Abstract
Potassium (K) imbalances are of growing concern in southern China, where rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the primary food resource for a growing population. This study examined rice yield, K uptake and apparent balance under long-term fertilization in rice-based systems at four experimental sites, including both rice-rice as well as rice–wheat rotations. The experiments consist of four treatments: control (no fertilizer), nitrogen and phosphorus (NP), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), and NPK plus manure (NPKM). Across all sites, rice yields increased by 3–20% due to K fertilization (NPK vs. NP) and 4–20% due to manure application (NPKM vs. NPK). The mean internal K use efficiency (IE) was lower (32–56 kg kg−1) in treatments receiving K (NPK and NPKM) than in those without K application (36–91 kg kg−1—control and NP). Estimated from the logarithmic model, a total K uptake of 38–212 kg ha−1 was needed to produce 3–7 Mg ha−1 of rice grain. The annual apparent K balances were negative (17–245 kg ha−1 year−1), irrespective of mineral K application and site. But the negative K balance reduced by 27–88 kg ha−1 year−1 through application of mineral K in combination with manure. The higher negative apparent K balances under rice–wheat cropping system were related to the lower K application rate and the soils rich in K-bearing minerals, while the lower negative apparent K balances under rice–rice cropping system were related to the higher K application rate and the soils low in K-bearing minerals. We conclude that a re-adjustment of the current K application rate is needed to improve the long-term rice production in southern China.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National “Eleventh Five Years Plan” Key Project on Science and Technology of China (2006BAD02A14, 2006BAD05B09 and 2006BAD25B07), a Special Project for State Basic Research Program of China (2007FY220400), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (20080440458). We thank all staff working in these experimental sites.
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Zhang, H., Xu, M., Shi, X. et al. Rice yield, potassium uptake and apparent balance under long-term fertilization in rice-based cropping systems in southern China. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 88, 341–349 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-010-9359-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-010-9359-3