Soil potassium (K) spatial heterogeneity was general in tea gardens. Yet, rhizosphere processes of tea plants under soil K spatial heterogeneity is unclear. K heterogeneity was simulated by multi-layer split-root system as follows: both sides had K fertilizer (K+/K+), both sides had no K fertilizer (K0/K0), one side had K fertilizer (K+/K0–K+) and the other side had no K fertilizer (K+/K0–K0). Under K spatial heterogeneity, the differences in rhizosphere processes between the two tea plants (low-K tolerant genotype “1511” and low-K sensitive genotype “1601”) were compared. “1511” could maintain relatively stable fine root proportions under different treatments. For “1511” and “1601”, the strongest soil K activation abilities of root exudates appeared in K+/K0–K0 and K+/K0–K+, respectively. The available K and slowly available K of the rhizosphere soils in K+/K0–K+ was 14% and 8% less than those in K+/K+ for “1511”, but the above form K of the rhizosphere soils in K+/K0–K+ was 8% and 10% higher than those in K+/K+ for “1601”. In conclusion, under the spatial K heterogeneity, low-K tolerant tea plant could achieve high K efficiency mainly through the following ways: (1) maintaining good fine root developments; (2) improving the soil K activation in K+/K0–K0 through the secretion of organic acids; (3) promoting the utilization of soil K in K+/K0–K+. Our findings may contribute to the improvement of tea planting patterns and quality in low K tea gardens, and that to understand the interactions between roots and soil of the low K-tolerant genotype tea plants under the condition of K spatial heterogeneity.

茶园土壤钾（K）的空间异质性普遍存在。然而，尚不清楚土壤K空间异质性下茶树植物的根际过程。钾的异质性通过多层分根系统进行了如下模拟：两面均施有钾肥（K + / K +），两面均无钾肥（K0 / K0），一侧有钾肥（K + / K0–K +）另一侧没有钾肥（K + / K0–K0）。在K空间异质性下，比较了两种茶树的根际过程差异（耐低钾基因型“ 1511”和耐低钾基因型“ 1601”）。“ 1511”在不同处理下可以保持相对稳定的细根比例。对于“ 1511”和“ 1601”而言，根系分泌物最强的土壤钾活化能力分别出现在K + / K0–K0和K + / K0–K +中。在“ 1511”中，K + / K0–K +中根际土壤的有效钾和缓慢可用钾分别比K + / K +中的分别低14％和8％，但上述形式的K + / K0–K +中的根际土壤形式K比“ 1601”的K + / K +分别高8％和10％。综上所述，在空间钾异质性下，低钾耐性茶树可通过以下途径实现高钾效率：（1）保持良好的细根发育；（2）通过有机酸的分泌改善土壤钾素在K + / K0-K0中的活化。（3）促进K + / K0-K +中土壤钾素的利用。我们的发现可能有助于改善低钾茶园的茶树种植方式和质量，并有助于了解低钾耐性基因型茶树在钾空间异质性条件下根与土壤之间的相互作用。