Crop Response to Soil Salinity

Excess soil salinity causes poor and spotty stands of crops, uneven and stunted growth and poor yields, the extent depending on the degree of salinity. The primary effect of excess salinity is that it renders less water available to plants although some is still present in the root zone. This is because the osmotic pressure of the soil solution increases as the salt concentration increases. Apart from the osmotic effect of salts in the soil solution, excessive concentration and absorption

Fate of Potassium in Soils

Three forms of K (unavailable, slowly available or fixed, readily available or exchangeable) exist in soils. A description of these forms and their relationship to each other is provided in the paragraphs that follow. The general relationships of these forms to each other are illustrated in following Figure: