Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(11):770-781 | DOI: 10.17221/310/2025-PSE

Soil nutrient contents in a long-term field experiment following the suspension of phosphorus and potassium fertilisationOriginal Paper

Gabriela Mühlbachová1, Helena Kusá1, Pavel Růžek1, Martin Káš1, Radek Vavera1
1 Czech Agrofood Research Centre, Prague 6 – Ruzyně, Czech Republic

The effect of mineral, organic (manure or straw + intercrop) and combined fertilisation on the development of soil nutrient contents over time and their mutual ratios was evaluated in a long-term field trial, IOSDV (established in 1984 at two sites), differing in the soil-climatic conditions. Three cropping cycles, from 2016 to 2018, 2019 to 2021, and 2022 to 2024, were studied in the following crop rotation: winter wheat-winter barley-root crop (sugar beet at Ivanovice na Hané and potatoes at Lukavec). Potassium and phosphorus in mineral fertilisers have not been applied since the year 2020 due to their high content found in soils after dry years with low yields. Consequently, their content decreased, most in the third rotation, both by the Mehlich 3 method and especially the exchange fraction extractable with NH4-acetate (Ivanovice: P 5–14%, 32–40% and K up to 12%, 9–20% determined by Mehlich 3 and NH4-acetate, respectively; Lukavec: Mehlich 3 – P increase: 5–16%, K decrease: 0–8%; NH4- acetate decrease – P: 10–13%, K 8–23%). The mutual ratio of nutrients equivalents K : Mg : Ca was lower than required values 1 : 2–3 : 10–15 at both sites and all studied treatments, however a slight increase was observed during the studied period, above all in system with only mineral fertilisation (Ivanovice: K : Mg : Ca from 1 : 1.2 : 5.6 to 1 : 1.4 : 6.8, Lukavec: from 1 : 1.0 : 7.7 to 1 : 1.0 : 9.6). A correctly balanced ratio of nutrients in the soil is important for maintaining soil fertility. In this long-term field experiment, the increase in nutrient levels in soils over reasonable levels was observed, highlighting the necessity of regular nutrient testing in agricultural soils, especially when multiple types of fertilisers are used simultaneously.

