Potassium

  • Josef Hagin
  • Billy Tucker
Chapter
Part of the Advanced Series in Agricultural Sciences book series (AGRICULTURAL, volume 12)

Abstract

Potassium, along with nitrogen and phosphorus, is classifled as a major plant nutrient. Its role in plant nutrition is varied and essential even though it is not a component of the many Compounds in plant tissue. The potassium ion, among other funetions, activates enzymatic systems in the plants biochemical processes. Potassium plays a key role in activating enzymes involved in carbon dioxide reduetion and, therefore, a deficiency of potassium reduces crop growth and yields by restricting photosynthesis. In addition to helping form photosynthates, potassium ions are necessary for the plant to efficiently translocate those photosynthates. As an example, it has been found that an adequate supply of potassium to cereal crops generates a high rate of translocation of nitrogenous Compounds from vegetative parts to the grain, thereby increasing grain protein (Koch 1975). Similarly, the beneficial effeet of adequate potassium on nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium bacteria in legumes is ascribed to a faster translocation of photosynthates from the leaves to the root nodules (Haghparast-Tanha 1975).

Keywords

Clay Mineral Soil Solution Potassium Deficiency Potassium Fertilizer Exchangeable Potassium 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alexander VT (1973) Influence of foliar nutrition of urea and potash on wheat under rain-fed condition. Potash Rev 9 /23: 2Google Scholar
  2. Alexander VT, Misra NM (1972) Effect of pre-sowing seed treatment by potash on drought tolerance of wheat under rain-fed condition. Potash Rev 9 /22: 3Google Scholar
  3. Argyriadis GA, Jannakoudakis DA, Polyzopoulos NA (1978) The release of nonexchangeable potassium from certain soils of northern Greece. Geoderma 20: 159–168CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Arifin HF, Perkins HF, Tan KH (1973) Potassium fixation and reconstitution of micaceous structures in soils. Soil Sei 116: 31–35Google Scholar
  5. Avnimelech Y, Shaham V, Feder E (1970) Elution of Potassium in Soil. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 34: 407–411CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Bailey LD (1974) The effects of ammonium nitrate and urea on the release of non-exchangeable potassium by eight Eastern Prairie soils during continuous cropping in the greenhouse. Can J Soil Sei 54: 255–263CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Bar-Akiva A, Gotfried A (1972) Effect of nitrogen and potassium nutrition on fruit yield of Valencia orange trees. Agrochimica 16: 127–135Google Scholar
  8. Barber SA (1968) Mechanism of potassium absorption by plants. In: The role of potassium in agriculture. Am Soc Agric Madison: 293–310Google Scholar
  9. Barker AV, Maynard DN (1969) Potassium nutrition and ammonium assimilation by crop plants. Potash Rev 3 /32: 9Google Scholar
  10. Barrow NJ, Asher CJ, Ozanne PG (1967) Nutrient potential and capacity. III: Minimum value of potassium potential for availability to culture Trifolium Subterraneum in soil Solution culture. Aust J Agric Res 18: 55–62Google Scholar
  11. Beckett PHT (1964a) Measurement of potassium potential. J Soil Sei 15: 1–8Google Scholar
  12. Beckett PHT (1964b) The immediate Q/I relations of labile potassium in the soil. J Soil Sei 15: 9–23Google Scholar
  13. Besford RT, Maw GA (1974) Uptake and distribution of potassium in tomato plants. Plant Soil 41: 601–618CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Bijay S, Sharma KN, Rana DS (1978) The quantity-intensity relations of potassium in soils from plots having nine fixed crop rotations for six years. Plant Soil 50: 363–370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Bosc M, Blanchet R (1975) The role of anions and exchange reactions in K+ ion movements involved in potassium nutrition of plants. Agrochimica 19: 460–467Google Scholar
  16. Bouat M (1968) Method of potassium appheation and the potassium nutrition of grapevine. In: Control de la Fertilizaeion de las Plantas Cultivadas. Biol Aphc Cuarto, Sevilla, Spain 255–267Google Scholar
  17. Braunschweig LC von, Mengel K (1971) Relationship between various parameters characterizing the potassium status of soils and the grain yields of oats. Sonderheft Landwirtsch Forsch 26: 65–72Google Scholar
