Editing Potassium deficiency (plants) (section)

==Role of potassium in plants==

The main role of potassium is to provide the ionic environment for metabolic processes in the cytosol, and as such functions as a regulator of various processes including growth regulation.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1469-8137.1984.tb04103.x|jstor=2434189|title=A Hypothesis Relating Critical Potassium Concentrations for Growth to the Distribution and Functions of This Ion in the Plant Cell|year=1984|last1=Leigh|first1=R. A.|last2=Wyn Jones|first2=R. G.|journal=New Phytologist|volume=97|issue=1|pages=1–13|url=https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/download/ad74fdb75c484f38a9cff7e181f511086794c1803546d3c581ace20378c645e9/914530/8998.pdf|doi-access=free}}</ref> Plants require potassium [[ion]]s (K<sup>+</sup>) for [[protein synthesis]] and for the opening and closing of [[stoma]]ta, which is regulated by [[proton pump]]s to make surrounding guard cells either [[Turgor pressure|turgid]] or [[flaccid]].  A deficiency of potassium ions can impair a plant's ability to maintain these processes. Potassium also functions in other physiological processes such as [[photosynthesis]], [[protein synthesis]], activation of some [[enzymes]], phloem solute transport of photoassimilates into [[Source-sink dynamics|source organs]], and maintenance of cation:anion balance in the cytosol and [[vacuole]].<ref name=b1>Hopkins, W.G. and Huner, N.P.A. ''Introduction to Plant Physiology'' 4th edition</ref><ref> https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12106 </ref>