• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.575-584
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• 2014

Potassium is a macronutrient that is crucial for healthy plant growth. Potassium availability, however, is often limited in agricultural fields and thus crop yields and quality are reduced. Therefore, improving the efficiency of potassium uptake and transport, as well as its utilization, in plants is important for agricultural sustainability. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in potassium uptake and transport in plants, and the molecular response of plants to different levels of potassium availability. Based on this information, four strategies for improving potassium use efficiency in plants are proposed; 1) increased root volume, 2) increasing efficiency of potassium uptake from the soil and translocation in planta, 3) increasing mobility of potassium in soil, and 4) molecular breeding new varieties with greater potassium efficiency through marker assisted selection which will require identification and utilization of potassium associated quantitative trait loci.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: In this study, in order to verify the effects of supplemented organic amendment fertilizers recommended by the soil testing on cabbages, we used various amounts of organic amendment fertilizers. The amount of organic amendment fertilizers was decided by calculating each ratio of inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium based on the recommended fertilizer composition. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cabbages subjected to treatments 1 and 2 showed similar or greater leaf colors (SPAD values), head heights, head widths, head weight, soil organic matter content, nitrate-nitrogen level, and conductivity after harvest, when compared with cabbages treated with chemical fertilizers. The phosphorus and potassium fixation in the soil were higher in the plot where cabbages were treated with chemical fertilizers, and the nutrient use efficiency was greater in the plots with organic amendments and mineral addition. CONCLUSION: The treatments 1 and 2 that were supplemented with 180-200% of nitrogen, 100-130% of phosphorus, and 185-250% of potassium in comparison to chemical fertilizers, applied by the inorganic ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be used as organic amendment fertilizers for cabbages.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.103-134
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• 1977

The physiological and biochemical role of potassium for upland crops according to recent research reports and the nutritional status of potassium in Korea were reviewed. Since physical and chemical characteristics of potassium ion are different from those of sodium, potassium can not completely be replaced by sodium and replacement must be limited to minimum possible functional area. Specific roles of potassium seem to keep fine structure of biological membranes such as thylacoid membrane of chloroplast in the most efficient form and to be allosteric effector and conformation controller of various enzymes principally in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Potassium is essential to improve the efficiency of phoro- and oxidative- phosphorylation and involve deeply in all energy required metabolisms especially synthesis of organic matter and their translocation. Potassium has many important, physiological functions such as maintenance of osmotic pressure and optimum hydration of cell colloids, consequently uptake and translocation of water resulting in higher water use efficiency and of better subcellular environment for various physiological and biochemical activities. Potassium affects uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients and quality of products. potassium itself in products may become a quality criteria due to potassium essentiality for human beings. Potassium uptake is greatly decreased by low temperature and controlled by unknown feed back mechanism of potassium in plants. Thus the luxury absorption should be reconsidered. Total potassium content of upland soil in Korea is about 3% but the exchangeable one is about 0.3 me/100g soil. All upland crops require much potassium probably due to freezing and cold weather and also due to wet damage and drought caused by uneven rainfall pattern. In barley, potassium should be high at just before freezing and just after thawing and move into grain from heading for higher yield. Use efficiency of potassium was 27% for barley and 58% in old uplands, 46% in newly opened hilly lands for soybean. Soybean plant showed potassium deficiency symptom in various fields especially in newly opened hilly lands. Potassium criteria for normal growth appear 2% $K_2O$ and 1.0 K/(Ca+Mg) (content ratio) at flower bud initiation stage for soybean. Potassium requirement in plant was high in carrot, egg plant, chinese cabbage, red pepper, raddish and tomato. Potassium content in leaves was significantly correlated with yield in chinese cabbage. Sweet potato. greatly absorbed potassium subsequently affected potassium nutrition of the following crop. In the case of potassium deficiency, root showed the greatest difference in potassium content from that of normal indicating that deficiency damages root first. Potatoes and corn showed much higher potassium content in comparison with calcium and magnesium. Forage crops from ranges showed relatively high potassium content which was significantly and positively correlated with nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium content. Percentage of orchards (apple, pear, peach, grape, and orange) insufficient in potassium ranged from 16 to 25. The leaves and soils from the good apple and pear orchards showed higher potassium content than those from the poor ones. Critical ratio of $K_2O/(CaO+MgO)$ in mulberry leaves to escape from winter death of branch tip was 0.95. In the multiple croping system, exchangeable potassium in soils after one crop was affected by the previous crops and potassium uptake seemed to be related with soil organic matter providing soil moisture and aeration. Thus, the long term and quantitative investigation of various forms of potassium including total one are needed in relation to soil, weather and croping system. Potassium uptake and efficiency may be increased by topdressing, deep placement, slow-releasing or granular fertilizer application with the consideration of rainfall pattern. In all researches for nutritional explanation including potassium of crop yield reasonable and practicable nutritional indices will most easily be obtained through multifactor analysis.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.253-263
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• 2002

