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Published (Version of Record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Comparison of soil analytical methods for estimating plant-available potassium in highly weathered soils
Soil research (Collingwood, Vic.), Vol.61(7), pp.717-733
2023
Abstract
Context
The NaHCO3-extractable soil K test (Colwell K) is the most frequently used method for soil K across Australia, but there is still uncertainty about the suitability of K testing guidelines for heavy-textured soils.
Aims
To determine whether Colwell K is suitable for predicting plant-available K on loam- and clay-textured soil types developed from highly weathered soil parent materials in Western Australia (WA).
Methods
Nine soil K testing methods were used to determine plant-available K on 21 soil types with a wide range of properties collected from three depths on the northern, central and southern farmlands in WA.
Key results
Quartz and K-feldspars were the dominant minerals in all soils, while limited white mica (1–2%) was identified in less than 10% of samples. The amount of K extracted by silver thiourea was only about 70% of the amounts extracted by NaHCO3 (Colwell K) and NH4OAc. Soil non-exchangeable K extracted by nitric acid and sodium tetraphenyl borate were from similar K pools, while aqua regia K was 1–6 times higher than these values.
Conclusion
There was no systemic difference or proportional bias between NH4OAc K and Colwell K, and both had good model performance (R2 > 0.86) for total K uptake by wheat in a single growing season in a wide range of soils.
Implication
In this diverse range of soils formed from weathered parent materials, the reliance on exchangeable K for plant K uptake suggests that plant-available K will be vulnerable to rundown due to negative K balances.
Details
- Title
- Comparison of soil analytical methods for estimating plant-available potassium in highly weathered soils
- Authors/Creators
- Miaomiao Cheng - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsRichard Bell - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsJordan Brown - Curtin UniversityQifu Ma - Murdoch UniversityCraig Scanlan - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Publication Details
- Soil research (Collingwood, Vic.), Vol.61(7), pp.717-733
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Identifiers
- 991005593756407891
- Copyright
- © 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems; SoilsWest
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.473 Soil Phosphorus Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Soil Science
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences