Importance Of Potassium In Plants

Potassium plays a significant role in various vital processes within the plants. It is reported one of the 17 chemical elements required for the plant growth and development. More than 60 enzymes within the plant are depends on the potassium for its activation. That’s why it is called “the regulator”. Potassium helps plants to resist several a biotic and biotic stresses in the environment. Scientist reported that potassium is the most abundant cation in plant i.e., up to 10% on dry weight basis (Leigh, R.A., et al., 1984). With higher concentration it is present in cytosol and chloroplast. It activates many enzymes by stabilizing the pH in the range of 7 to 8 with the help of changes made in enzymatic conformation and its attachment with the

Potassium assimilation is the essential pathway for offsetting the heavy metal toxicity in plants by the formation of soluble protein, soluble carbohydrate and soluble nitrogen compounds in the cell sap of the plants. It also provides the tolerance of plant to disease. It is reported that it potassium aids plants in the production of starches, control root growth and regulates the opening and closing of stomata which is important for the efficient use of the water. In general all plants require potassium for its growth and development but especially those plants which are the rich source of carbohydrate requires more potassium with respect to non starchy plants. On the behalf of several studies it is declare that adequate amounts of potassium may promote the growth of long, strong cotton fibers, enhancement of self life of fruits and overall positive changes in the qualitative and quantitative parameters of the

It is important to say that tobacco stems, wool waste, sugar beet factory waste and flue dust contains potassium but their use as a fertilizer is limited (CFAITC, 2009). Potassium is symbolized as K2) on the fertilizer labels and occupying the third number on the labeled like N: P: K. In most of places, the 95% of the all potassium fertilizers come in the form of murate of potash, which is also known as potassium chloride. In general the crops which are not able to tolerate the chloride in the soil solution, for their other salts of potassium are also available like sulfate and nitrate. The letter K used to symbolize potassium. It comes from the German word Kalium. If we see the some historical background of the potassium then it is clear that in the year 1868, Samuel William Jackson, a botanist in Connecticut, burned plants and analyzed the ash. Jackson found plants consisted of large amounts of potassium as well as other