Keywords: yields; uptake; nutrient ratio; soil tests

Received: July 16, 2025; Revised: October 10, 2025; Accepted: November 3, 2025; Prepublished online: November 19, 2025; Published: November 28, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Mühlbachová G, Kusá H, Růžek P, Káš M, Vavera R. Soil nutrient contents in a long-term field experiment following the suspension of phosphorus and potassium fertilisation. Plant Soil Environ. 2025;71(11):770-781. doi: 10.17221/310/2025-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Asrade D.A., Kulhánek M., Balík J., Černý J., Sedlář O., Suran P. (2024): Phosphorus availability and balance with long-term sewage sludge and nitrogen fertilisation in Chernozem soil under maize monoculture. Plants, 13: 2037. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Balík J., Vaněk V., Suran P., Pavlíková D. (2022): Soil Nutrient Pools - Focused on the Topic of Potassium. In: Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Reasonable Use of Fertilizers, 1.12. 2022. Prague, Czech University of Life Sciences, 17-26. (In Czech)
    3. Blake L., Mercik S., Koerschens M., Goulding K.W.T., Stempen S., Weigel A., Poulton P.R., Powlson D.S. (2000a): 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. Blake L., Mercik S., Koerschens M., Moskal S., Poulton P.R., Goulding K.W.T., Weigel A., Powlson D.S. (2000b): Phosphorus content in soil, uptake by plants and balance in three European long-term field experiments. Nutrient Cycling in Agrosystems, 56: 263-275. Go to original source...
    5. Çakmak I., Yazici A.M. (2010): Magnesium: a forgotten element in crop production. Better Crops, 94: 23-25.
    6. Carreira J.A., Viñegla B., Lajtha K. (2005): Secondary CaCO3 and precipitation of P-Ca compounds control the retention of soil P in arid ecosystems. Journal of Arid Environment, 64: 460-473. Go to original source...
    7. Chaganti V.N., Culman S.W., Herms C., Sprunger C.D., Brock C., Soto A.L., Doohan D. (2021): Base cation saturation ratios, soil health, and yield in organic field crops. Agronomy Journal, 113: 4190-4200. Go to original source...
    8. Chaganti V.N., Culman S.W. (2017): Historical perspective of soil balancing theory and identifying knowledge gaps: a review. Crop, Forage and Turfgrass Management, 3: 1-7. Go to original source...
    9. Chen Y., Camps-Arbestain M., Shen Q., Singh B., Cayuela M.L. (2018): The long-term role of organic amendments in building soil nutrient fertility: a meta-analysis and review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 111: 103-125. Go to original source...
    10. Clough A., Skjemstad J.O. (2000): Physical and chemical protection of soil organic carbon in three agricultural soils with diferent contents of calcium carbonate. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 38: 1005-1016. Go to original source...
    11. Csitári G., Tóth Z., Kökény M. (2021): Effects of organic amendments on soil aggregate stability and microbial biomass in a long-term fertilization experiment (IOSDV). Sustainability, 13: 9769. Go to original source...
    12. Culman S.W., Brock C., Doohan D., Jackson-Smith D., Herms C., Chaganti V.N., Kleinhenz M., Sprunger C.D., Spargo J. (2021): Base cation saturation ratios vs. sufficiency level of nutrients: a false dichotomy in practice. Agronomy Journal, 113: 5623-5634. Go to original source...
    13. Domagała-Świątkiewicz I., Gąstoł M., Kiszka A. (2019): Effect of nitrogen and potassium fertilization on the magnesium content in vineyard soil, and in the leaves and berries of Bianca and Sibera grapevine cultivars. Jorunal of Elementology, 24: 755-769.
    14. Fageria V.D. (2001): Nutrient interactions in crop plants. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 24: 1269-1290. Go to original source...
    15. Gransee A., Führs H. (2013): Magnesium mobility in soils as a challenge for soil and plant analysis, magnesium fertilization and root uptake under adverse growth conditions. Plant and Soil, 368: 5-21. Go to original source...
    16. Hlisnikovský L., Menšík L., Křížová K., Kunzová E. (2021): The effect of farmyard manure and mineral fertilizers on sugar beet beetroot and top yield and soil chemical parameters. Agronomy, 11: 133. Go to original source...
    17. Jaša S., Badalíková B., Červinka J. (2019): Influence of digestate on physical properties of soil in ZD Budišov. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 67: 75-83. Go to original source...
    18. Káš M., Mühlbachová G., Kusá H. (2019): Winter wheat yields under different soil-climatic conditions in a long-term field trial. Plant, Soil and Environment, 65: 27-34. Go to original source...
    19. Káš M., Mühlbachová G., Kusá H. (2022): Pre-crop value of sugar beet under conditions of climate change. Listy Cukrovarnické a Řepařské, 138: 60-62.
