How to Use Water-Soluble Fertilizers in Agricultural Production?

Cultivating crops, fruit trees, vegetables, and other plants demands high standards for fertilization. The quality of fruit and vegetable growth is intrinsically linked to the fertilizers applied. After each annual harvest, it is essential to apply base fertilizer appropriately. A single annual application of sufficient organic fertilizer ensures the basic nutrient requirements for crops, vegetables, and fruit trees. However, to achieve higher yields and better quality in vegetables, and fruits, timely top-dressing during the growing season is essential. This is particularly crucial in fields where the base fertilizer application was insufficient. Various types of fertilizers are used for top-dressing, including solid and liquid forms, pure liquid manure, and diluted chemical fertilizers, each with its own advantages. Experiments show that water-soluble fertilizers are convenient to use and rich in nutrients. As a common type of fertilizer, what are the characteristics of water-soluble fertilizers? And how should they be used?
What is water-soluble fertilizer? Generally, it refers to chemical fertilizers that dissolve in water. Water-soluble fertilizers formulated with various nutrient elements deliver better results after application. For instance, they often contain diammonium phosphate, soluble potassium sulfate or soluble potassium chloride, chelated trace elements, and mineral elements like zinc, copper, boron, iron, and molybdenum. These fertilizers dissolve completely in water and can be applied to orchards via irrigation methods like flushing with water or drip irrigation to provide sufficient nutrients to fruit trees and crops. High-quality water-soluble fertilizers leave no residue, dissolve fully in water, and are highly absorbable by crops. They contain abundant nutrients with uniform distribution, help prevent soil compaction, and create a soil environment more conducive to root growth.
Classification of Water-Soluble Fertilizers: Water-soluble fertilizers contain multiple nutrients, predominantly the four major elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. They can be formulated as single-component or multi-component blends. These fertilizers dissolve rapidly in water and are commonly found in forms such as urea, amino acids, ammonium chloride, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Potassium sources in water-soluble fertilizers include potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium nitrate, and soluble potassium sulfate. Plant growth regulators, along with medium and trace elements, are sometimes incorporated into fertilizers to provide more comprehensive nutrition and regulate crop growth.
How to Use Water-Soluble Fertilizers? (1) Avoid direct application. Water-soluble fertilizers feature rapid absorption and high concentration. Opt for multi-element compound formulations. For high-concentration, non-high-nitrogen types, apply approximately 10 kg per mu. For macro-element fertilizers containing multiple trace elements, apply 2.5–3 kg per mu. Due to their high nutrient content, water-soluble fertilizers should never be applied undiluted. Always dilute them twice before irrigation for large-scale application. For individual plant watering after dilution, maintain a concentration of 1%–1.5% to prevent seedling burn from excessive strength.
(2) Apply in multiple small doses. Water-soluble fertilizers should be applied frequently in small quantities. Applying too much at once risks leaching and waste, while excessive concentration may cause seedling burn and other adverse effects. Timely application according to the growth stages of crops, fruit trees, and vegetables maximizes fertilizer utilization.
(3) As a foliar fertilizer, water-soluble fertilizer can be diluted for both drip irrigation and foliar spraying at approximately 0.5% concentration. Foliar application allows direct absorption and utilization by leaves, enhancing fertilizer efficiency. When selecting water-soluble fertilizers for foliar spraying, choose fully water-soluble, residue-free, and ammonia-free formulations. Especially during peak nutrient demand periods of crop growth, appropriate application of water-soluble fertilizers further promotes crop development. That concludes this section's sharing. Stay tuned, and if you found this helpful, please give it a thumbs-up before you go.