Regional Distribution of Potassium in the B Horizon Clay of Some Prairie Loess Soils of the Midwest
1969
Wells, K. L. | Riecken, F. F.
To test the hypothesis that K content of Iowa soils was related to soil development, samples from the B horizon of selected sites were obtained from loess-derived prairie soils at several locations within the state. Samples were also obtained from Nebraska and Illinois loess soils to relate the Iowa study to the midwestern prairie region. Total K in clay from the B horizons decreased progressively from west to east. This was explained on the basis of concurrent increase in average annual precipitation from west to east across the area. No consistent relationships between total K content and standard indexes of profile development were obtained. However, K was highly correlated with depth to the B horizon. Although montmorillonite was the dominant clay mineral in all samples, there was relatively more illite in samples of higher K content and from sites receiving lesser amounts of annual precipitation. Studies of K released to sodium tetraphenyl boron (NaTPB) on Iowa soils reflect the trends in total K content found in the B horizons.
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