Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/1037672
20 www.resourceworld.com O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 In the world of agriculture, fertilizer plays a large and obvious role. The most com- mon of all the fertilizers is mined from the ground – namely, potash. SOP (Sulfate of potash) and MOP (Muriate of potash) are the most common potash fertilizers used by farmers to grow crops. Once mined, the impure ore is refined through flotation and crystallization to remove impurities. MOP is more plenti - ful than SOP and costs less to produce, making MOP more widely used. Potash fertilizers not only increase the quantity of the crops but also the quality. Basically, there are three types of pot - ash mines: underground mining, in-situ leaching recovery and salt lake (brine) extraction through solar evaporation. There is much debate around the posi- tive impact of potash fertilizers as it so effective and crop yields are so strong that it can create oversupply that can drive down global crop spot prices. For investors looking into the potash space, it is impor - tant to know the difference between MOP potash and SOP potash, changing market conditions and how they relate to the growing organic fertilizer market. MOP POTASH (MURIATE OF POTASH) MOP is used in a wide variety of crops and is most favoured in chloride-loving veg- etables like sugar beet, fodder beet, celery and Swiss chard. The added chloride can significantly help plants with better dis- ease resistance, particularly in soils with low natural chloride levels. There is a point, however, where too much chloride can actually cause toxicity and can be very negative on crop health. This makes it very important for farmers to constantly monitor soil toxicity levels, making fertilizer management a top pri - ority for most successful cultivation. As noted above, MOP fertilizer is by far in a way the most popular of all fertilizers with over 50 million tonnes used globally each year. SOP POTASH (SULFATE OF POTASH) SOP potash is the most premium grade of all potashes, comprised of potassium and sulfur which are very important nutrients for crop production. SOP exists rarely in nature and usually must be pro - duced through chemical refinement. The most common way to produce SOP is the Mannheim process. Raw materials are heated above 600ᵒ C. in a furnace which creates a chemical reac - Potash Fertilizers and the growing demand for organic by Eric Hoesgen and Dennis Hoesgen Graphic by Jay Moysey