Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(8):334-343 | DOI: 10.17221/34/2009-PSE

Interannual dynamics of available potassium in a long-term fertilization experiment

M. Madaras, J. Lipavský
Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

Dynamics of the plant-available potassium (K) has been studied in polyfactorial long-term fertilization experiments since 1980. The fertilization scheme includes 10 combinations of K muriate and farmyard manure application rates (annually 0-230 kg K/ha). At medium treatment (annually 153 kg K/ha), the K balance within an 8-year crop rotation reflected crop specific K application rates with positive annual balances in years of growing silage maize and sugar beet (high K input), and negative in two years of growing alfalfa. Available K clearly corresponded to the dynamics of the K balance, with statistically significant fluctuations from 88 to 149 mg K/kg within one crop rotation cycle. Periodic fluctuations of available K induced by crop rotation were observed also in non-fertilized treatments. The variability of available K contents was influenced primarily by crop plants and experimental unexplained factors; interannual weather fluctuations and field differences were of low significance. In the paper, the importance of interannual K dynamics for the construction of correct long-term time trends is shown and discussed.

Keywords: long-term experiments; potassium; soil; nutrient balance; crop station

Published: August 31, 2009  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Madaras M, Lipavský J. Interannual dynamics of available potassium in a long-term fertilization experiment. Plant Soil Environ. 2009;55(8):334-343. doi: 10.17221/34/2009-PSE.
Download citation

References

  1. Andrist-Rangel Y., Edwards A.C., Hillier S., Oborn I. (2007): Long-term K dynamics in organic and conventional mixed cropping systems as related to management and soil properties. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 122: 413-426. Go to original source...
  2. Anonymous (2007): Agriculture 2007. Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, 127. (In Czech)
  3. Blake L., Mercik S., Koerschens M., Goulding K.W.T., Stempen S., Weigel A., Poulton P.R., Powlson D.S. (1999): Potassium content in soil, uptake in plants and the potassium balance in three European long-term field experiments. Plant and Soil, 216: 1-14. Go to original source...
  4. Cochran W.G., Cox G.M. (1957): Experimental Designs. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 611.
  5. El Dessougi H., Claassen N., Steingrobe B. (2002): Potassium efficiency mechanisms of wheat, barley, and sugar beet grown on a K fixing soil under controlled conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 165: 732-737. Go to original source...
  6. Fotyma M. (2007): Content of potassium in different forms in the soils of southeast Poland. Polish Journal of Soil Science, 40: 19-32.
  7. Holmqvist J., Ogaard A.F., Oborn I., Edwards A.C., Mattsson L., Sverdrup H. (2003): Application of the PROFILE model to estimate potassium release from mineral weathering in Northern European agricultural soils. European Journal of Agronomy, 20: 149-163. Go to original source...
  8. Hraško J., Červenka L., Facek Z., Komár J., Němeček J., Pospíšil F., Sirový V. (1962): Soil Analyses. SVPL, Bratislava, 342. (In Slovak)
  9. Jouany C., Colomb B., Bosc M. (1996): Long-term effects of potassium fertilization on yields and fertility status of calcareous soils of south-west France. European Journal of Agronomy, 5: 287-294. Go to original source...
  10. Lauringson E., Talgre L., Roostalu H., Vipper H. (2004): The effect of tillage and crop rotation on the content of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Agronomy Research, 2: 63-70.
  11. Lipavský J., Ludva L., Hromadová M., Kubát J. (2005): An overview of the long-term static field experiments in the Czech Republic. In: Voříšek K. et al. (eds.): The role of long-term field experiments in agricultural and ecological sciences and practical solutions for managing optimum C and N content in agricultural soils III. Conference Proceedings. Czech University of Agriculture and Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague, 143-147.
  12. Macháček V., Čermák P., Klír J. (2001): Potassium Fertilization in Czech Republic. Country Report 2. International Potash Institute and Research Institute of Crop Production and Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Prague, 59. (In Czech)
  13. Merbach W., Deubel A. (2007): The Long-Term Fertilization Trials in Halle (Saale), Germany. GWV, Fachverlage GmgH, Wiesbaden, 189.
  14. Merbach W., Deubel A. (2008): Long-term field experiments - museum relics of scientific challenge? Plant, Soil and Environment, 54: 219-266. Go to original source...
  15. Oborn I., Andrist-Rangel Y., Askekaard M., Grant C.A., Watson C.A., Edwards A.C. (2005): Critical aspects of potassium management in agricultural systems. Soil Use and Management, 21: 102-112. Go to original source...
  16. Simonsson M., Andersson S., Andrist-Rangel Y., Hillier S., Mattsson L., Oborn I. (2007): Potassium release and fixation as a function of fertilizer application rate and soil parent material. Geoderma, 140: 188-198. Go to original source...
  17. Southwood T.R.E. (1994): The importance of long-term experimentation. In: Leigh R.A., Johnston A.E. (eds.): Long-term Experiments in Agricultural and Ecological Sciences. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon.
  18. Trávník (2008): Monitoring influence of graduating fertilization intensity on crop yields and on agrochemical soil properties. Evaluation of analytical methods for soil available nutrients (final report from long-term experiments). CISTA, 26. (In Czech)
  19. Witter E., Johansson G. (2001): Potassium uptake from the subsoil by green manure crops. Biology, Agriculture and Horticulture, 19: 127-141. Go to original source...

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.