Evaluation of Sodium Tetraphenylboron (NaBPh4) as a Soil Test of Potassium Availability

Potassium fertilizer use in Greece is among the lowest in the European Union and remains low. The quantity of potassium-bearing minerals in Greek soils is thought to be high enough to meet crop needs. Research is being conducted to determine if this is indeed the case. Traditional methods of testing soils for potassium do not measure potassium in the interlayers of certain minerals, even though this potassium can be used, at least to some degree, by plants. Sodium tetraphenyl boron can measure a portion of this interlayer potassium. The goal of this study was to test if sodium tetraphenyl boron could improve the accuracy of assessments of potassium soil fertility. The study did find such an improvement, especially in soils with lower potassium levels.

For the complete article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2016.1218479