THE ROLE OF POTASSIUM IN CEREAL CROPS AND POTASSIUM SOURCES IN NATURE

Abstract

Cereal crops are widely cultivated throughout the world. Cereal crop production must be increased to meet the world's increasing food requirements. One of the nutrients needed by cereal crops is potassium. Potassium is an essential nutrient for plants. This article aims to review previous research related to the role of potassium nutrients in several cereal crops and reveal the sources of potassium in nature to reduce the use of synthetic potassium fertilizer in supporting low external input sustainable agriculture (LEISA). The results of previous studies revealed that potassium plays a role in influencing plant morphology and physiological functions, including improving plant quality, photosynthetic processes, osmotic regulation, enzyme activity, stimulation of assimilation and transportation, protein synthesis, and stress tolerance. In cereal crops such as rice and wheat, potassium improves adaptation in the face of environmental stress. In addition, potassium also plays a role in stomatal regulation in cereal plants. In the current environmental conditions, soil potassium reserves are running low, so it is essential to maintain the sustainability of K resources. Several sources of potassium can be obtained from organic sources such as banana peels, straw, and seaweed, and some potassium is sourced from mineral materials such as Biotite, Muscovite, Greensand, and Microline.