    20. Khan A., Lu G., Ayaz M., Zhang H., Wang R., Lv F., Yang X., Sun B., Zhang S. (2018): Phosphorus efficiency, soil phosphorus dynamics and critical phosphorus level under long-term fertilization for single and double cropping systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 256: 1-11. Go to original source...
    21. Körschens M., Albert E., Armbruster M., Barkusky D., Baumecker M., Behle-Schalk L., Bischoff R., Čergan Z., Ellmer F., Herbst F., Hoffmann S., Hofmann B., Kismanyoky T., Kubat J., Kunzova E., Lopez-Fando C., Merbach I., Merbach W., Pardor M.T., Rogasik J., Rühlmann J., Spiegel H., Schulz E., Tajnsek A., Toth Z., Wegener H., Zorn W. (2013): Effect of mineral and organic fertilization on crop yield, nitrogen uptake, carbon and nitrogen balances, as well as soil organic carbon content and dynamics: results from 20 Eu-ropean long-term field experiments of the twenty-first century. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 59: 1017-1040. Go to original source...
    22. Li H.X., Chen Z.J., Zhou T., Liu Y., Zhou J.B. (2018): High potassium to magnesium ratio affected the growth and magnesium uptake of three tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 17: 2813-2821. Go to original source...
    23. Lindsay W.L. (1979): Chemical Equilibria in Soils. Hoboken, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 449. ISBN: 0471027049
    24. Loide V. (2004): About the effect of the contents and ratios of soil's available calcium, potassium and magnesium in liming of acid soils. Agronomy Research, 2: 71-82.
    25. Kautz T., Wirth S., Ellmer F. (2004): Microbial activity in a sandy arable soil is governed by the fertilization regime. European Journal of Soil Biology, 40: 87-94. Go to original source...
    26. Matula J. (2007): Optimization of Nutrient Status of Soils by KVK-UF Soil Test. Methodology for Praxis. Prague, Crop Research Institute, 48. ISBN: 978-80-87011-16-4 (In Czech)
    27. Mehlich A. (1984): Mehlich 3 soil test extractant: a modification of Mehlich 2 extractant. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 15: 1409-1416. Go to original source...
    28. Meitner J., Balek J., Bláhová M., Semerádová D., Hlavinka P., Lukas V., Jurečka F., Žalud Z., Klem K., Trnka M. (2023): Estimating drought-induced crop yield losses at the cadastral area level in the Czech Republic. Agronomy, 13: 1669. Go to original source...
    29. Mühlbachová G., Růžek P., Kusá H., Vavera R., Káš M. (2024): Nutrient distribution in the soil profile under different tillage practices during a long-term field trial. Agronomy, 14: 3017. Go to original source...
    30. Penn C.J., Camberato J.J. (2019): A critical review on soil chemical processes that control how soil pH affects phosphorus availability to plants. Agriculture-Basel, 9: 120. Go to original source...
    31. Rashmi I., Biswas A.K. (2018): Phosphorus sorption characteristics of soils for managing the fertilizer phosphorus in three dominant soil types of India. Chemical Science Review and Letters, 7: 725-731.
    32. Rasmussen P.E., Douglas C.L. jr., Collins H.P., Albrecht S.L. (1998): Long-term cropping system effects on mineralizable nitrogen in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 30: 1829-1837. Go to original source...
    33. Soto A.L., Culman S.W., Herms C., Sprunger C., Doohan D. (2023): Managing soil acidity vs. soil Ca:Mg ratio: what is more important for crop productivity? Crop Forage Turfgrass Management, 9: e20210. Go to original source...
    34. Tian R., Li H., Zhu H., Liu X., Gao X. (2013): Ca2+ and Cu2+ induced aggregation of variably charged soil particles: a comparative study. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 77: 774-781. Go to original source...
    35. Torbenson M.C.A., Buentgen U., Esper J., Urban O., Balek J., Reinig F., Krusic P.J., del Castillo E.M., Brázdil R., Semerádová D., Štěpánek P., Pernicová N., Kolář T., Rybníček M., Koňasová E., Arbelaez J., Trnka M. (2023): Central European agroclimate over the past 2000 years. Journal of Climate, 36: 4429-4441. Go to original source...
    36. Varga I., Jović J., Rastija M., Markulj Kulundžić A., Zebec V., Lončarić Z., Iljkić D., Antunović M. (2022): Efficiency and management of nitrogen fertilization in sugar beet as spring crop: a review. Nitrogen, 2022: 170-185. Go to original source...
    37. Zebec V., Rastija D., Lončarić Z., Bensa A., Popović B., Ivezić V. (2017): Comparison of chemical extraction methods for determination of soil potassium in different soil types. Eurasian Soil Science, 50: 1420-1427. Go to original source...
    38. Zhou W.M., Ata-Ul-Karim S.T., Moritsuka N., Kato Y. (2022): Exploring the association between inherent soil nutrient availability and crop responses following long-term cessation of fertilizer inputs in a wheat-maize cropping system. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 22: 4683-4692. 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.


    Return to the content