Different forms of potassium in arid soils of sangat block of Bathinda District (Punjab) under cotton-wheat cropping System

Potassium exists in soil in different forms which are in a state of quasi-equilibrium with each other. These different forms of potassium and their inter-relationships were studied in cotton-wheat cropping system in arid soils of Sangat block, Bathinda, Punjab. The soil texture ranged from loamy sand to sandy clay loam and the soils were alkaline in reaction (pH ranged from 8.01 to 9.80). The electrical conductivity showed an increased trend with depth and ranged from 0.17 to 0.43 dS m⁻¹. soil organic carbon content varied from 1.23 to 2.87 g kg⁻¹ in surface soils, being higher than the values for subsurface soils (0.87 to 2.38 g kg⁻¹) The distribution of water soluble, available, exchangeable, nonexchangeable and fixed K in surface soil layer (0-15cm) ranged from 7.7 to 92.1 g kg⁻¹, 42.4 to 527.0 g kg⁻¹, 16.0 to 497.5 g kg⁻¹, 202.8 to 470.0 g kg⁻¹and 318.8 to 717.6 g kg⁻¹ respectively. the corresponding values for sub surface layer (15-30cm) ranged from 6.5 to 85.6 g kg⁻¹, 15.3 to 465 g kg⁻¹, 3.0 to 408.6 g kg⁻¹, 134.3 to 479.6 g kg⁻¹, and 262.3 to 664.8 mg kg⁻¹.