To test for the effect of applied fertilizer and nutrients on uptake and transport for paddy rice, two paddy field trials were conducted with Dongjinbyeo in degenerated salt paddy field of Jeonbuk series from 1999 to 2000. After experiment, soil acidity, content of organic matter phosphate, silicate, potassium, calcium, and total nitrogen was increased by application of fresh cattle manure(FCM). Content of Nitrogen in soil layer leached inorganic nitrogen $NO_3$ was higher that that of $NH_4$ and was high in treatment of FCM. Content of $PO_4$ was higher in FCM than other treatments. But content of potassium was in high control. During the growth of rice plant, the amount of water consumption was 477mm. The amount of supplied nitrogen was high in treatment of no nitrogen(NN), 20% reduced application of LCU(LCU-20%), and no fertilizer. In case of phosphate, the supplied amount was more than the consumed amount with the exception of treatment "no phosphate(NP) and no fertilizer(NF)". In case of potassium, the consumed amount was more than the supplied amount in all treatments. The amount of applied nitrogen in the nutrient infiltrated water was high in treatment soil test(ST), C+FCM+Si(Silicate) and the ratio of recovered nitrogen was high in 20% reduced application of LCU. The amount of applied phosphate in the nutrient infiltrated water was high in FCM and that of applied potassium was high in 20% reduced application of LCU. Nitrogen use efficiency of paddy rice was high in 20% reduced application of LCU and use efficiency of phosphate and potassium was high in C+Si(Silicate). Grain yield of rice was high in order of 20% reduced application of LCU>C+Si=C+FCM+Si>C+FCM.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.55.1-55.1
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• 2011

Dye-sensitized solar cell(DSSC) have been considered one of the promising alternatives to conventional solar cells, because of their low cost, easy fabrication and relatively high energy conversion efficiency. However, although the cell offers reasonable efficiency at least 11%, the use of a liquid electrolyte placed technological challenges for achieving the desired durability and operational stability of the cell. In order to prevent or reduce electrolyte leakage considerable efforts have been made, such as p-type semiconductor or organic hole-transport material that better mechanical properties and simple fabrication processes. In this work, we synthesized solid-state electrolyte containing LiI and KI metal salt with starting materials of poly ethylene oxide to substitute liquid electrolyte enhance the ionic conductivity and solar conversion efficiency. Li+ leads to faster diffusion and higher efficiency and K+ leading to higher ionic conductivity. The efficiency of poly ethylene oxide/LiI system electrolyte is 1.47% and poly ethylene oxide/potassium electrolyte is 1.21%. An efficiency of 3.24% is achieved using solid-state electrolyte containing LiI and KI concentrations. The increased solar conversion efficiency is attributed to decreased crystallinity in the polymer that leads to enhanced charge transfer.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.677-681
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• 2016

Excessive nitrogen fertilization influences crop yields and quality as well as environmental pollution. In this study, yields, nitrogen use efficiency and free sugar contents of burdock (Arctium lappa L.) were evaluated at different levels of nitrogen fertilization. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 5 levels (0, 50, 100, 150, 200%) based on the conventional fertilization ($N=230kg\;ha^{-1}$), and phosphate and potassium fertilizer were treated by conventional P and K fertilization ($P_2O_5-K_2O=140-210kg\;ha^{-1}$) in all plots. The root yields of burdock were the highest in N 100~150% treatment plots. Nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen recovery decreased from over N 150% treatment. Nitrogen uptake of root was greater than that of shoot in N 50~200% treatments. Fructose contents in root were inversely proportional to the level of nitrogen fertilization. As considering nitrogen recovery and root quality, economical burdock yield was obtained in N $230kg\;ha^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.380-385
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• 2006

