Soil Analysis for Ammonium Acetate Extractable Potassium

Hafeez ur Rehman Agricultural Officer Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Gujranwala

Principle
Ammonium Acetate Solution is used to extract Potassium from exchange sites of soil colloids. Ammonium ions of the solution are replace Potassium ions from exchange sites. As a result, the released K in the soil solution can be detected by flame photometer

Principle of flame photometry

Flame photometry relies upon the fact that: The compounds of the alkali and alkaline earth metals can be thermally dissociated in a flame and The atoms produced will be further excited to a higher energy level. When these atoms return to the ground state they emit radiation which lies mainly in the visible region of the spectrum. Each element will emit radiation at a wavelength specific for that element. The measurement of the emitted radiation forms the basis of flame photometry.

Equipment/Apparatus Required
Weighing balance Mechanical shaker Flame Photometer Cylinder, 50 ml Volumetric flasks,100 ml Pipette, 5 and 10 ml Conical flasks 250 ml Wash bottle

Reagent/Medias Required
A. 1N NH4OAC: Dissolve 77.1 g ammonium acetate (CH3COONH4) in 800 ml distilled water and make the volume upto 1 litre mark. Adjust pH 7.0 using either NH4OH or HCl B. Stock Solution: Dissolve 1.9103 g oven dried KCl in distilled water and make volume upto 1 litre mark. This solution contains 1000 ppm K or CRM of 1000 ppm for Potassium

Method
Preparation of working standard solution
Stock solution so prepared will be used for the preparation of working standard solutions by using formula C1V1 = C2V2 Where C1 = Concentration of stock solution in ppm V1 = Volume to be taken of stock solution in ml C2 = Concentration of K to be required in ppm V2 = Total volume to be required in ml Working Standard Solution can be prepared of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ppm concentration

 Weigh

2.5 g air dried, ground, passed through 2 mm sieve soil sample into a 250 ml conical flask 50 ml extracting reagent on a shaker for 30 minutes the extract

Add

Shake

Filter

Determine

K by flame photometer in ppm using graph readings

Calculations
Extractable K (ppm) = reading (ppm) x 50/2.5 (DF)

Interpretation of Soil Analysis for Potassium

Example:Soil containing 60 ppm K then amount of K in kg acre-1
As we know, ppm= mg/kg 1 kg soil contains K = 60 mg 2x106 kg soil (1 hectare) contains K = 60 x 2x106 mg 2x106 /2.47 soil (1 acre) contains K = 60 x 2x106/2.47 mg 2 x 106 x 60 2x106 /2.47 soil (1 acre) contains K = ______________ kg 2.47x1000x1000 1 acre soil upto 6 inch depth contains K = 0.81 x 60 kg/acre 1 acre soil upto 6 inch depth contains K = 48.6 kg 1 acre soil upto 6 inch depth contains K2O = 48.6 x 1.2046 kg 1 acre soil upto 6 inch depth contains K2O = 58.32 kg/ acre

Fertilizer Analysis for Potassium

Hafeez ur Rehman Agricultural Officer Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Gujranwala

(Method No. 971.01 AOAC. Official Methods of Analysis, 1990)

Equipment/Apparatus Required
Flame Photometer Electronic balance Volumetric flask 100 ml Pipettes 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 ml Wash bottle Weighing balance

Reagent/Medias Required
Stock Solution: Dissolve 1.9103 g oven dried KCl in distilled water and make volume upto 1 litre. This solution contains 1000 ppm K or CRM of 1000 ppm for Potassium

Method

Working Standard Solution can be prepared of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 ppm concentration from stock solution Dissolve 1.0 g ground potassic fertilizer material in 100 ml distilled water Shake well to dissolve Filter the solution Take 1ml from filtrate into another 100 ml volumetric flask and make volume with distilled water Take readings on flame photometer using standard curve procedure

Calculations
K (ppm) x 10,000 (D.F) x 1.2046 %K2O = ___________________________ 10,000 So, % K2O = K (ppm) x 0.12046

Cautions/Safety Requirement
Always Run a blank for accurate results Run a standard sample of fertilizer for comparison

Interpretation of Water Analysis for Potassium

Example:Irrigation water (suppoed 1 ppm K) upto 3 inch depth then the amount of K (kg acre-1) ?
Irrigation of 1 acre upto 3 inches depth contains water = 3 inch ____x 43560 ft2 x 28.3 12

Irrigation of 1 acre upto 3 inches depth contains water = 308187 L 1 L water contains K = 1 mg 308187 L water contains K = 1 x 308187 mg = _308187 1000x1000 = 0.31 kg K 1 acre irrigation upto 3 inch depth contains K2O = 0.31 x 1.2046 = 0.37 kg K2O/ acre

Interpretation of Plant Potassium Contents

Example:To get 60 Monds yield of paddy, the uptake of Potassium (kg) ? 60 monds paddy yield = 60 x 40 = 2400 kg Paddy contains moisture = 20 % so, The moisture weight = 2400 x 20/100 = 480 kg Remaining dry weight of paddy yield =2400-480 =1920 kg dry weight 100 kg paddy yield contains K = 1 kg K So, 1 x 1920 1920 kg dry weight (60 monds) paddy contains K =________ 100 = 19.2 kg K 60 monds paddy yield contains K2O = 19.2 X 1.2046 = 23.04 kg K2O On dry weight basis the ratio Straw: Grains 1 : 1 So, the quantity of K2O = 23.04 X 2 = 46.08 kg K2O

THANKS