A corn crop takes up nearly as much potassium (K) as it does nitrogen (N), yet management of each nutrient is entirely different. Whereas harvesting 125 bushels of corn grain per acre removes only 35 lbs of potash (K2O), harvesting 21 tons of silage per acre carries away 160 lbs of K2O; and the voracious appetite of a 5-ton per-acre alfalfa crop takes 230 lbs of K2O per acre from a field.
In India, pulses are grown mostly on marginal and sub-marginal lands without proper inputs. Many field experiments on various pulse crops show yield benefits from K application. Improved K supply also enhances biological nitrogen (N) fixation and protein content of pulse grains.
Cotton production in India has stagnated at a level far below its potential - the main reason being unbalanced and low rates of fertilizers. A review of key research on improved potassium (K) management practices provides a clear picture of the potential yield and economic benefits available to farmers.
Potassium is important in optimizing both crop yield and economic quality. Root activity and K uptake are generally reduced during the reproductive phase of crop development.