Evaluation of relationship between dispersibility of soils and charge characteristics using a modified ion adsorption method; An example of soils from Wakayama Prefecture,Japan

The relationship between the charge characteristics and the dispersibility of soils from reclaimed land (highly dispersive) and adjacent forest area (physically stable) was investigated.

To evaluate the amount of soil charges quantitatively, the measurement based on cation and anion adsorption (ion adsorption method) was attempted in two ways, where special attention was paid to the solution concentration. In the conventional ion adsorption method, the treatments with concentrated solutions (1 mol L^-1) were included in the process. In the modified method, soils were treated with dilute solutions (5 mmol L^-1), in taking account of the soil solution concentration in humid temperate regions. The amount of charges derived from the modified method was smaller than that from the conventional one, especially in the high pH zone. In a preliminary experiment, the extraction of polyvalent cations from soils was found to be significantly affected by the salt concentration. Thus, the use of solutions with an excessively high concentration was considered to result in an error in the estimation of the active charges in soils which would contribute to the dispersion behavior in the field.

The applicability of the modified method for analyzing the dispersion behavior of soils was evaluated by relating the dispersibility of silts and clays at different pHs with the charge characteristics determined under the same ionic strength. The dispersion ratio of silts of the reclaimed land reached maximum values at pH 5.5, above which the ratio decreased, whereas the ratio of clays began to increase in the pH range above 6. The dispersion ratio of silts of the forest area increased in the pH range above 6, whereas that of clays remained constant at a low level in all the pH ranges below 7. The changes in the dispersibility of silt plus clay fractions corresponded to total charge characteristics determined by the modified method. Thus, the evaluation of soil charges by the modified ion adsorption method was considered to be effective to predict soil dispersibility under field conditions, indicating that it could replace electrokinetic analyses such as electrophoresis in studies on the dispersion/flocculation behavior of soils.     

Amelioration Effects of Pedogenetic Acidification Process on Physical Properties of Soils in Japanese Non-Volcanic Areas with Special Reference to Charge Characteristics

The charge characteristics and physical properties of acid soils were compared with those of reference clays to elucidate the effect of the pedogenetic acidification process on soil physicochemical properties. The soil physics such as clay dispersibility and aggregate stability of the acid soils are considered to be ameliorated by acidification process, which is attributable to the increase in amorphous Al hydroxides and interlayering of 2:1 clays. This means that the pedogenetic acidification process plays an important role in maintaining a desirable soil structure in Japanese non-volcanic areas from the aspect of environmental conservation. The involved mechanism was discussed with special reference to the modification of charge characteristics of clays and binding agents between soil particles.     

铁铝氢氧化物对两种土壤和高岭石表面K+和NH4+解吸的影响

Potassium (K) and nitrogen (N) are essential nutrients for plants. Adsorption and desorption in soils affect K+ and NH + 4 availabilities to plants and can be affected by the interaction between the electrical double layers on oppositely charged particles because the interaction can decrease the surface charge density of the particles by neutralization of positive and negative charges. We studied the effect of iron (Fe)/aluminum (Al) hydroxides on desorption of K+ and NH + 4 from soils and kaolinite and proposed desorption mechanisms based on the overlapping of diffuse layers between negatively charged soils and mineral particles and the positively charged Fe/Al hydroxide particles. Our results indicated that the overlapping of diffuse layers of electrical double layers between positively charged Fe/Al hydroxides, as amorphous Al(OH) 3 or Fe(OH) 3 , and negatively charged surfaces from an Ultisol, an Alfisol, and a kaolinite standard caused the effective negative surface charge density on the soils and kaolinite to become less negative. Thus the adsorption affinity of these negatively charged surfaces for K+ and NH + 4 declined as a result of the incorporation of the Fe/Al hydroxides. Consequently, the release of exchangeable K+ and NH +4 from the surfaces of the soils and kaolinite increased with the amount of the Fe/Al hydroxides added. The greater the positive charge on the surfaces of Fe/Al hydroxides, the stronger was the interactive effect between the hydroxides and soils or kaolinite, and thus the more release of K+ and NH + 4 . A decrease in pH led to increased positive surface charge on the Fe/Al hydroxides and enhanced interactive effects between the hydroxides and soils/kaolinite. As a result, more K+ and NH + 4 were desorbed from the soils and kaolinite. This study suggests that the interaction between oppositely charged particles of variable charge soils can enhance the mobility of K+ and NH + 4 in the soils and thus increase their leaching loss.     

