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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Potassium Exchange Characteristics and Clay Mineral Composition of Major Agricultural Soils in West Java

(Indonesia), Master of Science in Soil Science (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Thesis Abstract:

 

The study was conducted to determine the clay mineral composition, potassium status, and exchange characteristics of major agricultural soils in West Java, Indonesia. Potassiumm availability indices, including HCI-extractable potassium (K). NaTPB extractable K, and Q/1 parameter were studied using soils from Padalarang, Cipatat, Cisarua, Sukobumi, and Pelabuhan Ratu, all in West Java. The soils differed in their mineralogical and chemical characteristics.

The mineralogical composition of the clay fraction showed that the five soils contained kaolinite. However, smectite was the dominant constituent of the clay fraction on the soils. Likewise, soil from Cipatat, Cisarua, and Sukabumi appeared to contain undetermined quantities of amorphous mineral. Regarding the chemical characteristics of the soils, Padalarang had the highest total K, HCI -extractable K, NaTPB extractable K, and the highest in Gapun selectivity coefficient (KG).

For the Q/1 parameter, Padalarang also exhibited the highest value of ∆ Kº and potential buffering capactty of the soil for K (PBCK) although it contained lower value of measure of the degree of availability of K (ARKe). However, Cipatat, the most weathered of the five soils whose clay particle, largely kaolinite, exhibited the lowest total K, HCLextractable K, NH4 OAc-extractable K values and the lowest (together with Cisarua) NaPTB-extractable K. Likewise, Cipatat had the lowest ARKe, ∆ Kº, KX, and PBCK values. These observations were expected because of the colloidal properties of kaolinite.

The effect of K applied to tho soils generally showed that retention of K from K2SO4 was greater than from KCI. Consequently, and it was more obvious in certain soils, that K uptake by two-week-old corn was greater in KCI than those in K2SO4-treated samples.

The correlation of the various pair, K parameters revealed the following significant correlations: K uptake vs. NH4 OAc-extractable K, K uptake vs. KX, total K vs. HCI-extractable K, total K vs ∆ Kº, total K vs. KX, total K vs. PBCK, HCI-extractable K vs. NH4 OAc-extractable K, HCI-extractable K vs. âˆ† Kº, HCI-extractable K vs. PBCK, NH4 OAc-extractable K vs. KX, NaTPB extractable K vs. âˆ† Kº, NaPTB extractabe K vs. PBCK and âˆ† Kº vs. PBCK.