Symptoms

  • Symptoms of potassium deficiency first appear on older leaves.
  • Typically, chlorosis first appears at the leaf margins, then, the interveinal area is affected.
  • The symptoms progress from the base towards the apex of the plant.
  • Yellowing and scorching of the older leaves begins at the edges and eventually spreads between the main veins towards the center of the leaf.
  • Leaf symptoms are accompanied by abnormal fruit development, often with a brown or spotted appearance.
  • The plant is stunted with short internodes and small leaves.
  • Fruit may not expand fully at the stem-end, although they will swell at the tip-end, a symptom that is also caused by water stress.