Abstract
Agricultural production continues to be constrained by a number of biotic and abiotic factors that can reduce crop yield quantity and quality. Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient that affects most of the biochemical and physiological processes that influence plant growth and metabolism. It also contributes to the survival of plants exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The following review focuses on the emerging role of K in defending against a number of biotic and abiotic stresses, including diseases, pests, drought, salinity, cold and frost and waterlogging. The availability of K and its effects on plant growth, anatomy, morphology and plant metabolism are discussed. The physiological and molecular mechanisms of K function in plant stress resistance are reviewed. This article also evaluates the potential for improving plant stress resistance by modifying K fertilizer inputs and highlights the future needs for research about the role of K in agriculture.
Highlights
The world population is expanding rapidly and will pass from its current number of 7.0 billion to9.4 billion by the year 2050 [1]
This result was observed because the low plant K status induces the synthesis of molecules, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phytohormones, such as auxin, ethylene and jasmonic acid (JA), as a result of its enhanced plant stress tolerance [5,20]
Plants that are continuously exposed to drought stress can form ROS, which leads to leaf damage [7,13,26] and, decreases crop yield
Summary
9.4 billion by the year 2050 [1]. To provide enough food for an expanding world population, a massive increase in crop production is required to meet the food demands of future generations, while preserving. Increasing evidence suggests that mineral nutrients play a critical role in plant stress resistance [4,5,6,7,8]. Out of all the mineral nutrients, potassium (K) plays a critical role in plant growth and metabolism, and it contributes greatly to the survival of plants that are under various biotic and abiotic stresses. This review is focused on the effects of K on plant resistance to various biotic (pathogen and insects) and abiotic (drought, salinity, cold and frost and waterlogging) stresses. This review discusses the roles of K in stress-resistant mechanisms and evaluates the potential for improving plant resistance by modifying K fertilizer input and selecting appropriate plant species or varieties
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