  18. Calvert DV, Smith RC (1972) Correction of potassium deflciency of citrus with KN03 sprays. J Agric Food Chem 20: 659–661CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Carlson RM, Buchanan JR, Kaputska TE, Uriu K (1974) Displacement of fertilizer potassium in soil columns with gypsum. J Am Soc Hortic Sei 99: 221–222Google Scholar
  20. Carson PL (1975) Recommended potassium test. In: Recommended chemical soil test proc for North Central region. ND Agric Exp Stn Bull 499: 20–21Google Scholar
  21. Davis CE (1972) Behaviour of potassium in some West Indian soil clays. Clay Miner 9: 287–295CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. During C, Duganzich DM (1979) Simple empirical intensity and buffering capacity measurements to predict potassium uptake by white clover. Plant Soil 51: 167–176CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Edelbauer A (1976) The influence of various KC1/K2S04 ratios on yield and juice quality and amino acid content of Vitis vinifera in Solution culture. Rijksuniversiteit 293–303Google Scholar
  24. Ehlers W, Meyer B, Ulrich B (1967) The potassium exchange curve of the soil. Potash Rev 4 /39: 21 pGoogle Scholar
  25. El-Gindi AY, Oteifa BA, Khadr AS (1974) Interrelationships of Rotylenchulus reniformis, Fusarium oxysporum f. vasinfectum and potassium nutrition of cotton, Gossypium barbadense. Potash Rev 5/23/43: 5 pGoogle Scholar
  26. Elsokkary IH (1973) Evaluation of potassium availability indexes and K-release of some soils of Egypt. Potash Rev 5 /35: 4 pGoogle Scholar
  27. Elsokkary IH (1976) A comparative study on the characteristics of potassium release from Nile alluvial and desert calcareous soils of Egypt. Beitr Trop Landwirtseh Veterinaermed 14: 289–296Google Scholar
  28. Embleton TW, Jones WW, Platt RG, Burns RM (1974) Potassium nutrition and defieiency in citrus. Calif Agric 28: 6–8Google Scholar
  29. Esteban E, Huertas F, Linares J, Aguilar A (1974) Available potassium in several soils from the province of Granada ( Spain ). Agrochimiea 18: 558–564Google Scholar
  30. Farina MPW, Graven EH (1972) Effects of rainfall and differential application of N, P, K, and Ca on the downward movement of K in an avalon medium sandy loam cropped with maize ( Zea mays L. ). Agrochemo-physica 4: 93–98Google Scholar
  31. Feigenbaum S, Hagin J (1967) Evaluation of methods for determining available soil potassium based on potassium uptake by plants. J Soil Sei 18: 197–203Google Scholar
  32. Feigenbaum S, Kafkafi U (1972) The effeet of illite content in soils on the potassium supply to plants. In: Potassium in soil. Proc 9th Coli Int Potash Inst, pp 131–138Google Scholar
  33. Fergus IF, Martin AE, Little IP (1972) Studies on soil potassium. II. The Q/I relation and other Parameters compared with plant uptake of potassium. Aust J Soil Res 10: 95–111Google Scholar
  34. Gama MVDA (1976) Potassium availability in eighteen Brown Mediterranean soils derived from schists. Agr Lusitana 37: 105–122Google Scholar
  35. Goulding KWT, Talibudeen O (1979) Potassium reserves in a sandy clay soil from the Saxmundham experiment: kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamics. J Soil Sei 30: 291–302Google Scholar
  36. Haghparast-Tanha MR (1975) The influence of potassium on the activity of Rhizobium bacteria. In: Fertilizer Use and Protein Production. Proc 1 Ith Coli Int Potash Inst, Denmark: 169–178Google Scholar
  37. Halevy J (1977) Estimation of available potassium for cotton by soil analysis. Plant Soil 47: 363–373CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Hamdi H, El-Hamati AH, Zanati M (1971) A comparative study for determining potassium supplying power of the soils of Egypt. UAR J Soil Sei 11: 205–212Google Scholar
  39. Hons FM, Dixon JB, Matocha JE (1976) Potassium sources and availability in a deep, sandy soil of east Texas. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 40: 370–373CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Jambulingam AR, Ramaswamy N, Muthukrishnan CR (1975) Studies on the effeet of potassium on Robusta banana. Potash Rev 27 /70: 6 pGoogle Scholar
  41. James DW, Weaver WH, Roberts S, Hunter AH (1975) Potassium in an arid loessial soil: changes in availability as related to cropping and fertilization. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 39: 1111–1115CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Kafkafi U, Gilat R, Yoles D, Noy Y (1977) Studies of fertilization of field-grown irrigated alfalfa. I. Effect of potassium source and time of application. Plant Soil 46: 165–173Google Scholar
