Potassium Management for Optimizing Citrus Production and Quality Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Potassium (K) is highly mobile in plants at all levels, that is, from individual cell to xylem and phloem transport. This cation plays a major role in (1) enzyme activation; (2) protein synthesis; (3) stomatal function; (4) stabilization of internal pH; (5) photosynthesis; (6) turgorrelated processes; and (7) transport of metabolites. Citrus trees generally do not show visible deficiency symptoms across a wide range of K status in the leaves, except when the leaf concentrations drop below 3-4 mg kg-1. However, fruit quality is quite sensitive to varying levels of K availability. High levels of K cause large fruit size with thick and coarsepeel. In contrast, K deficiency produces smaller fruits with thin peel. With regard to juice properties, K nutrition has a significant role in juice acidity; that is, high juice acidity with high K availability, while low K availability causes decrease in juice acidity. High K availability in the soil can reduce the uptake of other cations, primarily magnesium, calcium, and ammonium N. In this paper, the available information on the effects of varying availability of K on the fruit yield, postharvest quality of fruit, as well as juice quality is summarized. The current recommendations on the application of soil and leaf analysis for evaluation of the K nutritional status and guidelines for K fertilization are also discussed. 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRUIT SCIENCE

author list (cited authors)

  • Alva, A. K., Mattos, D. J., Paramasivam, S., Patil, B., Dou, H., & Sajwan, K. S.

citation count

  • 57

complete list of authors

  • Alva, Ashok K||Mattos, Dirceu Jr||Paramasivam, Siva||Patil, Bhimu||Dou, Huating||Sajwan, Kenneth S

publication date

  • September 2006