Factors affecting potassium fixation in calcareous soils of southern Iran

Abstract

Potassium fixation capacity and mineralogical analysis of 24 representative soils, collected from southern Iran, were studied. Potassium fixation analysis was performed by adding six rates of K from 0 to 1000 mg kg⁻¹ soil in a plastic beaker and shaking for 24 h. Mineralogical analysis showed that the clay fractions were dominated by smectite, chlorite, mica, palygorskite, vermiculite and quartz. In general, the studied soils fixed 8.5–55% of the added K. The potassium fixation capacity of the studied soils was significantly correlated with smectite content (r ² = 0.87), clay content (r ² = 0.60), cation-exchange capacity (r ² = 0.79) and NH₄OAc-K. Wetting and drying treatment and incubation time had significant effects on K fixation. The average percentage increase in K fixation following the wetting and drying treatment was 24 and 30% for surface and subsurface soils, respectively. The average percentage increase in K fixation with increasing residence time was 79 and 56% for surface and subsurface soils, respectively. Because K fixation is a diffusion process, time and increased concentration of soluble K (because of soil drying) are factors affecting the rate of K diffusion from a soil solution to the interlayer positions of the expansible 2:1 clay minerals.