DYNAMICS OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONS OF POTASSIUM IN SEMI-ARID SOILS

Surface soil samples were collected from medium black (Typic Ustochrepts) and grey brown (Typic Ustipsammets) soil groups. Soils were loamy sand to clay loam in texture with organic carbon content varying from 0.68 to 1.53 per cent. Exchangeable-K had high correlation with Ksaturation per cent (r=0.97), Morgan-K (r=0.84) and organic carbon (r=0.65) whereas water soluble-K was found to have negative correlation with organic carbon and pH of the soils. Nitritic acid extractable-K had high correlation with total K (r=0:99) and reserve-K (r=0.94) and also with soil properties like CEC (r=0.74), silt (r=0.62) and clay (r=O.72). Morgan-K was highly correlated with exchangeable-K (r=0.84) and total-K (r=0.84) and medium with organic carbon (r=0.60). Reserve-K was found to have high correlation with HN03-K (r=0.94) and total-K (r=0.98). It had medium to high correlation to CEC (r=0.68). High correlation with HN0 3-K (r=0.99) but no correlation with water soluble and exchangeable-K was observed with total-K. Potassium saturation per cent had high correlation with Exchangeable-K (r=0.97).