CS-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 25,1986
Potassium needs of cereal crops
ATLANTA, GA - Wheat and
other cereal crops require at least
as much potassium (K) as they do
nitrogen (N). High levels of K
nutrition have many beneficial
effects- on the growth of these
crops. These conclusions are part
of a paper presented by Dr. James
D. Beaton and Dr. G. S. Sekhon
during proceedings of Potassium
in Agriculture, An International
Symposium.
Dr. Beaton, of Cochrane,
Alberta, Canada is an Agronomist
with the Potash & Phosphate In
stitute (PPI). Dr. Sekhon is
Director of the Potash Research
Institute of India. Following is a
summary of their paper.
Grain yields are the product of:
(1) the number of heads or ears per
unit area, (2) the number of grains
or kernels per ear or head, and (3)
the single grain or kernel weight.
Satisfactory K nutrition promotes
the formation of larger grains
through a more intensive and
longer photosynthesis.
The flag and penultimate leaves
are of special interest since they
are major contributors to grain
filling. Potassium, through its
favorable effect on leaf area,
chlorophyll concentration, and
turgor, greatly influences the
productive capacity and life of
these leaves.
Potassium, by advancing
flowering and delaying flag leaf
senescence, extends the grain
filling period which is necessary
for the formation of large grains.
Part of this effect of potassium
seems to be related to retarded and
restricted production of abscisic
acid in the grain.
Small grains well-nourished with
potassium have lower tran
spiration rates than those deficient
1986 PA Holstein Convention
(Welcome Reception -10:00 p.m.
(needed for purpose of refreshments)
Friday. February 21
Breakfast on your own -
Buffet
Continental
Coffee Shop
Ladies Program and Luncheon -11:00 a.m
Bus Tour of Pittsburgh - 2:00 p.m.
Buhl Science Center
Miniature Railroad Show
Sale Buffet - 5:00 p.m.
Convention Sale ■ 7:00 p.m.
Riverboat Cruise -10:00 p.m.
Round and Square Dance on Board
Junior Pizza and Pool Party -10:00 p.m
Saturday. February 22
Breakfast on your own -
Adult & Junior Luncheon -1:00 p.m.
Convention Banquet and Reception
Reception - 6:30 p.m.
Banquet - 7:30 p.m.
(Please list all names as they should appear on name tags)
Send Your Order with Check Payable To: "1986 PA Holstein Convention"
Lewis Berkley, Treasurer
RD #3, Box 57. Berlin, PA 15530
TICKET ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 5. 1986 For Lodgim
vations Contact: Sheraton Hotel at Station Square, Carson and Smithfield Streets,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219, (412) 261-2000 Be sure to mention it is a Holstein Convention
Reservation. "Deadline to Assure Room - February 5,1986.’’
Lodging RoorrTßates; Single, one person $5O Double, two persons $6O
Triplfi.(3 over IS’jfrs.) or Qyadruple (4 over 18 yrs.) $65
Children 17 and under stay free in same room with adult. Credit card number or deposit
of one night's lodging Is necessary to hold a room for arrival after 6:00 p.m
in this nutrient. Increasing
potassium decreases both num
bers and width of stomata in
wheat.
Protein synthesis and storage in
the grain is promoted by ample
potassium supply. It appears that
the presence of potassium
enhances translocation of
nitrogenous compounds from the
vegetative plant parts to the grain.
Potassium uptake by small
grains grown under water-limiting
conditions may be only about 45
pounds per acre (SO kilograms per
hectare), but it can reach 360 to 450
pounds per acre (400 to 500
kilograms per hectare) under
optimum growth conditions,
particularly when high rates of N
and phosphorus (P) are used.
There can be large varietal dif
ferences in K uptake, generally
being higher in varieties 'which
produce larger amounts of straw.
Potassium requirements are
greatest between the end of
tillering and the start of flowering.
Because 40 to 50 percent of the
midseason potassium content is
lost between flowering and
maturity, measurements of
potassium removal by crops at
maturity will greatly un
derestimate actual K needs.
Wheat and small grain crops
with high potassium nutrition are
better able to cope with stress
conditions, including disease,
drought, excess sodium, tem
perature extremes, and lodging.
Potassium consistently suppresses
various rusts and often decreases
the severity of infections of other
diseases such as powdery mildew,
.bunt, stalk smuts, net blotch,
glume blotch, take-all, common
root rot and yellow dwarf virus.
Soil tests for plant-available
Ticket Order Form
No Charge
Buffet
Continental
Coffee Shop
potassium are reliable indicators
of serious deficiencies of this
nutrient. The profitability of
potassium fertilization of wheat
and other small grains is usually
high on low potassium soils, and it
may also be attractive in some
cropping situations on soils testing
high in available potassium.
number
number
number
Tickets @ slo.oos
_ Tickets @ $ 7.00 $
Tickets @ $lB.OO $_
Tickets @ $ 5.00 $
Tickets @ $ 2.00 $_
number
number
number
Tickets @ $lO.OO $
. Tickets @ $20.00 $
County
SELL
IT
WITH
A
LANCASTER
FARMING
CLASSIFIED
TOTALS
Reser-
Lack of sufficient potassium lack of Numbers of
results in characteristic visual seminal axes and root length may
deficiency symptoms. There can suppressed by insufficient
als" je undesirable changes such potassium
*Jf Although mass flow transport of
diseases,. lodging, and drought , potassium to roots is not generally
fif 5 ' Aiso ’ matunty ““y 1)6 considered to be as important as
oeiayea. diffusion, the relative role of these
° mechanisms apparently changes
™ t^ during the growing season due to
modificaUon of root growth is not fluctuations in both the potassium
well known. Development of first- /j eman( j 0 f cereals and the soil
order and higher-order seminal JJSJJ iSLwntration
and nodal roots is restricted by Solutlon potassium concentration.
HURRY
U URRY
HURRY
ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT TO BUY
AT LAST YEAR'S PRICES^
Buy Now And
Really SAVE
HoCCutgeft'a
/ Lam I GomUh Cqui|iMeKt
TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS:
1755 W. Main St 1515 East Chocolate Ave
Ephrata, PA 17522 Hershey, PA 17033
Located on Route 322 Phone (717) 533-4060
Phone (717) 738-1131
BUCKETS & FORKS
For Skid Steer Loaders
NOW AVAILABLE FOR MOST MAKES AND MODELS
•FORKS
40” to 72” Standard,
8” Increments
Sptekl Siztt On Rtqtttsf
Bucket Cutting Edge Available,
Any Length.
5 Sizes: 3/B”x3’, Ms”x3’, W’xA’, %”x4’, 5/B”x6’
Save your textured concrete surfaces with Rubber Blade
Edges. We can supply in any length up to 98” and punch
for any hole spacing.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
fWflg -Tech Industries
325 West Main St
NG TRIMMERS
MOWERS
RIDERS
TRACTORS
Financing
x Layaway 5
%. Available
Built Tu (Mur
• BUCKETS
Various Shapes And
Widths According
To Order
Beveled One Side,
New Holland, PA 17557
(717) 354-8721