A lot goes into cultivating high-quality citrus to ensure that you are not only producing excellent yields. All three macronutrients, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, are essential. However, one, in particular, plays a special role in directly influencing the size and quality of the citrus fruits themselves; and that nutrient is Potassium.
With the proper application of Potassium to your crops, you can expect healthy yields with fruits packed with flavour. However, if poor management leads to a Potassium deficiency, you may run into serious problems come harvest time.
But, this doesn’t need to be a concern. At Roots, Shoots and Fruits, we have the perfect solution to your potassium needs with our K-forte product.
The role of Potassium in healthy produce
Among the macronutrients, Potassium plays an especially important part in maintaining a healthy and productive crop. There is essentially no plant function that potassium does not influence.
Potassium aids internal plant functions
Potassium helps the internal functions of citrus crops in a variety of ways, including:
- Healthy potassium levels are strongly linked with improved rates of photosynthesis, which produces sugars and starches within the plant;
- Assists with transporting those sugars to other sites where they are needed;
- Balances your crop’s water and sugar usage for optimum growth;
- Regulates carbon dioxide intake by controlling the opening and closing of the leaves’ stomata;
- Promotes cell division.
With appropriate levels of potassium, crops are also more disease resistant and have a greater ability to handle nematodes and insects.
Potassium boosts fruit yield and quality
Ultimately, the main benefit of interest is potassium’s role in creating high-quality, and highly marketable fruit. From fruit set, to enlargement and maturation, plants will draw on a significant amount of its potassium reserves. This translates into a larger, more resilient, and more flavoursome fruit.
Since potassium influences cell division, it is directly correlated with fruit size, as size is determined greatly by the rate of cell division during the early stages of fruit development. This also contributes to a thicker rind, which improves the longevity of citrus fruits post-harvest.
Potassium’s part in the production and transport of sugars during fruit development shows that it is also an important factor in the flavour profile of citrus fruits.
K-forte for a Potassium boost
We recognise the importance of Potassium in developing strong citrus crops, and so we have the ideal product to enhance your yields, and prevent any chances of a deficiency arising.
K-forte provides a boost of Potassium, along with an injection of Phosphorus for even greater fruit juiciness, in a form that can easily be applied to the soil, or through foliar application. In fact, research has shown that a foliar application of potassium pre-harvest can help improve yield and colour, as well as weight and size.
Studies into the removal of nutrients during the season show that significant levels of Potassium are used up from the enlargement of fruits after fruit set, through to maturation. It is critical during these times that potassium levels are maintained. K-forte is a perfect solution to keep your crops’ potassium levels optimal.
With the rising costs of fertilisers, in particular, Phosphorous and Potassium, it is more important to apply high-quality products that are targeted to your crop needs, instead of applying the same products that you may have been using for years at a higher quantity.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like a free tissue analysis, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team.
