Absorption and accumulation of potassium in component parts of sugarcane as affected by age,phosphorus deficiency and phosphorus fertilization

Like nitrogen and phosphorus, the amount of potassium taken up by the sugarcane plant, varies enormously with the conditions of soil and climate, the amount of potassic fertilizer applied singly or in combination with N and P, the general cultural conditions and above all the age of the plant at which potassium was estimated. Even individual tillers and leaves of various stages of development show marked variations in potassium content. Very often it has been suggested that a certain critical concentrations of N, P and K in actively growing leaves was necessary for good growth. Below such critical limits, conditions of deficiency set in while above a certain critical limit state of sufficiency often resulted in very little proportional growth.