Acid- and base titration behaviour of finnish mineral soils

The acid- and base-buffering properties of 84 non-calcareous surface soil samples were studied by batch titration with HCI or KOH at a constant ionic strength of I = 0.1. The soil samples were classified according to their pH of zero point of titration (ZPT). Differential buffer values, dB(H) or dB(OH) (H⁺ or OH^? as meq kg^?1 needed to reduce or increase the soil pH sequentially by 0.5 units, respectively), were introduced to describe the course of titration curve and the intensity of buffer action. In all soils, the first acid-buffer value, dB(H)_0→0.5, varied from 8 to 78 meq kg^?1 and the second one, dB(H)_0.5→1, from 10 to 138 meq kg^?1. The corresponding base-buffer values, dB(OH)_0→0.5 and dB(OH)_0.5→1, ranged from 10 to 48 and from 14 to 44 meq kg^?1, respectively. The most acid soils were most strongly buffered against acid, and the soils with the highest initial pH against base. The results reveal the acid-buffering by exchange reactions to be very important. In the soils with ZPT≦5.4, the first acid-buffer value was dependent on the content of organic matter and oxalate-soluble Al, whereas in the more acid soils the role of clay became significant. Thus, it was concluded that at higher pHs the foremost inactivation of H⁺ is attributable to soil components of pH-dependent charges, and the significance of constituents of permanent charges to increase with proceeding acidification. In strongly acid soils (ZPT≦4.8) the very effective buffering seemed to be primarily due to the dissolution of Al-hydroxides and, thus, to exert detrimental effects on the edaphic environment. The general rank of soil factors explaining the variation in the base-buffer values was in accord with the neutralization sequence, i.e. the strongest acid in the soil being neutralized first. In the strongly acid soils (ZPT≦4.8) the base-buffer values seemed to depend on the clay as well as KCl- and NH₄OAc-extractable Al, whereas in the soils with higher initial pH mostly on organic C.     

Stability behavior of soil colloidal suspensions in relation to sequential reduction of soils

The cause of the decrease in the Fe²⁺ concentration of the soil solution in the later period of soil waterlogging was investigated. After 7-d incubation of the soil solutions separated from previously waterlogged soils (PWdS), a greyish precipitate (PPT) was observed in the soil solutions. The color of the PPT became reddish brown after separation from the solutions and freeze-drying. The PPT observed in 14-d-PWdS contained 352.6 g Fe kg^-1, 62.5 g C kg^-1, 22.6 g P kg^-1, 11.3 g Si kg^-1, 9.9 g N kg^-1, 0.7 g Al kg^-1 and a trace amount of Mn. However, Ca, Mg, K, and Na could not be detected. It was concluded that the separated PPT was dominated by amorphous ferric hydroxide based on the chemical analysis, broad IR absorption band at 585 cm^-1 and exothermic peak at 301°C. The data of chemical analysis and the characteristic IR bands of the PPT suggested that organic substances and presumably aluminosilicate anion were adsorbed onto the freshly-formed ferric hydroxide. The dominant phase of the greyish PPT in the reductive soil solution was considered to be ferrous PPT and was assumed to consist mainly of carbonate and/or hydroxide, and concomitantly of phosphate. The formation of the ferrous PPT in the soil solution in the later period of soil waterlogging was considered to (i) cause the decrease of concentration of Fe²⁺ ion and of other divalent cations such as Ca²⁺ due to the re-adsorption of Ca²⁺ on soil clays through the cation exchange reaction with Fe²⁺ ion, and consequently (ii) enhance the dispersion of the soil colloidal suspension.     

