1. K Fixation and Significance for Crop Production

Some cultivated soils in California found on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and derived from granitic parent material have the capacity to fix added K, making it unavailable or less available to crops. The main soil mineral responsible for K fixation is vermiculite, which is a weathering product of mica, and which can occur in the clay, silt, and fine-sand size fractions. We have developed a model that predicts the location of K-fixing soils in the region and a practical soil test... S. Pettygrove, T. O'geen, R. Southard