Abstract
Symptoms of potassium deficiency were studied with flue-cured tobacco (N.C 2326) which had been applied with several levels of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer at 7, 10, and 13 Kg N/10a, and 15, 20, and $25KgK_2O/10a$, respectively. The distributions of T-N, $NH_4-N, \;NO_3-N$, and K contents in 18 leaves from the bottom to the top stalk position were investigated at 63 days after transplanting. The T-N content in the different stalk positions was increased from the bottom to the top ; however, vice versa in K content. As increasing the application levels, the increasing rate of the T-N content in the different leaf fractions were similar to those of rib and laminae. On the contrary, the rates of K content in the rib were higher then that of laminae and in the bottom than the top stalk position. Those indicated that the unbalance of nitrogen and potassium contents in the leaves came to maximum in the laminae of the top stalk position and was possibly affected by the application level of nitrogen rather than potassium. The T-N content in the laminae was higher than that of the rib. However the K and $NO_3$-N contents in the laminae were significantly lower than those of the rib. Therefore the $K^+$ uptake by tobacco was thought to be accompanied with $NO_3$- and transported smoothly up to the rib, but not from the rib to the laminae where assimilation materials were accumulated. Distribution of inorganic components in the different positions of vegetative organ were also investigated at 60 days after transplanting. The T-N and $P_2O_5$ contents were in order as; top > middle> bottom of the stalk and the stalk position, and laminae > vein > midrib of leaf fraction, however vice versa in K content of the stalk position and leaf fraction. In addition distributions of CaO and MgO contents in the each leaf fraction were resemble to that of the T-N content. On the contrary, the distributions of the CaO and MgO contents in the different stalk positions were similar to that of the K content.