the growth of plants. Since potash doesn’t dissolve or migrate through the soil, it must be tilled into the surrounding root soil before being applied. A good rule of thumb is to use between a quarter and a third of a pound of potassium chloride or potassium sulfate for every one hundred square feet.

When added to a compost pile, wood ash can boost the soil’s potassium levels. Like the use of compost, manure can be a beneficial addition to the ground that contains potash. Additionally, the element is mild on the plant’s root system.

To ensure your plant’s survival, you must take certain precautions:

• Too much Potassium in the soil is bad for the plants’ roots. Because Potassium develops as salt, you should only use fertilizer once per year as most.
• The application of fertilizer should be increased only when the soil is gritty. That’s because amendments like compost and leaf litter aren’t enough to make sandy soils fertile.

Conclusion

As it relates to plant development, potassium-rich soil has several benefits that accrue from it, which include; it enhances drought resistance, stimulating root development, and enhancing water retention. It also creates starch-rich cereals, and the plant’s natural defenses are boosted, making them resistant to disease. Plant protein concentration rises, energy loss is prevented, and respiration is decreased.

Potassium plays an important role in regulating cellular water pressure and, thus, in regulating plant metabolism. To have healthy roots, this is necessary. That’s why Potassium is so important for plants to withstand stress.

As a source of chloride, Potassium Chloride might be useful in areas with little soil chloride. In cases where existing chloride concentrations in soil or water are already substantial, the inclusion of Potassium Chloride can increase the risk of poisoning. 

However, as chloride is easily eliminated from the ground via leaching, this is not likely to be an issue unless in arid settings. It is, therefore, important to carry out background checks before using potash.