The effect of soil pH on potassium intensity and release of non-exchangeable potassium to ryegrass

Abstract

Ryegrass was used to remove potassium from two acid soils limed to different pH values. Most non-exchangeable potassium was removed from the unlimed soils (pH 4·5) but differences in removal between pH 5·5 and 7·0 were small. Air-drying the soils after cropping released further potassium into the exchangeable form in amounts independent of soil pH.Equilibrium potassium activity ratios (ARK) after each out declined to small constant values characteristic of the soils. A sandy soil (Woburn) initially contained less exchangeable potassium than a soil with more clay (Sawyers), but after a few crops, ARK, % K in the grass and K uptakes per cut were larger from Woburn soil, showing that non-exchangeable potassium was being released faster than in the other soil.