Potash deposited on a grate over a slurry pit in Moab, Utah, USA. Potash is an impure salt that contains potassium chloride and is used as a fertiliser to improve crop growth and quality. The solution mining method is used to extract potash by pumping water underground to reach the potash ore. The brine is then pumped from underground to the surface, where it is collected in large ponds. Over time, the water from the brine evaporates, allowing the salt to crystallise. Machines scrape the potash crystals from the ponds and transfer them to the slurry pit for deposit. The potash is mixed with the water in the slurry pit and pumped by pipeline to the processing plant.