WO1983000795A1

WO1983000795A1 - A method for treating saltings and heavy soils with potassium fertilizers

Info

Publication number: WO1983000795A1
Application number: PCT/HU1982/000041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Élmszolg; Mihály TÖROCSIK; Károly WIMMER
Original assignee: Elmszolg
Priority date: 1981-09-04
Filing date: 1982-09-03
Publication date: 1983-03-17
Also published as: EP0087439A4; HU182372B; EP0087439A1

Abstract

Improved method for treating saltings and heavy soils with potassium fertilizers. According to the invention a potassium fertilizer is applied, preferably together with a silicon compound, onto the soil in the spring before sowing the cultivated plants. This method of treatment results in a significant increase of crop yield.

Description

A METHOD FOR TREATI NG SALTINGS AND HEAVY SOILS WITH POTASSIUM FERTILIZERS

The invention rela tes to an improved me thod for treat ing saltings and heavy soils with potassium fertilizers.

According to the invention a potassium fertilizer is applied, preferably together with a silicon compound, on to the soil in the spring before sowing the cultivated plants.

With corn or sunflower fields application is performed 40 days before sowing when the heaviness index (according to Arany) of the soil is 40-45, 30 days before sowing when the heaviness index of the soil is 45-50, and 15-20 days before sowing when the heaviness index of the soil exceeds 50.

Fertilizers exert a great influence on plant growth and crop yield. Chemical analysis of plants indicates that they contain elements which are present in the soil as well. Some of these elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesi um, calcium, iron and sulfur, are essential, other elements, such as boron, copper, manganese , zinc, molybdenum and cobalt, are important as microelements, whereas the role of some other βleaents is subordinated or disputable . The percentage ratio of the individual elements varies, of course, with the plant type, even more, their distribution is not uniform in the plant itself, thus e.g. the essential element content of the stalk and the seed is frequently different.

From the aspect of the invention it is important that the soil should contain the essential elements.

An element, present in any amount in the soil, can never be absorbed totally by the plant. This fact should always be taken into account when treating the soil with manure or a fertilizer. The absorbability depends on several factors, such as

- soil type,

- water content, - temperature conditions,

- pH conditions,

- microorganisms present,

- type of colloidal soil components,

- type of clay minerals present, - ion exchange processes,

- chemical bonds (simple or covalent bonds),

- water/air ratio of the arable soil layer, etc.

With respect to potassium, the most important influencing factors are clay minerals, chemical bonds and ion exchange processes.

When sodium and magnesium ions predominate in the soil, potassium added to the soil looses its effects completely after a certain period.

Potassium appears in soil almost exclusively as a mineral component, i.e. in inorganic bonds. With respect to solubility, the potassium stock of soils can be divided into three main groups, i.e.: - lattice potassium,

- adsorbed potassium, and

- potassium dissolved in groundwater.

It is known that the major part of potassium ab sorbed by plants reaches the roots by diffusion, whereas at most 10% of the total potassium uptake results from flow processes, thus adsorption processes play a particularly important- role in potassium transfer [Stefanovits, Pal: Talajtan (Soil Science) p. 180; Mezõ gazdasagi Kiado, Budapest, 1981 (in Hungarian)].

Soils generally contain a substantial. amount of potassium. The potassium content of soils, i.e. the potassium stock, may vary within 1% and 5%. The major part of this potassium stock appears in silicate bonds in various minerals (potassium feldspathoids, micas, illites, etc.), whereas the remainder is adsorptively bound potassium.

The ratio of the differently bound and thus differently soluble potassium components may vary significantly. Frost and thawing, drying and moistening have different effects on the ratio of the potassium components. The amount of easily soluble potassium increases upon the effect of frost and drying, and decreases with thawing and moistening. These changes are the greater the more clay minerals are present in the soil.

According to the known techniques potassium fertilizers are applied onto soil in the autumn.

Now it has been found, unexpectedly, that when a potassium fertilizer is applied onto the soil in the spring before sowing, the crop yield increases significantly. These favourable results appear on both salting and heavy soils. By the method of the invention we could attain a 25-30% increase in. cyop yield on wheat, corn, potato, pea and sunflower fields.

It is assumed that when potassium is applied in the autumn, its major part builds into the soil within about 4-5 months. When potassium is applied only in the spring before sowing, it cannot be bound in the soil, since the plants take up the potassium salts before the chemical processes leading to bonding could proceed. Ons of the advantages of the method according to the invention is that the amount of-potassium salts to be applied can be decreased. It has been observed that crop yield increases favourably even when the amount of potassium salts applied is lower by 20-30% than the usual. The simultaneous application of silicon compounds favours the potassium uptake of plants, since silicium ions can replace potassium ions in various soil components.

The invention is illustrated in more detail by the aid of the follewing examples. Wxample 1

Test parcels were treated with potassium fertilizer (135 kg of potassium per hectare in the average) in the spring, and then corn was sown into the treated parcels between 15th and 25th April. The control parcels were treated with the same amount of potassium fertilizer in October. The following conditions were the same in the comparative tests: a) soil characteristics of the parcels, b) nutrient supply, c) date and conditions of sowing, d) seil cultivation, e) plant protection, f) precipitate conditions, g) plant varieties.

The results are summarized in Table 1.

The amount and components of fertilizers applied are listed in Table 2.

Triazine compounds were utilized as plant protecting agents. Parcels IV/12b , IV/2 and IV/3 were watered with 75 mm of water, each.

The plant varieties used in the individual tests are listed in Table 3.

Example 2

In tests performed on sunflower fields a 15-20% increase in crop yield could be observed on ths parcels treated according to the invention.

Example 5

In tests performed on wheat fields a 15-20% increase in crop yield could be observed on the parcels treated according to the invention.

Claims

What we claim is:

1. A method for treating saltingsand heavy soils with potassium fertilizers, characterized in that a potassium fertilizer is applied, preferably together with a silicon compound, onto the soil in the spring prior to sowing the cultivated plants.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that corn field is treated.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that sunflower field is treated.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that application is performed 40 days before sowing when the heaviness index (according to Arasy) of the soil is 40-45, 30 days before sowing when the heaviness index of the soil is 45-50, and 15-20 days before sowing when the heaviness index of the soil exceeds 50.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that wheat field is treated.