Direct Application
Potash can be applied directly to the soil in virtually the same form it is delivered to the customer.

In developed agricultural economies, little potash is applied by direct application because it is very labor intensive. However, in less developed agricultural economies (like China and India) direct application is the traditional way of applying potash to crops.

Bulk Blending
In the bulk-blending process, potash is mixed with other nutrients to form a fertilizer that is made up of separate granules of N (nitrogen), P (phosphate), and K (potassium).

When agricultural practices advance to the point where soil testing is done to determine what nutrients are deficient in the soil, bulk blending is an efficient way of applying the required mix of nutrients.

NPK Formulations
In the production of NPK formulations, potash is used as a feedstock in the chemical production of fertilizer where each granule contains N, P, and K.

If mixed fertilizer needs to be transported over long distances, the chemical bonding of fertilizer ingredients helps to maintain the NPK formulation (the nutrients do not become "unmixed").