The effect of potassium nutrition on pest and disease resistance in plants

Abstract

Providing a fast growing world population with sufficient food while preserving ecological and energy resources of our planet is one of the biggest challenges in this century. Optimized management of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will be essential for achieving sustainability of intensive farming and requires both empirical data from field trials and advanced fundamental understanding of the molecular processes controlling plant growth. Genes involved in plant responses to nutrient deficiency and pathogen/herbivore attack have been identified, but we are lacking information about the cross-talk between signalling pathways when plants are exposed to a combination of abiotic and biotic stress factors. The focus of this review is on the relationship between the potassium status of plants and their susceptibility to pathogens and herbivorous insects. We combine field evidence on potassium-disease interaction with existing knowledge on metabolic and physiological factors that could explain such interaction, and present new data on metabolite profiles and hormonal pathways from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The latter provides evidence that facilitated entry and development of pathogens or insects in(to) potassium-deficient plants as a result of physical and metabolic changes is counteracted by an increased defence. A genetic approach should now be applied to establish a causal relationship between disease susceptibility on the one hand and individual enzymatic and signal components on the other. Once identified, these can be used to design agricultural strategies that support the nutritional status of the crops while exploiting their inherent potential for defence.

The influence of different forms and concentrations of potassium nutrition on growth and alkaloid metabolism in Catharanthus roseus seedlings

“…Currently, the evidences for the diverse functions of K from the molecular level to field performance had been increased. The role of K in stress signaling and stress mitigating, particularly in drought and salinity, is becoming an important topic (Cakmak 2005;Amtmann et al 2008;Wang & Wu 2010).…”

Hierro foliar y acolchado plástico en Capsicum chinense Jacq. infectado con tospovirus

“…In the specific case of the TSWV, a certain relationship has been found between the content of microelements and the tolerance El tipo de nutrición de las plantas infectadas por los virus ha demostrado tener un efecto marcado en la expresión de síntomas producidos por estos patógenos (Amtmann et al, 2008;Dordas, 2008;Huber y Jones, 2013). En el caso particular del TSWV se ha encontrado cierta relación entre el contenido de microelementos y la tolerancia a la enfermedad por la planta, destacando principalmente el contenido de hierro (González, 1996;Quintero, 2002;Liu et al, 2007).…”

“…The type of nutrition of plants infected by viruses has been shown to have a marked effect on the expression of symptoms produced by these pathogens (Amtmann et al, 2008;Dordas, 2008;Huber and Jones, 2013). In the specific case of the TSWV, a certain relationship has been found between the content of microelements and the tolerance El tipo de nutrición de las plantas infectadas por los virus ha demostrado tener un efecto marcado en la expresión de síntomas producidos por estos patógenos (Amtmann et al, 2008;Dordas, 2008;Huber y Jones, 2013).…”

Plant and microbe genomics and beyond: potential for developing a novel molecular plant nutrition approach

“…In plants, K deficiencies facilitate the entry and spread of pathogens and insects (Amtmann et al 2008). Microarray experiments revealed strong repression of N transporters in K-deficient plants, which is quickly counteracted to supply sufficient K to the plants.…”