WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Bahadur Lal*

ABSTRACT

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and plays a crucial role in various physiological processes. However, a significant portion of potassium present in the soil is unavailable to plants due to fixation, which reduces its accessibility and limits its uptake. This phenomenon, known as potassium fixation, occurs when potassium ions interact with soil particles and become tightly bound, making them less mobile and unable to be readily absorbed by plant roots. The fixation of potassium in soil is influenced by several factors, including soil mineralogy, soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), clay content, organic matter content, and soil moisture. Certain soil minerals, such as vermiculite and illite, have a higher affinity for fixing potassium ions, leading to greater fixation potential. Acidic soils with low pH and high CEC tend to exhibit higher levels of potassium fixation. The fixation mechanisms involve both physical and chemical interactions. Physical fixation occurs when potassium ions are trapped within interlayer spaces of clay minerals or held in micropores, reducing their mobility. Chemical fixation involves the exchange of potassium ions with other cations, such as calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg), on the surface of soil particles, leading to the formation of stable compounds that are less available to plants.

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