A Study on the Quantity/Intensity Relationships of Potassium of Sugarcane Growing Soils, Eastern Thailand

ABSTRACT

Surface and subsurface horizons of 16 representative sugarcane growing soils with varying soil properties in the eastern region of Thailand were collected to determine the potassium (K) fertility status and its availability by using the quantity/intensity relationship (potential buffering capacity of K (PBC_k)). The results showed that most soils had a low K fertility status and lack of reserved K from K-bearing minerals. The PBC_k values of the studied soils ranged from 3.75 to 168 cmol kg⁻¹/(mol L⁻¹)^1/2, and the coarse-textured soil group showed much lower PBC_k values; these results suggested a low capability of these soils to replenish K removal by plant uptake compared with that of the fine-textured soil group. The negative delta K (ΔK°) values of the coarse-textured soil group also indicated a large quantity of readily available K for plant uptake that easily leaches at the same time. The higher K activity ratio (AR^k_e) of the coarse-textured soil group (>0.001 mol L⁻¹)^1/2) than that of the fine-textured soil group (<0.001 mol L⁻¹)^1/2) suggested that readily available K was desorbed from the non-specific sites of 1:1 clay minerals and specific sites of 2:1 clay minerals, respectively. The ΔK° value of the studied soils was more significantly correlated to K concentration in sugarcane stalks (R² = 0.64) than that of readily available K content (R² = 0.54). Therefore, the results of this study suggested that ΔK° represents a better parameter to estimate K availability in these soils compared to conventional ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc)-extractable K content.

KEYWORDS:

• Potassium buffering capacity
• Q/I relationship
• sugarcane growing soils

Acknowledgments

This research is supported in part by the Graduate Program Scholarship from the Graduate School, Kasetsart University. The assistance of the staff of the Soil Science Department and Office of Science for Land Development is gratefully acknowledged.

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported in part by the Graduate Program Scholarship from the Graduate School, Kasetsart University.