Subsoil-potassium depletion accounts for the nutrient budget in high-potassium agricultural soils.

ABSTRACT: Continuous potassium (K) removal without replenishment is progressively mining Argentinean soils. Our goals were to evaluate the sensitivity of soil-K to K budgets, quantify soil-K changes over time along the soil profile, and identify soil variables that regulate soil-K depletion. Four on-farm trials under two crop rotations including maize, wheat and soybean were evaluated. Three treatments were compared: (1) control (no fertilizer applied); (2) application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur fertilizers -NPS-; and (3) pristine condition. After nine years, crops removed from 258 to 556 kg K ha^-1. Only two sites showed a decline in the exchangeable-K levels at 0-20 cm but unrelated to K budget. Topsoil exchangeable-K levels under agriculture resulted 48% lower than their pristi

SUBMITTER: Correndo AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8172836 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature