Short‐term potassium release and fixation in some calcareous soils

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Abstract
Potassium (K+) directly released from primary K‐bearing minerals can contribute to plant nutrition. The objective of this research was to assess short‐term K+ release and fixation on a range of intensively cropped calcareous soils. Potassium sorption and desorption properties and the contributions of exchangeable‐K+ (EK) and nonexchangeable‐K+ (NEK) pools to K+ dynamics of the soil‐solution system was measured using a modified quantity‐to‐intensity (Q : I) experiment. Release and fixation of K+ were varied among soils. The relation between the change in the amount of NEK during the experiment and the initial constrain was linear, and soil ability for K+ release and fixation (β) for all soils varied from 0.041 to 0.183, indicating that 4% to 18% of added K+ converted to NEK when fixation occurred. The equilibrium potential buffering capacity (PBC) for K+ derived from Q : I experiments had significant correlation (r = 0.75, p < 0.01) with β, indicating that PBC depends not only on exchange properties but also on release and fixation properties. The depleted soils showed higher β value than the other soils, indicating much of the added K+ was converted to NEK in case of positive constraint. The range of the amount of EK which was not in exchange equilibrium with Ca (Emin) in the experimental conditions was large and varied from 0.68 to 9.00 mmol kg–1. On average, Emin amounted to 64% of EK. This fraction of EK may not be available to the plant. The parameters obtained from these short‐term K+ release and fixation experiments can be used in plant nutrition.

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