In a long-term field experiment with a duration of 19 years the impact of different rates of potassium (0–100–200–300 kg K2O/ha/year) with and without farmyard manure (FYM) (30 t/ha every 3 years before sugar beet) on yields, crop quality, K-content in the soil and the economic effects in a sugar beet — wheat — barley crop-rotation was studied. K-rates below crops K-uptake led to a distinct decline in soil fertility. Sugar beet as well as wheat showed an average yield decrease of 35% and 12%, resp. during the whole trial period. FYM increased the yield level especially of sugar beet, but did not affect the optimum K-rate. With negative K-balances and a falling K-content in the soil, sugar yields decreased over the whole trial period combined with a lower sugar content in the roots. For that reason the efficiency of K-fertilization increased with the duration of the experiment. At the described site an extractable K-content of about 250 ppm K2O was optimum. In order to maintain this soil-K-value a K-application rate exceed the K-removal by 45 kg K2O/ha/year was necessary.