Let's see some significant disadvantages of using fertilizers with high concentration of chloride (Cl-).
- Applying fertilizers with a lot of chloride inside could even keep out of absorbing other negative ions, such is the nitrate (NO3-).
- As a result, even the potassium (K+) for example in MOP (Potassium Chloride) which is the most popular (commodity) fertilizer with high concentration in Cl-, can not absorbed easily due to the competition between Cl- and NO3-.
- High concentrations of Cl- in soil implicate high EC in soil-solution around the root-zone. (ECe>2dS/m => alkaline soils; not-suitable for cultivation)
- Using fertilizers with Cl- inside in soils or in combination with irrigation water with significant concentration of HCO3- / C03-- and Na+ could cause the formation of chloride salts, increasing the salinity of the soil and damage the physical properties of the soil.
- Using fertilizers with Cl- must use more water for irrigation (more than +15% of the really needed water for the crop) in order to wash out Cl- and salts from the soil. But this can be applied only in light soils because irrigating more in heavy soils we raise the water front of the soil, perhaps even until above the bottom rote-zone limit.
- Using fertilizers with high concentration in Cl- in tropical climate areas could contribute to increase the acidity of the soils. And in sub arid / arid areas could contribute to increase the salinity of the soils - ESP>15%.
- Since the irrigating water could include even 20meq/l Cl- a concentration of Cl- in soil-solution using fertilizers with high concentration of Cl- above 100meq/l could be toxic for the plants and cause concentrations even 150meq/l per 100gr in leafs.
- As a result, even the potassium (K+) for example in MOP (Potassium Chloride) which is the most popular (commodity) fertilizer with high concentration in Cl-, can not absorbed easily due to the competition between Cl- and NO3-.
- High concentrations of Cl- in soil implicate high EC in soil-solution around the root-zone. (ECe>2dS/m => alkaline soils; not-suitable for cultivation)
- Using fertilizers with Cl- inside in soils or in combination with irrigation water with significant concentration of HCO3- / C03-- and Na+ could cause the formation of chloride salts, increasing the salinity of the soil and damage the physical properties of the soil.
- Using fertilizers with Cl- must use more water for irrigation (more than +15% of the really needed water for the crop) in order to wash out Cl- and salts from the soil. But this can be applied only in light soils because irrigating more in heavy soils we raise the water front of the soil, perhaps even until above the bottom rote-zone limit.
- Using fertilizers with high concentration in Cl- in tropical climate areas could contribute to increase the acidity of the soils. And in sub arid / arid areas could contribute to increase the salinity of the soils - ESP>15%.
- Since the irrigating water could include even 20meq/l Cl- a concentration of Cl- in soil-solution using fertilizers with high concentration of Cl- above 100meq/l could be toxic for the plants and cause concentrations even 150meq/l per 100gr in leafs.