Effect of removal of free oxides on changes in dispersibility and charge characteristics of soils

Changes in dispersibility and charge characteristics of two soils with different colloidal properties were investigated after various extracting treatments of free oxides. The soil samples were taken from the upland field in a reclaimed area (highly dispersive) and from the B horizon of an adjacent forest area (physically stable), both of which derived from the same parent material. Special attention was paid to selective extraction of Al and Fe oxides. After the extraction of free oxides by conventional methods such as DCB or oxalate treatment, dispersibility of the soils which always became too high made it difficult to relate the amounts of removed oxides with the changes in dispersibility. Thus, extractions by milder treatments were designed in order to remove varying amounts of free oxides using several organic salt solutions. Among the treatments, citrate and oxalate extracted more Al oxides, followed by tartrate. Dithionite, acetate, and NaCl extracted only trace amounts of Al oxides. This order seemed to be controlled by the stability constants of organo-Al complexes. The changes in dispersibility of the residual soil were related to the amount of extracted Al, especially for the forest soil, but not to Fe or Si. After these treatments, the amount of positive charges of the soil decreased while that of negative charges increased. For instance, the amount of total charges of the forest soil after DCB treatment was 1.5 times larger than that of the non-treated soil at the dispersion pH, which was mainly attributed to the removal of Al oxides. Although the amount of removed Al oxides was relatively small, the changes in dispersibility of the residual forest soil were drastic, indicating that free oxides (mainly Al) removed by milder treatments were the most external, active fractions. This interpretation suggests the practical importance of the release of amorphous sesquioxides in the natural weathering process in preventing the dispersion of potentially dispersive soils.     

单宁酸对不同pH茶园土壤中活性铝形态分布的影响

采集云南省普洱市和江西省南昌县两地典型的茶园土壤,通过添加HCl和Ca(OH)2调节土壤pH,研究不同pH(3.0、3.5、4.0、4.5)茶园土壤添加0.4 mmol·kg 1、2.0 mmol·kg 1、4.0 mmol·kg 1、8.0 mmol·kg 1、12.0 mmol·kg 1单宁酸后,活性铝形态交换态铝(Al3+)、单聚体羟基铝[Al(OH)2+、Al(OH)+2]、酸溶无机铝[Al(OH)03]和腐殖酸铝[Al-HA]的分布特征。结果表明:单宁酸添加量为0~0.4 mmol·kg 1和0~2.0 mmol·kg 1时,江西南昌和云南普洱茶园土壤中交换态铝随土壤pH的增加呈明显下降趋势,而羟基态铝、酸溶无机铝和腐殖酸铝呈逐渐上升趋势;当单宁酸浓度增至2.0 mmol·kg 1以上时,随土壤pH的增加,单宁酸对活性铝释放的抑制作用增强,各形态活性铝含量都较低,且不同pH处理土壤间的差异不显著。0~20 cm土层土壤与20~40 cm土层土壤变化规律大致相似,总体上看,下层土壤活性铝总量高于上层。云南普洱茶园土壤活性铝总量明显高于江西南昌的茶园土壤。相关分析表明,0~20 cm土层土壤中,pH与羟基态铝、腐殖酸铝、土壤酸碱缓冲容量(pHBC)呈正相关(r=0.796,P0.01;r=0.960,P0.01;r=0.852,P0.01);pHBC与交换态铝、羟基态铝呈负相关(r=0.904,P0.01;r=0.645,P0.05),而与腐殖酸铝呈正相关(r=0.795,P0.01)。同时,单宁酸加入浓度为0~0.4 mmol·kg 1时,土壤pH明显上升,之后随着单宁酸加入浓度的增加土壤pH持续下降,土壤pH(YpH)与单宁浓度(CDN)在此阶段基本符合方程:YpH=0.04CDN+3.82(R2=0.95,P0.01)的线性变化趋势,在单宁酸浓度达到8.0~12.0 mmol·kg 1时,土壤pH基本不再变化。     

Correcting soil acidity of a highly weathered Ultisol with chicken manure and sewage sludge

Abstract

The seriousness of soil acidity and the unavailability of “conventional”; liming materials in many developing countries necessitate a search for alternatives. With this goal in mind, the liming potential of two organic manures was investigated. The investigation was conducted in the greenhouse, using a highly weathered, acid Ultisol. Application rates were 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g kg^‐1 for chicken manure and 20 g kg^‐1 for sewage sludge. Treatments of Ca(OH)₂ at 2, 4, 6, and 8 cmol_ckg^‐1, were included for comparison.

