Divisions S-4 - soil fertility and plant nutrition: residual value of lime and leaching of calcium in a kaolinitic ultisol in the high rainfall tropics
A long-term experiment was conducted on a highly acidic (pH 4.6), coarse-textured Ultisol in the high rainfall region of southeastern Nigeria in order to evaluate the requirement for and residual value of lime (Ca(OH)/sub 2/) to a continuous crop rotation, and to determine the fate of applied Ca in the soil profile. The initial lime rates used were 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 t of Ca(OH)/sub 2/ per hectare. Maize (Zea mays) was planted in the first season and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in the second season under a no-tillage, stubble conservation system. Relatively low rates of lime are adequate to sustain yields in a continuous maize-cowpea rotation system. Liming at a rate of 0.5 t/ha maintained maize yield near maximum for 2 years after application. Sustained maize yields for 5 years or more were possible with a lime rate of 2 t/ha. Cowpeas performed well and showed strong tolerance to soil acidity when planted as a late second-season crop after maize without additional fertilizer application. The critical level of exchangeable Al ranged from 25 to 55% depending upon rate of chemical fertilizer as well as cowpea variety used. Leaching losses of Ca from the surface soil during the first 3 years were <0.5 t/ha of Ca(OH)/sub 2/-equivalents in the 0- to 2-t/ha treatments. Exchangeable-Al saturation in all subsoil layers of all treatments 3 years after liming exceeded 40% and soil pH (H/sub 2/O) was <4.3 indicating that lime was leached as neutral Ca salts and had little effect in ameliorating subsoil acidity. 17 references, 5 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria
- OSTI ID:
- 5305147
- Journal Information:
- Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.; (United States), Vol. 46
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CALCIUM
LEACHING
LIMING
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
TROPICAL REGIONS
AGRICULTURE
ALUMINIUM
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
CALCIUM HYDROXIDES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
FERTILIZERS
MAIZE
NIGERIA
PH VALUE
PRODUCTIVITY
SOILS
TOLERANCE
AFRICA
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CEREALS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
GRASS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INDUSTRY
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560303 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)