Evaluation of critical limits for potassium in shrink-swell soils and pearl millet

Abstract

The pot culture experiment was conducted during 2012-13 at Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Dhule, M.P.K.V., Rahuri (M.S.) for evaluation of critical limits for potassium in shrink-swell soils and pearl millet. The experiment was conducted with 18 soil samples consisting of Low (6 samples), medium (6 samples) and high (6 samples) potassium content. The dry matter of pearl millet was in the range of 19.13 to 38.17 gm pot-1 with 0.47 to 1.10 mg pot-1 potassium uptake was recorded with the application of potassium @ 30 mg kg-1 soil in low, medium and high K content soils. The soil critical limit of potassium was 132.15 kg ha-1 obtained on the basis of scattered diagram with soil available potassium and per cent potassium vs Bray’s per cent yield of pearl millet. However, critical limit of potassium in pearl millet was 2.46 % obtained on the basis of scattered diagram between per cent yield of pearl millet Vs plant potassium content.