Harvesting which type of crop leads to greater potassium nutrient removal?

Harvesting silage generally leads to greater potassium nutrient removal compared to the other crop types listed. Silage is made from the entire plant, including both the leaves and the stems, which tend to have higher potassium concentrations. The process of harvesting and fermenting these plants preserves their nutrient content, and when silage is fed to livestock, a significant amount of potassium is extracted from the soil and removed from the field in the form of animal waste.

In contrast, grain harvests primarily involve just the seeds, which while containing some potassium, typically result in a lower overall nutrient removal compared to the entire plant harvesting involved in silage production. Fruits also contain potassium, but the overall biomass removed is usually less than that of silage. Forage, although it might include crops with good potassium levels, often does not yield as much potassium removal when compared to the complete plant material used in silage.

Thus, harvesting silage results in greater overall potassium nutrient removal from agricultural systems.