Summary
This controlled pot study demonstrates the application of high-precision stable K isotope analysis to quantify potassium fertiliser uptake by corn, a methodological advance over conventional concentration-based approaches. Using 41K-enriched labelled fertiliser at three application rates, the authors measured preferential uptake of light K isotopes and estimated fertiliser recovery efficiencies between 59–81%. The findings reveal that traditional K concentration methods systematically under- and over-estimate fertiliser utilisation depending on soil K status, whereas isotope tracing unambiguously partitions fertiliser-derived K from native soil K pools, offering improved mechanistic insight into soil–plant K cycling.
UK applicability
The isotopic methodology developed here has potential relevance to UK cereal and arable production, where potassium fertiliser represents a significant input cost and environmental concern. However, applicability will depend on adoption of high-precision isotope analysis infrastructure in UK agricultural research and advisory services, and validation under UK soil and climatic conditions.
Key measures
δ41K values (stable K isotope ratios); apparent fertiliser recovery efficiency (%); mass-dependent fractionation of 41K/39K between shoot and soil (−0.37‰); K concentration measurements for comparison
Outcomes reported
The study quantified potassium fertiliser recovery efficiency in corn shoots using stable K isotope labelling (41K tracer), yielding apparent recovery rates of 59–81%, and demonstrated that conventional K concentration-based methods misestimate fertiliser utilisation across different soil K treatment levels.
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