Effects of Potassium on Plants
Potassium is an indispensable plant nutrient and is required in large amounts for proper growth and reproduction of plants. It is considered second only to nitrogen, when it comes to nutrients needed by plants, and is commonly considered as the “quality nutrient.”
It affects the plant shape, size, color, taste and other measurements attributed to healthy produce.
Plants absorb potassium in its ionic form, K+.
Potassium is important to plant growth and development. Potassium helps:
- Plants grow faster
- Use water better and be more drought resistant
- Increases resistance to diseases and insects
- Resist pests
- Grow stronger
- Increases the production of protein
- A healthy balance of potassium enhances the quality and size of produce.
With all plants, potassium assists all functions within the plant. When a plant has enough potassium, it will simply be a better overall plant.
Potassium in soil is commonly classified into four categories:
- Unavailable Potassium: found in the crystalline formation of feldspars, clay minerals, and micas which are part of the soil. Plants cannot use the potassium in these baffling forms. However, with time, these crystals finally break down, and small supplies of potassium are published into the soil solution.
- Fixed potassium or Gradually Available Potassium: potassium that grows gently available to plants over the budding season. Clay minerals have the expertise to fix potassium.
- Exchangeable potassium or Readily Available Potassium: promptly available potassium, which plants can quickly absorb. This fraction of Potassium is retained on the surface of clay particles and organic matter in the soil. It is found in balance with the soil solution and is easily published when plants ingest potassium from the soil solution. Interchangeable potassium is measured in most soil testing.
- Soil solution potassium: potassium dissolved in the soil solution and is readily available to plants. It is the smallest pool of potassium. Therefore, testing only potassium in the soil solution does not represent the total amount of potassium available to plants.
What Happens When Plants Don’t Get Enough Potassium?
Without enough potassium, plants experience a nutrient deficiency and show it with stunted growth. Furthermore, they produce fewer flowers, vegetables, and fruits, resulting in reduced crop yield.
A plant not receiving enough potassium may have scorched-looking leaves that curl up at the tips. The leaves may also appear crinkly, dry and white spotted around the edges.
Overall plant growth slows without potassium, and plants suffering from potassium deficiency symptoms will quickly succumb to high temperatures and high winds.
What is in Potassium Fertilizer?
Potassium manure is some of the time called potash compost. This is on the grounds that potassium composts regularly contain a substance called potash.
Potash is a naturally occurring substance that happens when wood is consumed with extreme heat or can be found in mines and the sea. While potash is truly a commonly occurring substance, just certain sorts of potassium composts containing potash are viewed as natural. A few sources allude to high potassium manure.
This is simply a fertilizer that is solely potassium or has a high “K” esteem.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT POTASSIUM UPTAKE BY PLANTS
Several factors can affect the ability of plant to absorb potassium from soil:
- Oxygen level — oxygen is necessary for proper root function, including uptake of potassium
- Moisture — the more moisture found in the soil, the easier it is for plants to absorb potassium.
- Soil tilling — research has shown that regularly tilled soil allows for better potassium uptake.
- Soil temperature — 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal soil temperature range for root activity and most of the physiological processes in plants. The lower the temperature, the slower absorption becomes.