Utilization of potassium fertilizers is one of a number of factors including climate, plant protection, cultivation techniques, and soil conditions that may affect plant health.

Application of adequate amounts of potash fertilizers can be viewed as insurance against the risk of diseases and pest attacks, especially on soils that are not sufficiently supplied with potassium or in situations where conditions for plant protection are not optimal.

Potassium affects the reaction of plants to pests or diseases as it:

• Helps reduce the number of pathogens and restrain their development, multiplication, survival, vigor, and life cycle.
• Helps plants to adjust their internal metabolism, restrains food supply for pathogens, and modifies microclimate through changes in habit and density of growth.
• Restrains the establishment of pathogens and their proliferation within the plant by adjusting plant structures such as cell wall and cuticle thickness and tissue firmness through the functioning of the stomata.
• Improves plants” ability to recover from pest or disease attack through the repair of damage.

The right balance of nutrients is particularly important for a plant’s health. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers can throw the plant out of balance. Potassium has the ability to counteract the unfavorable effects of nitrogen since it improves nitrogen efficiency by reducing the stimulating effect of nitrogen on pathogens or by increasing its beneficial effect on yield.