ISHS Acta Horticulturae 633: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Protected Cultivation 2002: In Search of Structures, Systems and Plant Materials for Sustainable Greenhouse Production
RETENTION AND MIGRATION PROCESS OF POTASSIUM IN AN ORGANIC SUBSTRATE FOR HORTICULTURE |
| Authors: | R. Madjar, V. Davidescu |
| Keywords: | exchangeable forms, glass columns, specific equation, forestry compost, peat |
| Abstract:
Potassium is an essential element for plant growth, present in the soil in water soluble, exchangeable, and nonexchangeable forms. It is important to understand the retention and migration processes of potassium from plant nutrient and soil fertility standpoints. The paper presents the potassium quantities retained in different forms in a natural substrate composed of equal parts of forestry compost and peat. The substrate was realized for pot trials with different ornamental species. The research of retention and migration processes of K was investigated using glass columns, uniformly packed with equal parts of forestry compost and peat. The columns have been percolated with solution with increasing concentration of K. In the collected percolate, K was analysed. After percolation, in the substrate dried in air K extractable in NH4OAc 1n, pH = 7 (Schollenberger-Dreibelbis-Cernescu) was obtained. Potassium was measured in all extracts by flame emission spectrophotometry. This study was conducted to determinate the specific equation of the retention and migration of potassium in a natural substrate and to find a relationship between organic matter content of substrate and potassium retention. | |
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