To establish law-put fertilization technique and increase of fertilization efficiency during cultivation of vinyl mulching for plant, the improvement of soil properties, nutrition efficiency and yields by band spotty fertilization(BSF) using band spotty applicator was carried out at garlic(Alltuiti sativum L.) field in Honam Agricultural Research Institute from 2001 to 2002 for 2 years. The value of pH and the content of total nitrogen, organic matter, exchangeable potassium and calcium of soil after experiment were increased but the content of available phosphate was decreased than soil before experiment. Uptake amounts of nitrogen fertilized by plants were more than in BSF plots($89{\sim}111kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF(conventional fertilization) Plot ($76kg\;ha^{-1}$) and nitrogen use efficiency were high in BSF plots(42.9~58.2%) compared to in CF plot(34.9%). Also Uptake amounts of potassium fertilized by plants were more than in BSF plots($34{\sim}58kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF plot($33kg\;ha^{-1}$) and potassium use efficiency were high in BSF plots(21.6~41.2%) compared to in CF plot(19.4%). Residual amount of nitrogen fertilized on soil were more than in BSF plots($38{\sim}54kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF plot($22kg\;ha^{-1}$) while loss amount of nitrogen fertilized on soil were less than in BSF plots($32{\sim}53kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF plot($120kg\;ha^{-1}$). Also Residual amount of potassium fertilized on soil were more than in 100% BSF plot($109kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF plot($72kg\;ha^{-1}$) while loss amount of nitrogen fertilized on soil were less than in BSF plots($14{\sim}38kg\;ha^{-1}$) compared to in CF plot($113kg\;ha^{-1}$). The BSF plots were increased plant height, leaf number, leaf sheath diameter, bulb diameter and height compared to CF plot. The total yields of garlic were more increased 14~19% because of high large bulb rate, commercial yields in 70, 100% BSF plots compared to in CF plot($102.9Mg\;ha^{-1}$). It was found that 70% band spotty fertilization was more effective as fertilization method to reduce both environmental pollution and chemical nitrogen fertilizer in plastic film mulching cultivation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.578-582
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• 2011

Aerobic digestion of organic sludge generates stabilized slurry which could be used as a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer. In this study, the effects of air supply rate and eggshell addition on the sludge fertilizer efficiency were examined. Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in a food industry was fed to a lab-scale aerobic digester, and the fertilizer efficiency was assessed by the growth of cucumber. Increase of air supply rate up to 200 mL/L/min enhanced the fertilizer efficiency as well as the nitrification efficiency. The addition of eggshell, a potassium-rich leftover, in fertilizer application was also beneficial to the cucumber growth. A proper control of air supply rate and the use of an inexpensive additive would guarantee the quality of sludge liquid fertilizer.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.151-159
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• 2003

Absorbent Biofilter Systems (ABS), composed of an anaerobic septic tank, a pump chamber and an absorbent biofilter tank, have been found to economically provide rural on-site wastewater treatment. This study was conducted to assess the potential of ABS effluent as an alternative water resource for agricultural and environmental use, with respect to the removal of pathogenic microorganism and their fertilization effect. A pilot scale ABS was used to compare its removal efficiency of pathogens from effluent water. Overall, more than 95 percent of Salmonella and E. coli were removed. This result demonstrates that a significant reduction in the pathogenic microorganism of effluents can occur in ABS, which implies the feasibility for the use of ABS effluent in agriculture and environment, with the provision of a further simple disinfection step, in order to satisfy the WHO guidelines for the microbiological quality in agriculture. In addition, because of the abundant nutritional content of ABS effluent, the substitution effect of fertilizer (N, P and K) in paddy irrigation, i.e. 2/3 for nitrogen, l/3 for phosphorus and 1/5 for potassium would be expected. Based on the experimental data, the ABS effluent could be used as a new alternative water resource for paddy irrigation, as well as for environmental purposes, such as supplying water to ecological parks in rural villages.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.436-446
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• 2020

In this study, we verified the effects of organic amendment application based on soil testing in potato cultivation. The application rate of organic amendments was determined based on the inorganicization rate of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potassium in the organic amendments. There was no significant difference in the length, stalk number, stalk diameter, and leaf color of potato plants under organic amendment application compared with those under chemical fertilization. The quantity of potato tubers and yield of marketable tubers under organic amendment application were higher than those under chemical fertilization. The top fresh weight and top-to-root ratio were the highest under organic amendment application, followed by those under chemical fertilization and the control. The inorganic nitrogen content in the leaves and stems of potato plants was the highest under chemical fertilization. There was no difference in the phosphoric acid content between the potatoes under chemical fertilization and those under organic amendment application. The potassium content in potatoes was higher under chemical fertilization than that under organic amendment application. While the change trend of inorganic nitrogen content in the roots was similar to that in the leaves and stems, the potatoes under organic amendment application, with the highest yield, showed the highest dry weight. The tuber weight showed a positive correlation with plant length, stalk number, and stalk diameter. The higher the weight of the tuber, the higher the weight of the marketable tuber, and the higher the top fresh weight, the higher the yield. Therefore, to increase yield, it is necessary to supply nutrients to improve the top fresh weight to the optimal level. There was no difference in the utilization efficiency of nitrogen and potassium between the potatoes under chemical fertilization and those under organic amendment application. The utilization efficiency of phosphoric acid was increased by 0.1% in potatoes under organic amendment application compared with that under other treatments. Regarding soil chemistry after harvest, the soils under organic amendment application showed a higher electrical conductivity and higher nitrogen and phosphoric acid content than those under other treatments. Therefore, the organic amendment method used in this study can be an alternative to chemical fertilization. It is also advantageous for the cultivation of subsequent crops in potato fields.