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The Release of Fixed Ammonium from Soils by Sodium as Affected by Small Amounts of Potassium or Ammonium¹

ABSTRACT

The release of fixed NH₄ from soils by Na was studied. Data are presented to show that when no K was added to NH₄-saturated air-dried soils, 86 to 98% of the fixed NH₄ was released during alkaline aeration or distillation. When small amounts of K were added to the alkalizing agents, the release was markedly decreased. When the K/Na ratio of the alkalizing agents was increased to 0.005, only 14 to 35% of the fixed NH₄ was released. Similar effects were noted when small amounts of NH₄ were allowed to accumulate in the system during equilibration of NH₄-saturated soils in various volumes and concentrations of NaCl solutions.

The rate of release of fixed NH₄ was studied by aerating NH₄-saturated soils in the presence of Na₂CO₃ solution. The data obtained indicate that release is slow, even under conditions which favor removal of the released NH₄ from the system. A linear relationship was obtained when the logarithm of rate of release was plotted against time. Thus, it was concluded that the release of fixed NH₄ was similar to the release of fixed K from vermiculite and the later stages of K release from biotite noted by others.

¹ Joint contribution from the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA, and the Washington Agr. Exp. Sta., Pullman. Scientific Paper No. 2290. Research reported here was done as part of Western Research Project W-31.

² Soil Scientist, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Prosser, Wash.; and Soil Scientist, Washington Agr. Exp. Sta., Pullman, respectively.

Received for publication December 31, 1962. Accepted for publication April 16, 1963.