Effects of Potassium Acetate on Cotton Emergence, Yield, and Beneficial Soil Fungi

Potassium acetate is beginning to be sold as a high efficiency fertilizer.  Several properties make it especially successful as a fertilizer source when compared to other potassium sources: 1)It has the greatest  solubility; 2) it has the lowest point of deliquescence; 2)it has the lowest salt content; and 4)the molecule which is paired with the potassium molecule is acetate, which is a plant metabolite and a source of carbon for fungi.  In replicated trials potassium acetate has demonstrated the ability to improve germination over untreated and treatments with other fertilizer.  When included with phosphorus in a seed-applied starter, it has improved yield at both Virginia Tech and Texas Tech research farms.  Finally, in an un-replicated, exploratory trial, beneficial  soil fungi were found in the seed furrow with treated cotton seed but not with untreated.