what we do know is that plants can use Na ions to replace K ions, but its just as likely large volumes of sea minerals more generally have helped to reinstate lost minerals in previous years across the effected area. Did they say if they treated the land with local compost after the event, or was it simply left to recover on its own? Perhaps the change in the biostack is what enables this secondary transcription activity where we have higher levels of salts around say a rice plant.
In rice related research, it was determined, "Pseudomonas chlororaphis EA105 is able to trigger a system-wide defense against the rice blast fungus, which destroys enough rice to feed an estimated 60 million people each year.
EA105 inhibits formation of the fungus's attack machinery, the appressoria, which acts like a battering ram, putting pressure on a plant leaf until it is punctured.
A second microbe, EA106, mobilizes an iron plaque, or shield, to begin accumulating on the roots of rice plants when arsenic is present, effectively blocking uptake of the poison.
The complex relationships between plants and the microorganisms living with them, their "microbiome," provide countless avenues to explore in the quest to improve plant health.
"Plants are exposed to multiple stresses these days, many driven by changing climate. Plants are just confused. They don't know what to do," Bais said. "We're trying to help them cope."
some data to help provide insight in to plant uptake of K or Na
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1021159130729