Excerpt from "Potassium and magnesium for better tea production", TRI/IPI 1997
2) K and Mg in tea physiology

a) Effect of K on photosynthetic 14C assimilation and distribution in tea plants (after Li & Xie, 1990)

season treatment 14C(dpmx105/plant) 14C assimilate distribution in tea plants
      Young buds & leaves Young stem Old leaves Old stem Young white roots Old brown roots
spring NP 265 26.8 4.9 37.8 8.6 5.3 14.1
  NPK 316 35.8 4.6 31.5 8.6 5.9 13.6
summer NP 268 1.2 8.4 80.6 2.8 2.3 5.4
  NPK 271 1.8 10.4 78.1 3.2 2.7 4.8

b) Response of tea to K as affected by soil water regime

K0 K1 K2

c) Effect of potassium application at soil moisture stress on plant survival, biomass production and K uptake

  Soil moisture (% of field capacity)
  55 % 65 %
  control +K control +K
Survival rate % 66.7 88.9 88.9 100
Biomass g/plant 3.1 5.1 4.9 6.0
K uptake g/100 plants 3.49 6.34 3.94 6.96

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