The effect of ionic strength on soil P reactions is negligible

Abstract

The electrolyte concentration of the soil solution affects the availability of some nutrients in the soil, especially of P, but it is not know at what salt concentration the reactions start to be significantly affected and their magnitude. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of rates of potassium chloride (KCl) on some soil parameters that determine supplying of P, K, Ca, Mg, and Al in an unlimed acid soil. Increasing rates of KCl (from zero up to 2000 mg K kg⁻¹) were applied to soil samples fertilized with 360 mg P kg⁻¹. Solution (C_li) and exchangeable (C_si) forms of P, Ca, Mg, K, and Al were determined in the treated soil samples after 30-days of incubation; cation activity in solution and their selectivity coefficients were then calculated. Addition of KCl at rates equal to or above 500 mg K kg⁻¹ caused a large relative increase on P in the soil solution (P_li) but a small and insignificant increase on the absolute value of P_li. All forms of soil K increased with increases on K applied, and buffer power for K varied according to the range of soil K. At all KCl rates, K displaced Ca, Mg, and Al from the solid phase to the soil solution, but had no effect on the extractable values. The relative preference of cations for the adsorption sites increased with increase on cation valency, and only those selectivity coefficients involving K were affected by K applied.