Effects of Rice Straw Compost Application on Exchangeable Potassium in Long-term Fertilization Experiments of Paddy Soils

In an experiment conducted at the research field of the National Institute of Agricultural Science, we investigated the effects of mineral fertilizer and rice straw compost on exchangeable potassium and K balances, and rice grain yield under a rice single system. The treatments were no fertilization (No fert.), inorganic fertilization (N), inorganic fertilizer (N, P, K) plus rice straw compost at rates of 7.5, 15.0, 22.5, and $30.0ton\;ha^{-1}$ (NPKC7.5, NPKC15.0, NPKC22.5, and NPKC30.0, respectively). The inorganic fertilizers(N, P, K) were added with standard fertilizer application rate in which nitrogen (N), phosphate ($P_2O_5$), and potassium ($K_2O$) were applied with $75{\sim}150kg\;ha^{-1}$, $70{\sim}86kg\;ha^{-1}$, $75{\sim}86kg\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. Exchangeable potassium for NPKC15.0 NPKC22.5, and NPK30.0 treatments was higher by $0.05{\sim}0.19cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ than that of NPKC7.5 treatment. Increasing levels of rice straw compost resulted in an increase in the K balance from - $19.9kg\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ (No fert.) to $41.9kg\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ at NPKC22.5 treatment and $62.9kg\;ha^{-1}$ at NPKC30.0 treatment. Continuous application of rice straw compost with NPK fertilizers affected significantly the rice grain yields. The result of the study imply that the application of more than $22.5ton\;ha^{-1}$ of rice straw compost with NPK fertilizers are recommended as the best fertilization practice for enhancement of crop production and K supplying power of soil in the continuous rice cropping system.