  43. Kansal BD, Sekhon GS (1976) Influence of amount and nature of clay on potassium availability of some alluvial soils. J Indian Soc Soil Sei 10: 78–85Google Scholar
  44. Kimbrough EL, Blaser RE, Wolf DD (1972) Potassium effects on regrowth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Potash Rev 7/13Google Scholar
  45. Kipnis T, Dovrat A (1972) Role of potassium in the regrowth of subtropical Rhodes grass. Potash Rev 7/12Google Scholar
  46. Koch H (1975) Influence of potassium on grain protein composition. Potash Inst 243–247Google Scholar
  47. Koo RCJ, Reese RL (1973) A comparison of potash sources and rates for citrus. Potash Rev 8/24Google Scholar
  48. Kulich J, Ragas A (1973) Furnace dusts from eement works as a source of available nutrients. Pol’nohospodarstvo 19: 113–121Google Scholar
  49. Kwong SS (1973) Nitrogen and potassium fertilization effects on yield, fruit quality and leaf composition of “Stanley” prunes. J Am Soc Hortic Sei 98: 72–74Google Scholar
  50. Lakshminarasimhan CR, Balasundaram CS, Rajakkannu K, Rangasmy P (1973) Evaluation of available potassium in soils — exchangeable potassium method and thermodynamie approach. Madras Agric J 60: 750–754Google Scholar
  51. Liebhardt WC, Munson RD (1976) Effect of chloride and potassium on com lodging. Agron J 68: 425–426CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  52. Lunt OR, Branson RL, Pow-Foong F, Rible JM (1974) Potassium release from some semi-arid region soils. Trans 10th Int Cong Soil Sei IV: 366–375Google Scholar
  53. MacLean AJ (1977) Soil retention and plant removal of potassium added at an excessive rate under field conditions. Can J Soil Sei 57: 371–374CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Martens DC, Schnappinger MG Jr, Zelazny LW (1970) The plant availability of potassium in fly ash. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 34: 453–456CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  55. Massee TW, Olsen RA, Skogley EO (1977) Characterizing soil fertility by ion diffusive flux measurements. Plant Soil 47: 663–679CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  56. Matocha JG (1977) Coastal Bermuda responds to potassium. Better Crops Plant Food 61: 12–13Google Scholar
  57. Mays DA (1977) Sulphur-coated KCl — fertilizer for alfalfa. Sulphur Agr 1: 4–6Google Scholar
  58. McDole RE (1978) Potassium fertilizer trials with potatoes on coarse-textured soils in southeastern Idaho. Am Potato J 55: 161–170CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  59. Meissner AP, Clarke AL (1979) Effectiveness of single and annual apphcations of potassium fertilizer on mown pasture in southeastern South Australia. Aust J Exp Agric Anim Husb 19: 599–604CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  60. Mengel K (1971) Potassium availability and its effect on crop production. Jpn Potash SympGoogle Scholar
  61. Mishra B, Tripathi BR, Chauhan RPS (1970) Studies on forms and availability of potassium in soils of Uttar Pradesh. J Indian Soc Soil Sei 18: 21–26Google Scholar
  62. Mitchell GA, Bingham FT, Labanauskas CK, Yermanos DM (1976) Protein and free amino acid composition of sesame meal as affected by nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrition. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 40: 64–68CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  63. Mukheijee N (1976) Potassium and disease control in crop plants. Bull Indian Soc Soil Sei 10: 170–173Google Scholar
  64. Munn DA, Wilding PL, McLean EO (1976) Potassium release from sand, silt and clay soil separates. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 40: 364–366CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  65. Munson RD, Nelson WL (1963) Movement of applied potassium in soils. Agric Food Chem 11: 193–201CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  66. Murthy ASP, Dixon JB, Kunze GW (1975) Potassium-calcium exchange equilibria in sandy soils containing interstratified micaceous clay. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 39: 552–555CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  67. Nair PKR, Grimme H (1979) Q/I relations and eleetroultrafiltration of soils as measures of potassium availability to plants. Z Pflanzenernaehr Bodenkd 142: 87–94CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  68. Nemeth K (1972) The determination of desorption and solubility rates of nutrients in the soil by means of eleetroultrafiltration (EUF). In: Potassium in soil. Proc 9th Coli Int Potash Inst, pp 171–180Google Scholar
