Outputs: Potassium Losses from Agricultural Systems

B - Book chapters etc edited externally

Goulding, K. W. T., Murrell, S. T., Mikkelsen, R. L., Rosolem, C., Johnston, A. E., Wang, H. and Alfaro, M. A. 2021. Outputs: Potassium Losses from Agricultural Systems. in: Murrell, S. T., Mikkelsen, R. L., Sulewski, G., Norton, R. and Thompson, M. L. (ed.) Improving Potassium Recommendations for Agricultural Crops Cham, Switzerland Springer. pp. 75-97

AuthorsGoulding, K. W. T., Murrell, S. T., Mikkelsen, R. L., Rosolem, C., Johnston, A. E., Wang, H. and Alfaro, M. A.
EditorsMurrell, S. T., Mikkelsen, R. L., Sulewski, G., Norton, R. and Thompson, M. L.
Abstract

Potassium (K) outputs comprise removals in harvested crops and losses via a number of pathways. No specific environmental issues arise from K losses to the wider environment, and so they have received little attention. Nevertheless, K is very soluble and so can be leached to depth or to surface waters. Also, because K is bound to clays and organic materials, and adsorbed K is mostly associated with fine soil particles, it can be eroded with particulate material in runoff water and by strong winds. It can also be lost when crop residues are burned in the open. Losses represent a potential economic cost to farmers and reduce soil nutritional status for plant growth. The pathways of loss and their relative importance can be related to: (a) the general characteristics of the agricultural ecosystem (tropical or temperate regions, cropping or grazing, tillage management, interactions with other nutrients such as nitrogen); (b) the specific characteristics of the agricultural ecosystem such as soil mineralogy, texture, initial soil K status, sources of K applied (organic, inorganic), and rates and timing of fertilizer applications. This chapter provides an overview of the main factors affecting K removals in crops and losses through runoff, leaching, erosion, and open burning.

KeywordsBioavailable potassium ; Fertilizer management; Plant nutrition; Potash; Soil; Soil chemistry; Soil science; Sustainability
Page range75-97
Year of Publication2021
Book titleImproving Potassium Recommendations for Agricultural Crops
PublisherSpringer
Place of publicationCham, Switzerland
EditionFirst
ISBN978-3-030-59196-0
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59197-7_3
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59197-7
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeS2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 1 (WP1) - Optimising nutrient flows and pools in the soil-plant-biota system
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright license
CC BY
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online2021

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