Zhen Xu , Tingzhen Lai , Shuang Li , Dongxia Si , Chaochun Zhang
{"title":"Effective potassium management for sustainable crop production based on soil potassium availability","authors":"Zhen Xu , Tingzhen Lai , Shuang Li , Dongxia Si , Chaochun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109865","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for sustainable crop production. The impact of exogenous K input on soil K apparent balance has been increasingly investigated; however, the effects of K input on K reserves and crop yields in soils with different characteristics are not well understood. This study conducted a six-season crop field experiment at Quzhou site (QZ), a region with inherently high soil K availability, and Liaocheng (LC) site, a region with low soil K availability. It examined the impacts of K fertilizer application, with straw retention and straw removal, on soil K reserves and yield sustainability of winter wheat-summer maize in the North China Plain. The results indicated that co-application of K fertilizer and straw did not influence crop annual yield at QZ but significantly increased yields by 21 % at LC, and the co-application did not significantly affect the sustainable yield index at both sites. Crop K uptake was higher at QZ than at LC and was increased by straw retention at both sites, suggesting straw is a vital supplement for promoting K uptake. NH<sub>4</sub>OAc-extractable K was most abundant in the topsoil but was likely translocated to deeper soil layers with higher K inputs, especially at the LC site. Slowly available K decreased for straw removal with no K fertilizer at both sites, but for application of 332 kg K ha<sup>−1</sup>, the slowly available K remained unchanged at QZ and increased at LC. The recommended K fertilization rate of 112 kg K ha<sup>−1</sup> had no significant effect on soil NH<sub>4</sub>OAc extractable K concentration at QZ but the increase in that concentration at LC was only observed with straw retention. In words, for soils initially rich in K, a sustainable K management strategy should consider adjusting K apparent balances based on K fertilizer prices. In contrast, for soils naturally deficient in K, enhancing soil K fertility through K fertilization is essential, alongside the strategic use of straw.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109865"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Field Crops Research","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429025001303","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for sustainable crop production. The impact of exogenous K input on soil K apparent balance has been increasingly investigated; however, the effects of K input on K reserves and crop yields in soils with different characteristics are not well understood. This study conducted a six-season crop field experiment at Quzhou site (QZ), a region with inherently high soil K availability, and Liaocheng (LC) site, a region with low soil K availability. It examined the impacts of K fertilizer application, with straw retention and straw removal, on soil K reserves and yield sustainability of winter wheat-summer maize in the North China Plain. The results indicated that co-application of K fertilizer and straw did not influence crop annual yield at QZ but significantly increased yields by 21 % at LC, and the co-application did not significantly affect the sustainable yield index at both sites. Crop K uptake was higher at QZ than at LC and was increased by straw retention at both sites, suggesting straw is a vital supplement for promoting K uptake. NH4OAc-extractable K was most abundant in the topsoil but was likely translocated to deeper soil layers with higher K inputs, especially at the LC site. Slowly available K decreased for straw removal with no K fertilizer at both sites, but for application of 332 kg K ha−1, the slowly available K remained unchanged at QZ and increased at LC. The recommended K fertilization rate of 112 kg K ha−1 had no significant effect on soil NH4OAc extractable K concentration at QZ but the increase in that concentration at LC was only observed with straw retention. In words, for soils initially rich in K, a sustainable K management strategy should consider adjusting K apparent balances based on K fertilizer prices. In contrast, for soils naturally deficient in K, enhancing soil K fertility through K fertilization is essential, alongside the strategic use of straw.
期刊介绍:
Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on:
√ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels
on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems,
with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.