  69. Nielsen JD (1977) Quantity and intensity of soil potassium related to uptake and concentration of potassium in young ryegrass. Acta Agric Scand 27: 216–220CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  70. Nye PH (1972) Localised movement of potassium ions in soil. “Potassium in Soil” Proc 9th Coli Intern Potash Inst p 147–155Google Scholar
  71. Pal NL, Bangarayya M, Narasimhamurthy YCH (1966) Interrelation of potassium and chlorine supply on the burn of flue-cured tobacco. Soil Sei 102: 346–352Google Scholar
  72. Parks WL, Walker WM (1969) Effect of soil potassium, potassium fertilizer and method of fertilizer placement upon com yields. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 33: 427–429CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  73. Peter A von (1978) The potash situation-global status and development. Potash Rev 16/76: 6 Ramanathan KM (1978) An evaluation of potassium availability indices of some soils of South India. J Indian Soc Soil Sei 26: 198–202Google Scholar
  74. Ravina I, Markus Z (1975) The effect of high exchangeable potassium percentage on soil properties and plant growth. Plant Soil 42: 661–672CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  75. Ross PJ, Fergus IF, Martin AE (1972) Studies on soil potassium. I. A theoretical model of the Q/I relationship. Aust J Soil Res 10: 81–93Google Scholar
  76. Russell RS, Clarkson DT (1971) The uptake and distribution of potassium in crop plants. In: Potassium in biochemistry and physiology. Proc 8th Coli Int Potash Inst, p 79–92Google Scholar
  77. Saadat LN, Siffert B (1971) The use of H+ resins for determining available K20 in soils. Sei Sol 2: 111–117Google Scholar
  78. Sabouin L, Bonnet R (1967) A chloride-sulphate comparison in the potassium manuring of tobacco. Potash Rev 12 /16: 6Google Scholar
  79. Schroeder D (1974) Relationships between soil potassium and the potassium nutrition of the plant. In: Potassium research and agr produc, Proc lOth Coli Int Potash Inst pp 53–63Google Scholar
  80. Singh B, Brar SPS (1977) Dynamics of native and applied potassium in maize-wheat rotation. Potash Rev 9 /35: 8Google Scholar
  81. Snyder GH, Gascho GJ (1976) Sulfur-coated fertilizers for sugarcane. II. Release characteristics of sulfur coated urea and KCl. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 40: 122–126Google Scholar
  82. Tucker BM (1967) The solubihty of potassium from soil Illites. V. Interlayer hydrogen ions; heats of reaction; and synopsis. Aust J Soil Sei 5: 203–214CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  83. Valentin GO, Robertson WK, Johnson JT, Weeks WW (1978) Effect of slow release fertilizer on fertilizer residues and on yield and composition of flue cured tobacco. Agron J 70: 345–348CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  84. Vig AC, Das B (1977) Potash improves growth and yield of wheat. Potash Rev 9 /39: 5Google Scholar
  85. Villar E, Eleizalde B, Montanes L (1978) Distribution of the chemical forms of potassium in the profile of some great soil groups of the Ebro valley. ITEA 9: 3–8Google Scholar
  86. Woodruff CM (1955) The energies of replacement of calcium by potassium in soils. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 19: 167–171CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  87. Yuan TL, Zelazny LW, Ratanaprasatpora A (1976) Potassium status of selected paleudults in Lower Coastal Piain. Soil Sei Soc Am Proc 40: 229–233CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  88. Zhukov MS, Repiakh II (1967) The effects of Chlorides and sulphates on hemp. Potash Rev 12 /17: 6Google Scholar
  89. Zolotarev SA, Boktor S (1973) Potassium fixation by the clay fraction of Ukrainian chernozemic soils. Pochvovedenie 2: 129–134Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1982

Authors and Affiliations

  • Josef Hagin
    • 1
  • Billy Tucker
    • 2
  1. 1.Faculty of Agricultural EngineeringTechnion — Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifaIsrael
  2. 2.Department of AgronomyOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterUSA

Personalised recommendations