Summary Given the cost of conventional fertilizers and increasing demand as a result of increasing population growth, new sources of potassium (K) for plant nutrition need to be considered. Readily soluble nutrients are rapidly lost from well‐drained soils, and so it is appropriate to consider silicate minerals that release K slowly during weathering. In this paper, we compare the availability to plants grown in sandy soils of K from microcline (feldspar), biotite (mica) and nepheline syenite (nepheline + microcline) using leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum L.) as a model plant. Pot experiments were carried out under controlled environmental conditions using natural and artificial soil. The performance of the minerals was compared with treatment with KCl and a negative control (no K added). Plant shoot diameter was measured weekly to assess growth rates. After 10 weeks, plant dry mass and soil and plant contents of soluble K were measured to determine offtake; mineralogical changes in biotite‐treated soils were assessed. Results for artificial and natural soil differed, reflecting differences in their mineralogy. With no added K, plant growth ceased after 2 weeks. Growth rates were greatest for KCl, followed by biotite; linear growth continued for 5 weeks in the natural soil and for the entire 10 weeks in the artificial soil. Growth rates with nepheline syenite (natural soil) and microcline (both soils) did not differ significantly from the negative control, but for nepheline syenite, leek shoot K content was significantly greater, demonstrating availability of K from this source. X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that biotite reacted to form vermiculite.

Background: The mammary glands are prone to various lesions, either benign or malignant, many of benign types that can mature to malignant if untreated. The breast glandular structure can undergo changes from puberty to pregnancy and menopause due to hormonal effects, so the type of lesion occurrence among women varies depending on the age. Aims: This study aimed to identify if there is an association between age and BIRADS classification and/ or association between age and type of lesions. Methods: One hundred women from the city of Kirkuk participated in this study; they underwent mammography screening for detecting breast lesions. The relationship between age and mammography screening classification has been analyzed. Results: There is a significant association between age and BIRADS, and the age over 40 year was more frequent in most scores of BIRADS classification. In addition the number of patients with breast lesions in both BIRADS-3 and BIRADS-4 increased significantly with age. On the other hand, there is no significant association between age and types of breast lesion.   Conclusion: There is significant association between age and BIRADS.