Potash is back in the spotlight with reports of visual deficiency in many areas experiencing drought conditions. Drought conditions can lock up potassium in the soil keeping it from reaching crops. Potassium is important in many plant functions including water use efficiency and plant cell turgor pressure.   So, when plants cannot access potassium, water use efficiency is reduced exacerbating the drought stress plants are under.  In-season applications of potash either as foliar or soil application are of little help unless plants receive adequate moisture.

Here are a few resources to help growers this summer.

• Potassium Deficiency shows first in Cereals: Canola Digest 2014: https://bit.ly/3hV1sCZ
• Drought and Potassium Deficiency in Corn & Soybeans: Michigan State University: https://bit.ly/3Bxmdwq
• Potassium and Drought, a Two-fold Water Problem: AgVise, 2021: https://bit.ly/2UDGorK
• Potassium Removal & Deficiency in crops: Mosaic. https://bit.ly/3BsOjJf

Soil Testing pays; higher levels of potassium (K) in the soil help crops withstand stress conditions.