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2026 Vol.59, Issue 2 Preview Page

Original research article

Evaluation of Natural Rock Powder as a Potassium Source for Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivation
Jinhwan Park1
,
Taehee Baek2
,
Namhee Yi2
,
Hyunmin Lee3
,
Mina Lee4
,
Young A Oh5
,
Dong Ryul Lee5
,
Kwon-Rae Kim6*
1Master’s Student, Department of Smart Agro-industry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725 Korea
2Master’s Student, GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
3Undergraduate Student, Department of Smart Agro-industry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725 Korea
4Agri-Food Bio Convergence Institute, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
5Agro-Matereial Research Team, Namhae Chemical corporation, Yeosu 59618, Republic of Korea
6Department of Smart Agro-industry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding Author
31 May 2026. pp. 198-208
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Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of natural rock powder (NRP), derived from potassium (K) feldspar, as an eco-friendly K fertilizer for onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation under vinyl mulching conditions. The experimental design included a mineral fertilizer control and various NRP treatments (standard rate, double rate, micro-particles, and foliar application). The results showed no significant differences in onion fresh weight or bulb diameter across all treatments, suggesting that NRP can support basic crop growth. However, the K content in plant tissues was lower in NRP-treated plots compared to the control, with significant reductions observed in the NRP-2 and NRP-MP groups. This lower K uptake is attributed to the low solubility of NRP and its tendency to remain on the mulch surface during top-dressing, which limits nutrient penetration into the soil. Lab-scale elution tests confirmed that the control released approximately twice as much cumulative K as the NRP treatments, although Si release was comparable due to the mineral composition of the raw material. While NRP shows promise as a sustainable K source, enhancing its solubility through formulation improvements or specialized application methods is essential to optimize its efficacy in plastic-mulched cropping systems.

Shoot and bulb fresh weights and K concentrations of onion under different fertilizer treatments (NRP: natural rock powder). Differences among treatments were tested using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test at p < 0.05.
Keywords
Eco-freindly agriculture
Onion
Potassium feldspar
Vinyl mulching
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국토양비료학회
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국토양비료학회 학회지
  • Volume : 59
  • No :2
  • Pages :198-208
  • Received Date : 2026-04-02
  • Revised Date : 2026-05-29
  • Accepted Date : 2026-05-29
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7745/KJSSF.2026.59.2.198
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