Input and output pathways determining potassium budgets in two paddy fields subjected to countermeasures against radiocesium in Fukushima, Japan

Countermeasures to reduce radiocesium ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) uptake by crops have been implemented in farmlands affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. A widely practiced countermeasure is the application of potassium (K). Long-term soil K maintenance is a key issue due to the long physical half-life of (137)Cs (30 years). Information on input and output pathways determining plant-available K budgets can provide a base for the development of maintenance strategies. Therefore, in this study we evaluated these pathways in paddy fields subjected to K fertilization as a countermeasure. We selected two fields with different soil textures and drainage conditions and quantified input and output via fertilization, irrigation, precipitation, straw return to soil, plant harvesting, surface runoff, and percolation during the cropping period in 2018. The major input pathways were fertilization, straw return, and irrigation due to a large inflow volume with spill-over irrigation. The major output pathways consisted of plant harvesting, surface runoff, and percolation. However, 85% of K in harvested plants was brought back by straw return; in practice, harvesting was a minor pathway. The K budgets during the study period were negative (−20 and −289 kg ha(−1)) and especially severe in clay loam soil with high output via percolation. This could probably be attributed to the low cation exchange capacity and high permeability from the low total C and clay contents. Losses via surface runoff stemmed from excessive irrigation volumes in both fields. Around 70% of the total K output via surface runoff and percolation was discharged before mid-summer drainage. Accordingly, controlling the irrigation volume during this period in addition to increasing cation exchange capacity and decreasing permeability may improve the negative budgets.