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Potassium Status of Some Soils from the Northern Districts of Bangladesh

S. F. Elahi
Department of Soil Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

M. S. Hussain
Department of Soil Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

M. S. Choudhury
Department of Soil Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Potassium status of twelve extensively occurring agricultural soils from northern region of Bangladesh was determined. The soils varied considerably in their content of different forms of potassium. Water soluble K was generally low in all the soils. Exchangeable K was in optimum range in two soils and In the medium range In other soils. Non-exchangeable K varied between 0.27 and 3.26 me% when extracted by hot sulphuric acid, and between 0.44 and 3.94 me% when extracted by boiling 1N nitric acid. Total K contents ranged from 42.0 to 78.0 me%, which indicate that these soils have good reserve of K to replenish the loss caused by uptake of potassium by plants.

Keywords: Potassium status, Soil, Bangladesh

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Soil fertility

Objectives:

To evaluate the different fractions of K in order to estimate the K-supplying capacity of twelve major agricultural soils from the northern districts of Bangladesh

Methodology:

Soil samples from 12 representative soil series of the northern districts of Bangladesh were collected from the surface 15 cm depth. These soil series were established by the Soil Resources Development Institute Staff (9) during their reconnaissance soil survey works of Bangladesh. Names of the studied soil series, their location, parent material and classification at subgroup level were described. The collected soil samples were air dried and ground to pass through a 10 mesh sieve before their laboratory analysis. Particle size distribution analysis of. the soils was carried out by the hydrometer method (10). pH was determined by a pH meter using a soil: water ratio of 1: 2.5. Organic carbon was determined by the wet oxidation method (11). Cation exchange capacity was determined by the neutral ammonium acetate method (12). Extraction of total K was carried out by using HF-HC1O₄ mixture (8). Non-exchangeable K was extracted by two methods: (i) hot 1.4N H₂SO₄ (13); and (il) boiling 1N HNO₃ (14). Exchangeable K was extracted by neutral 1N ammonium acetate solution, while water-soluble K was extracted by distilled water (12). The extracted potassium was determined by using a flame photometer.

Source of Information: Dhaka Univ. J. BioI. Set 2(2) : 175-181, 1993 (July)

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Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The above results indicate that the soils of the northern . districts of Bangladesh are quite rich and variable in their contents of total potassium. Lack of a correlation between the total potassium and the illite contents in the studied soils may be due to the fact that a portion of the total potassium may be in the feldspar minerals. The non-exchangeable form of potassium in the soils ranged up to 5 per-cent of the total potassium content. Exchangeable K status in these soils can be considered high although they contained very small amount of water soluble potassium.

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