Potassium buffering characteristics of ten typical rice soils of Lesser Himalayas

An understanding of soil K dynamics is important for K management in a rice–mustard cropping pattern. Ten rice soils were evaluated for labile K (ΔK0), K intensity (ARK e), change of K in solution (ΔK), equilibrium exchangeable K (EK0), magnitude of conversion of solution K to exchangeable K (α) and potential buffering capacity of K (PBCK). The 10 soils had exchangeable K values of 0.12–0.44 cmolc kg−1, with the lowest value in Telbal loam and the highest in Badripora clay loam. The highest ΔK0 value (−0.356 cmolc kg−1) was observed in Badripora clay loam, and the lowest (−0.239 cmolc kg−1) was found in Kreeri clay loam. These soils exhibited equilibrium ARKe values of 0.8 to 3.1 × 10−3 mM1/2, with the lowest value in Bonbagh clay loam and the highest in Ganasthan silt loam. The highest EK0 value (0.853 cmolc kg−1) was observed in Kharpora clay loam and lowest (0.0.507 cmolc kg−1) was in Bonbagh clay loam. These soils also differed in the magnitude of conversion of solution K to exchangeable K(α), the hig...