Potash Deficiency
Potassium deficiency, also known as potash deficiency, is a plant disorder that is most common on light, sandy soils.Potassium deficiency is also common in chalky or peaty soils with a low clay content.
Role of potassium in plants
Potash is a complete nutritional supplement given to crops. This leads to the all round development of all types of crops
- Potash enhances the action of light synthesis as well as aids in the development of roots. The plant gets more drought from the ground due to its more developed roots. The width and thickness of the leaves increase as a result the plant is disease free, pest free and more healthy.
- Adjustment of carbon in plants by the use of potash increases the transfer of carbohydrates and enzyme activity, as a result of which the plants get rich and the plants grow rich and get strength.
- Potash controls the opening and closing of the stomata available in the leaves of plants, thereby controlling the transpiration in plants.
- Potash is good due to phosphorus and nitrogen in potash, so all the crops like sugarcane, paddy, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and flowering plants have increased biochemical activity and ultimately higher crop production.
- The use of potash at the time of planting soil in sugarcane avoids the possibility of sugarcane crap destroyed to minimal extent.
- Potash increases immunity level of plants to fight with diseases and pests effect.
Potassium deficiency and plant disease
- For many species, potassium-deficient plants are more susceptible to frost damage and certain diseases.
- Potassium plays important role in providing disease resistance, and increasing the potassium levels of deficient plants to the optimum level have been shown to decrease the intensity of many diseases.
- However, increasing potassium concentration above the optimal level does not provide greater disease resistance.
- Potassium has also been implicated to have a role in the proper thickening of cell walls.
Specific symptoms for each of these plants are as follows:
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In Potatoes :
Tuber size is much reduced and crop yield is low. The leaves of the plant appear dull and are often blue-green in color with interveinal chlorosis. Leaves will also develop small, dark brown spots on the undersides and a bronzed appearance on the upper surfaces.
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In Tomatoes :
The stems are woody and growth is slow. Leaves are blue-green in color, and the interveinal area often fades to a pale gray color. Leaves may also have a bronzed appearance and yellow and orange patches may develop on some of the leaflets. Fruits often ripen unevenly and sometimes have green patches near the stalks.
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In Apples :
Leaves are scorched around the edges, and interveinal chlorosis is common. Apple fruits often have a slightly acidic or woody taste.
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In Gooseberries, currants, and raspberries :
Dieback of shoots and branches is common and although the plant may produce many blossom buds in the early stages of deficiency, fruit yields turn out low and the fruits are of poor quality.
