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==Commercial uses==
===Fertilizer===
[[File:Patentkali (Potassium sulfate with magnesium).jpg|thumb|Potassium sulfate/magnesium sulfate fertilizer]]
Potassium ions are an essential component of [[plant]] nutrition and are found in most [[soil]] types. They are used as a [[fertilizer]] in [[agriculture]], [[horticulture]], and [[hydroponic]] culture in the form of [[potassium chloride|chloride]] (KCl), [[potassium sulfate|sulfate]] ({{chem2|K2SO4}}), or [[potassium nitrate|nitrate]] ({{chem2|KNO3}}), representing the 'K' [[labeling of fertilizer|in 'NPK']]. Agricultural fertilizers consume 95% of global potassium chemical production, and about 90% of this potassium is supplied as KCl. The potassium content of most plants ranges from 0.5% to 2% of the harvested weight of crops, conventionally expressed as amount of {{chem2|K2O}}. Modern high-[[Crop yield|yield]] agriculture depends upon fertilizers to replace the potassium lost at harvest. Most agricultural fertilizers contain potassium chloride, while potassium sulfate is used for chloride-sensitive crops or crops needing higher sulfur content. The sulfate is produced mostly by decomposition of the complex minerals [[kainite]] ({{chem2|MgSO4*KCl*3H2O}}) and [[langbeinite]] ({{chem2|MgSO4*K2SO4}}). Only a very few fertilizers contain potassium nitrate. In 2005, about 93% of world potassium production was consumed by the fertilizer industry. Furthermore, potassium can play a key role in nutrient cycling by controlling litter composition.

Translations:Potassium/38/en - Revision history

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