Bioscience Methods 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 43-56 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 55 to maintain soil potassium balance; if sweet potato residues are returned to the soil, the potassium application rate should exceed 75 kg/ha to better maintain soil potassium levels. Therefore, an insufficient potassium application strategy is not advisable, otherwise soil fertility and sustainable production will be damaged. On the other hand, excessive potassium application may also bring environmental hazards and soil nutrient imbalances. Excessive application of potassium fertilizer (especially potassium chloride) may exacerbate potassium leaching, causing accumulation of salt in groundwater and other environmental problems; at the same time, potassium in the soil-plant system has antagonistic effects with calcium, magnesium, etc., and excessive potassium will inhibit the absorption of magnesium and calcium by crops, inducing relative deficiencies of magnesium and calcium. This not only affects the healthy growth of crops but also disrupts the balanced supply of soil nutrients. Given these factors, this study clearly proposed a fertilizer safety boundary when recommending an appropriate potassium application rate: the lower limit is the minimum potassium input required to support normal sweet potato growth and soil nutrient balance, and the upper limit is the maximum potassium input under the conditions of economic benefits and environmental sustainability. Applying fertilizer above the lower limit and below the upper limit can ensure high-yield and stable production of sweet potatoes while avoiding resource waste and environmental risks. By strengthening technical guidance, enabling farmers to comprehensively consider input-output and environmental costs in fertilizer decision-making, optimizing the potassium application plan, will help sweet potato production develop towards high yield, high efficiency, and green and sustainable directions. Acknowledgments The author is particularly grateful to the two anonymous peer reviewers for their thorough evaluation of the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. 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