Current potassium-management status and grain-yield response of Chinese maize to potassium application

The great achievement of the development of intensive in agriculture in China can be partly attributed to substantial increases in mineral‐nutrient application. However, whereas farmers tend to apply high levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application of potassium (K) has been neglected. A greater understanding of the relationship between maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield and K‐application rate is thus required to provide an improved rationale for K fertilization for farmers in the various agro‐ecological regions of China. In this study, a total of 2765 farmers' survey data and 3124 on‐farm experiments across major maize agro‐ecological regions in China were collected and evaluated for farmers' K‐management status and to determine grain‐yield response to K application. Nationally, the average K‐application rate on farms was 26 kg K ha–1 and varied from 0 to 158 kg K ha–1, with a coefficient of variation of 107%, but the applied K‐fertilizer rates were not related to grain yield. Maize grain yields at recommended K rates increased by 14.0%, 14.7%, 19.4%, and 4.3% in Northeast China, North China Plain, Southwest China, and Northwest China, respectively, compared to zero K fertilization (K0). Increased yield due to K fertilization (IYmax, difference between maximum yield across all treatments and K0‐treatment yield for each experiment) averaged 1.4 t ha–1 but varied widely in different agro‐ecological regions. Soil extractable K (NH4OAc‐K) and intercounty variation resulted in large variation in IYmax in agro‐ecological regions, as did other factors, such as use of particular maize hybrids, soil types, or years in different regions.