Potassium Fertilizer Rate Recommendations: Does Accounting for Soil Stock of Potassium Matter?

Authors

Kimberly B. Oliver, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Michael P. Popp, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Di Fang, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
John D. Anderson, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Nathan A. Slaton, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Gerson L. Drescher, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Trenton L. Roberts, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2023

Keywords

fertilizer rate recommendations; potassium; rice; soil-test K; soybean

Abstract

Profitability, yield, and fertilizer use are compared across three different potassium (K) fertilizer rate recommendation ideologies. Existing agronomic, “build and maintain” rate recommendations (KE) are compared to profit-maximizing rates with and without taking long-run soil-test K (STK) implications into account. Regardless of starting STK, K use equilibrated over the course of 3 years irrespective of ideology. Since taking long-run STK into account did not alter ending STK and only led to a miniscule yield effect, we encourage producers to use annual profit-maximizing K rates that were 3–11% lower than KE rates and generated more profit with minimal yield loss.

Citation

Oliver, K. B., Popp, M. P., Fang, D., Anderson, J. D., Slaton, N. A., Drescher, G. L., Roberts, T. L., & Thompson, J. (2023). Potassium Fertilizer Rate Recommendations: Does Accounting for Soil Stock of Potassium Matter?. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 55 (1), 13-33. https://doi.org/10.1017/aae.2023.1

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.