Potassium Fractions in Soils as Affected by Monocalcium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulfate, and Potassium Chloride Application

• Published in: Pedosphere Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 368 - 377
• Main Authors: WANG, Huo-Yan, ZHOU, Jian-Min, DU, Chang-Wen, CHEN, Xiao-Qin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2010; Stare Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)
• Subjects: fertilizers; K availability; K fixation; K release; 典型土壤; 土壤钾; 氯化钾; 相互作用; 硫酸铵; 磷酸二氢钙; China, People's Rep; K release; K availability; fertilizers; K fixation
• ISSN: 1002-0160; 2210-5107
• DOI: 10.1016/S1002-0160(10)60026-4

Soil potassium （K） deficiency has been increasing over recent decades as a result of higher inputs of N and P fertilizers concomitant with lower inputs of K fertilizers in China; however, the effects of interactions between N, P, and K of fertilizers on K status in soils have not been thoroughly investigated for optimizing N, P, and K fertilizer use efficiency. The influence of ammonium sulfate （AS）, monocMcium phosphate （MCP）, and potassium chloride application on K fractions in three typical soils of China was evaluated during 90-d laboratory soil incubation. The presence of AS significantly altered the distribution of native and added K in soils, while addition of MCP did not significantly affected K equilibrium in most cases. Addition of AS significantly increased water-soluble K （WSK）, decreased exchangeable K （EK） in almost all the soils except the paddy soil that contained considerable amounts of 2：1 type clay minerals with K added, retarded the formation of fixed K in the soils with K added, and suppressed the release of fixed K in the three soils without K added. These interactions might be expected to influence the K availability to plants when the soil was fertilized with AS. To improve K fertilizer use efficiency, whether combined application of AS and K was to be recommended or avoided should depend on K status of the soil, soil properties, and cropping systems.