POTASH

Potassium is one of three key chemical ingredients used to promote plant growth and increase crop yield per acre; the other two ingredients are nitrogen and phosphorous. Mixtures of the three are commonly sold as NPK fertilizers. Potassium aids in synthesis of starch and sugar, stiffens straw in cereal grains, promotes root growth, and enables the plant to better withstand adverse conditions of climate and disease. Soils that have been depleted of potash by cropgrowing may be replenished by the addition of muriate of potash, KCL; for chloride-sensitive crops, a sulfate of potash, either potassium sulfate or potassium magnesium sulfate, is used. There is no substitute for potassium fertilizers. This Bureau of Mines report presents comprehensive data for the commodity including industry structure, reserves and resources, technology supply-demand relationships, byproducts and coproducts, strategic considerations, economic factors and problems, operating factors and problems, and outlook for the future.

• Corporate Authors:

  Bureau of Mines

  C Street Between 18th and 19th Streets, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20241
• Authors:
  • Singleton, R H
• Publication Date: 1978

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Agricultural products; Fertilizers; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Traffic forecasting
• Old TRIS Terms: Agricultural traffic; Potash traffic
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00174185
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Mines
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 18 1978 12:00AM