Evaluated Potential of Mica Waste to Release Sufficient Potassium to Support the Growth of Plants in Acidic Tea-Growing Soil in Northeast India. Issue 10 (31st May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pramanik, Prabhat; Kalita, Chayanika
• Is Part Of: Communications in soil science and plant analysis. Volume 50:Issue 10(2019)
• Page Start: 1258
• Page End: 1266
• Publication Date: 2019-05-31
• Subjects: Potassium feldspar -- mica waste -- plant growth -- K availability in soil -- K uptake -- tea; Soil science -- Periodicals; Plants -- Chemical analysis -- Periodicals; Agricultural chemistry -- Periodicals; 631.405
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2019.1614603
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0010-3624

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Tea ( Camellia sinensis L.) is a nutrient-demanding perennial crop and cultivated in typically acidic soil under sub-tropic humid condition. A large amount of fertilizers, especially urea and muriate of potash (MoP), are applied in the soil to sustain tea productivity. However, high potassium (K)-loss from soil under humid conditions suggests the requirement of an alternative K source for supplementing K in the soil during tea cultivation. The objective was to evaluate the possibility of using K-containing minerals, namely, potassium feldspar (K-spar) and mica waste (WM), as alternative K-source for supplementing K in the soil. In this study, application of WM at the recommended dose increased exchangeable K content in soil compared to control (received no K input); however, the value was lower than that of MoP treatment. The WM-treated plants had better growth and higher K uptake than plants with the MoP treatment. Application of WM at half of the recommended dose increased K content in the soil above no K-treated soil and recorded comparable growth and K accumulation by plants as MoP. MW could be used as K amendment in acidic soil, especially during tea cultivation.