Relationship between Potassium Content in Flue-cured Tobacco Leaf and Soil Organic Matter, Available Potassium and pH

We analyzed the relationship between potassium (K) content of 866 flue-cured tobacco leaf samples and organic matters, available K, pH in soils from Hongyun Honghe Group bases in Kunming, Qujing, and Baoshan tobacco growing areas. Results indicated that the mean K content in flue-cured tobacco leaf was 2.21%. The K content ranged from 1.05 to 3.84 with variation coefficient of 18.10%, and showed a big variation among different areas, and total K content in Baoshan > in Qujing > in Kunming. (2) Leaf K content had very significant negative correlation with soil pH and had very significant positive correlation with content of organic matter and available K in soil among different areas, and the leaf K content and the three kinds of physical and chemical index including organic matter, available K and pH in soil. (3) By using leaf K content, soil organic matter, available K, and pH as index, we conducted a cluster analysis and divided into three groups of high, medium and low content with different levels. Comparing different cluster results, if corresponding potassium content in flue-cured tobacco leaf was high, the soil pH was lower, but organic matter and available K were higher. The result showed that the soil pH and content of organic matter directly affected the supply of soil the soil available K elements, then affected the accumulation of potassium content in tobacco leaf.