Vol. 10, Issue 2 (2022)
Utilisation of potassium rich crop residues for the retention of potassium in lateritic soils
Author(s): Sree Lakshmi P and KM Durga Devi
Abstract: Potassic fertilisers are often overlooked in fertiliser schedules due to their high unsubsidized cost. There are some K rich organic sources that are ignored by the farmers and are left or burnt in the soil. The utilisation of organic K resources like rice straw and plantain compost made from banana wastes are regarded good alternatives for synthetic potassic fertilisers. The present investigation consisted of an incubation study in lateritic soil with different sources of potassium. Data on the different fractions of soil K indicated that the treatment containing rice straw with lime and Muriate of potash showed the higher value of total K, exchangeable K and non-exchangeable K after 90 days of incubation. The reason might be that the presence of more inter planar sites in rice straw has trapped the K+ ions in fixed form since the material is not completely decomposed. At the same time incorporation of rice straw has enhanced the CEC of the soil thus enhancing greater adsorption of exchangeable K from unavailable forms by mass effect. The integrated application of organic K resources with lime and K fertilisers resulted in significant increases in soil K fractions. Combined application of rice straw with lime and K fertiliser can be considered as the best method for long-term cultivation because it has the ability to retain and release more K, particularly non-exchangeable, exchangeable, and total K, allowing for continuous uptake of K by the crops for normal growth and development. The usage of plantain compost in combination with lime and Muriate of potash has resulted in increased availability of K as well as micronutrients by maintaining favourable PH.
Pages: 117-120 | 317 Views 66 Downloads
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How to cite this article:
Sree Lakshmi P, KM Durga Devi. Utilisation of potassium rich crop residues for the retention of potassium in lateritic soils. Int J Chem Stud 2022;10(2):117-120.
