Soil Potassium Indices and Clay‐Sized Particles affecting Banana‐Wilt Expression Caused by Soil Fungus in Banana Plantation Development on Transported Volcanic Soils

Abstract Relations among the expression of banana disease symptoms caused by the soil fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, soil potassium (K)–sodium (Na) properties [soluble K‐Na ratios (SK/SS), potential buffering capacity for K (KBC), potassium adsorption ratio (KAR)], and clay‐sized particles were evaluated in Sorribas plots from the Canary Islands. Soils were sampled in areas of Sorribas where banana plants show positive or negative wilting symptoms characteristic of Panama disease. The Bartoli method was used for soil dispersion (Na resin). This method was able to show a clear separation between diseased and disease‐free areas by the amount of clay‐sized particles. Results also show that the greatest SK/SS ratios and clay‐sized particles in soils from diseased areas could explain the increase of water‐stable aggregate mass in these soils and the release of available iron (Fe) to soil solution in diseased areas, at least in Sorribas cultivated soils under the arid climate conditions of the Canary...