Differential Response of Two Cotton Cultivars to Fertilizer and Soil Potassium

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars have considerable yield differences on vermiculitic soils where late‐season K deficiency occurs in California. A 2‐yr field study was conducted to evaluate cultivar differences in K use efficiency (defined as higher yield with a limited K supply) in relation to K uptake, K partitioning, and critical internal and external K requirements. The experiment had a split plot design with fertilizer‐K addition levels as mainplots, two cultivar subplots, and 10 blocked replications. Without K addition, yield was 29% (1986) and 35% (1987) greater in the K‐use‐efficient cultivar. Cultivar yield differences reflected greater boll retention at later fruiting positions, but was not related to differences in partitioning of K between vegetative and fruiting structures. When K supply was not limited, cultivar yields were similar. Yield of both cultivars was closely associated with leaf K concentration and soil K availability, but response curves indicated a lower leaf and soil K requirement for the K‐use‐efficient cultivar. The K‐use‐efficient cultivar had a higher K uptake rate during fruit development and greater total K accumulation, particularly at low soil K levels. Defining the physiological bases for such large genetic variation in K use efficiency will help to identify why the cotton plant is more sensitive to K limitation than other crops and will aid breeding efforts to develop germplasm more tolerant of a limited soil K supply.