Continuous Cropping, Fertilization, and Organic Manure Application Effects on Potassium in an Alfisol under Arid Conditions

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2010-01, Vol.41 (5-8), p.783-796
• Main Authors: Srinivasarao, Ch, Vittal, K.P.R, Kundu, Sumanta, Gajbhiye, P.N, Babu, M. Vijayasankar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alfisol; Alfisols; animal manures; application rate; Arachis hypogaea; arid zones; Biological and medical sciences; constant rate K; continuous cropping; crop production; Fertilizers; forms of K; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; K-release kinetics; long term experiments; Manures; NPK fertilizers; nutrient availability; organic fertilizers; organic manures; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; peanut hulls; potassium; soil amendments; soil nutrient dynamics; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; step K
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103620903565993

Effects of continuous cropping and addition of organic manures (farmyard manure, FYM, and groundnut shells, GNS) along with inorganic fertilizers on nonexchangeable potassium (K) release kinetics in a K-deficient Alfisol were studied in a 20-year manurial experiment under arid conditions. There was a depletion in available K under continuous cropping without K input (control) as compared to other treatments such as 100% nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK), 50% NPK + 4 metric tons (MT) groundnut shells ha-1, 50% NPK + 4 MT FYM ha-1, and 100% organic (i.e., 5 MT FYM ha-1). Over 20 years of cropping without K input, available K was reduced from 155 kg ha-1 (in 1985) to 82 kg ha-1 (in 2005), showing a negative balance of 73 kg ha-1. Soil in control plots showed available K in the deficient range (