US Crops in Danger: Potassium Deficiency Threatens Agricultural Soil in the Country [Study]

Global food security is potentially in danger as potassium deficiency is affecting crops in the United States and some other countries worldwide, according to a new study led by researchers in the United Kingdom. The study found that more potassium is lost from agricultural soil than its input. Plants such as crops need varying amounts of potassium, an essential element for plant growth, and serve as food for Earth's flora.

In addition, potassium (sometimes called potash) increases crop yields because it helps plants in photosynthesis, strengthens their roots, and increases resistance to diseases, as well as to drought, according to experts. Now, the lack of potassium in agricultural soil in US crops and globally over the past several decades has taken its toll, which can potentially impact global crop yields. From an economic aspect, this environmental problem can also increase the prices of crop-related food.

Soil Potassium Deficiency

The new scientific paper about potassium deficiency in US crops and international agricultural soil attributes the issue to poor potassium management. This means that the lack of potassium in the soil will hinder growth and threaten the survival of crops. Globally, about 20% of all agricultural soils are experiencing severe potassium deficiency. According to researchers from the University College London, University of Edinburgh, and the U.K. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

In the US, there are different amounts of potassium in the soils across the nation. Just like in other countries, US crops are in turmoil due to an "unsustainable phenomenon" called soil nutrient mining. This event is caused by various factors, including weather, crop management, and soil quality, according to Will Brownlie, from the U.K. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and lead author of the paper.

The study entitled 'Global food security threatened by potassium neglect' was published in the journal Nature Food on Monday, February 19. The authors of the study recommended six actions that can prevent declines in crop yield caused by soil potassium deficiency; such as protecting farms from potash price volatility and avoiding neglecting environmental concerns linked with potassium mining.

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Global Food Security

In a news release by the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Monday, the University College London acknowledged that soil potassium deficiency in agricultural soils has been widely neglected. Due to this growing threat, poses a significant hazard to global food security, especially if no concrete action is taken, including policies concerning agricultural practices and crop production.

There are also other factors affecting global crop yields or global food security. In recent years, before the release of the 2024 UK study, food price hike involving crops have increased following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In a separate study published in the journal Frontiers in August 2023, researchers found that the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted import-dependent countries, which experienced severe increases in the prices of wheat, the most widely grown crop product.