Cotton

Potassium is vital for yield and quality of cotton including fibre length, strength and fineness.

Cotton crops have a high daily requirement for potassium, particularly during boll filling, and can accumulate up to 4kg of potassium per hectare each day.  In some cotton-growing areas of Australia, soil potassium reserves are insufficient to meet these demands, and the use of potassium fertiliser has shown good returns.

In other areas, however, potassium deficiency can occur even when soil potassium is adequate. This phenomenon is called Premature Senescence (PS), and usually occurs because of stress during a period of high potassium demand.

Strategies are available to avoid potassium deficiency in cotton from either low soil potassium or PS, and these should be adopted to maximise yield.

Move on for more information about:

Potassium Uptake and Cotton Yield and Quality >>
Premature Senescence >>
Strategies for Avoiding Potassium Deficiency >>
Potassium Deficiency Symptoms >>
Research Projects >>