LONG-TERM EFFECT OF POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION ON WATER CONTENT IN SORGHUM (FODDER) AND WHEAT GROWING ON INCEPTISOL
Abstract
Farmers’ practice of cultivating high yielding varieties of crops without applying potassium fertilizer has been depleting potassium reserve of the alluvial soils since the advent of green revolution in India (Singh et al., 2002; 2008; Singh and Bansal, 2013; Singh and Bansal, 2016). Due to leaching loses of applied potassium and native soil potassium (Singh et al.,2001) the rate of depletion is more in loamy sand alluvial soils than sandy loam soils. Consequently, from the soil, potassium deficiency hasbeen inheriting in growing crops resulting decrease in crop yield. Potassium concentrations in growingcrop plant affects growth of plants, nitrogen uptake and therefore also affect the water content in plants.
Due to more percolation rate and low water holding capacity of loamy sand alluvial soils, significant amount of irrigation water is leached to lower soil depth and cant not absorbed by growing crop plants. Therefore, growing crops on these soils require more irrigations than crops on sandy loam soils. Potassium fertilization in sorghum and wheat growing on such type of soil could be helpful for absorbing more water from the loamy sand soil as potassium content in plant also affects stomata opening and closing in leaf.
Keeping these in view, this study on long term effect of potassium fertilization on water content in sorghum and wheat was conducted as such types of study on potassium reserve depleted alluvial soil of Northern India is meager.
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