What is and how to use nitric acid in crops?

Nitric acid can improve fruit quality

Every gardening enthusiast, as well as every farmer, wants their plants to be healthy, but also to flourish and produce fruit. Although nature can be allowed to take its course without too much intervention, in gardens and orchards it is almost always chosen to apply some product to them in order to ensure a good harvest. One of them is the Nitric acid, a chemical compound that humans have been able to use in agriculture.

As is well known, acid can destroy everything, but if it neutralizes it it can be very useful for plants, since it becomes a concentrated fertilizer that contains nitrogen, a very important nutrient for their growth.

Nitric acid characteristics

Nitric acid is an ideal fertilizer

It is an acidic chemical compound whose formula is HNO3. It is a colorless and corrosive liquid that, if misused, is very dangerous, causing serious burns. But, if it is done taking the right measures, it is useful to make fertilizers, which will help the plants to grow more strongly.

It also has other uses that have nothing to do with agriculture, such as the manufacture of explosives or laboratory reagents. In addition, it is one of the components of acid rain.

Where is it obtained from?

As a curiosity, if you want to know where nitric acid is obtained, you should know that It can be made by mixing dinitrogen pentoxide with water. When it is put on sale, the nitric acid concentration is between 52 and 68%. When it exceeds 86% we speak of fuming nitric acid, which can be white or red; the first contains less than 1% water.

For what do you use it?

Nitric acid has different uses, for example:

  • So that a more or less inert film is formed on a material so that it is more protected.
  • To check the gold and platinum.
  • Agricultural use, as a fertilizer once neutralized with sulfuric acid and ammonia.

On this last point we are going to talk more, not in vain, it is always good to know more about the fertilizers and fertilizers that we can find in the market.

What does nitric acid do to the plant?

Nitric acid is a fertilizer that stimulates fruit ripening

It is a product that provides nitrogen, that is, an essential nutrient so that it can grow, with which we are going to make the plant stronger and healthier. And is that nitrogen is vital for plants, since without it they would weaken and would soon dry out.

It must be taken into account that it has an acid pH, which is why used in alkaline soils (It should not be used in acidic soils, as if the pH were to drop too low the crops would die). Likewise, it is almost always applied by drip irrigation so that the roots can absorb it at a good rate.

What is the proper dosage?

It will depend on the concentration and the manufacturer. Assuming it contains 58,5% nitric acid, we would put between 500 and 1000 ml in 1000 liters of water.

It is important that before carrying out any treatment we check the soil's pH, because if it is very low, that is, if it is acidic (6 or less), the plants will burn.

Advantages and disadvantages of nitric acid

Let's talk about the advantages first. It is an acid compound, so it is useful for cleaning droppers. It is completely soluble in water, and it is also liquid, so it can be used and applied with ease.

As for its drawbacks, it must be known that because it is acidic, preventive measures must be taken both when transporting it and using it. And it only contains nitrogen, so it must be mixed with other nutrients such as phosphorus and / or potassium.

We hope it has been of interest to you.


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