Based on growth response of Desmodium intortum, a tropical forage legume with a relatively high Ca requirement and low Al tolerance, it was demonstrated that soil acidity can be corrected by either Ca(OH)₂ or organic manure additions. Both lime and manures raised soil pH and inactivated Al. In terms of pH increases, 5 and 10 g chicken manure kg^‐1 were equivalent to 3.4 and 6.7 cmol_ckg^‐1; and 20 g sludge kg^‐1, equivalent to 6.5 cmol_ckg^‐1 as Ca(OH)₂. The manures also detoxified soluble Al by organic complexation and enhanced Ca uptake of the Desmodium. The plant's maximum growth required at least 1.0% Ca in leaves, and this growth was reduced by half when leaf Al ≥ 76 mg kg^‐1 and soil‐solution Al³⁺ activity ≥ 4 μM.     

施用生物肥料，镁石灰石，玄武岩可改善马来西亚酸性硫酸盐土壤化学性质与水稻生长状况

Acid sulfate soils are normally not suitable for crop production unless they are appropriately ameliorated. An experiment was conducted in a glasshouse to enhance the growth of rice, variety MR219, planted on an acid sulfate soil using various soil amendments.The soil was collected from Semerak, Kelantan, Malaysia. Ground magnesium limestone（GML）, bio-fertilizer, and basalt（each 4t ha^-1） were added either alone or in combinations into the soil in pots 15 d before transplanting. Nitrogen, P and potash were applied at 150, 30, and 60 kg ha^-1, respectively. Three seven-day-old rice seedlings were transplanted into each pot. The soil had a p H of 3.8 and contained organic C of 21 g kg^-1, N of 1.2 g kg^-1, available P of 192 mg kg^-1, exchangeable K of 0.05 cmolc kg^-1,and exchangeable Al of 4.30 cmol c kg^-1, with low amounts of exchangeable Ca and Mg（0.60 and 0.70 cmol c kg^-1）. Bio-fertilizer treatment in combination with GML resulted in the highest p H of 5.4. The presence of high Al or Fe concentrations in the control soil without amendment severely affected the growth of rice. At 60 d of growth, higher plant heights, tiller numbers and leaf chlorophyll contents were obtained when the bio-fertilizer was applied individually or in combination with GML compared to the control. The presence of beneficial bacteria in bio-fertilizer might produce phytohormones and organic acids that could enhance plant growth and subsequently increase nutrient uptake by rice. Hence, it can be concluded that addition of bio-fertilizer and GML improved rice growth by increasing soil pH which consequently eliminated Al and/or Fe toxicity prevalent in the acid sulfate soil.     

Effect of steel-making slag as a soil amendment on arsenic uptake by radish (Raphanus sativa L.) in an upland soil

The steel-making slag (SMS), a by-product of steel manufacturing process with an alkaline pH (11–12) and high amount of iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) oxides, was used to reduce arsenic (As) phytoextractability. The by-product was selected as an alternative to commercial Fe oxides, which can decrease plant uptake, but they are expensive if used as amendments of contaminated arable soils. SMS was applied at rates 0, 2, 4, and 8 Mg ha⁻¹ to an As (1 N HCl-extractable As 25 mg kg⁻¹) contaminated soil prepared by mixing non-contaminated soil and mine tailings and cropped to radish (Raphanus sativa L.) seeding. Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂), a common liming material in Korea, was applied at the same rates for comparison. Steel-making slag more effectively suppressed radish As uptake and increased yield than Ca(OH)₂ due to stronger As immobilization because it significantly increased extractable Fe concentration and decreased extractable As. The SMS-treated soil showed an apparent increase in As chemisorbed by Fe and Al oxides and hydroxides of surface soil, As associated at the Fe and Al oxides and hydroxides of internal surfaces of soil aggregates, and Ca-associated As. The steel-making slag can be a good soil amendment to suppress As phytoextractability and improve nutrient balance in As-contaminated soil.     

重复添加植物残体后土壤微生物活性和生物量对盐度的响应特征

Microbial adaptation to salinity can be achieved through synthesis of organic osmolytes,which requires high amounts of energy;however,a single addition of plant residues can only temporarily improve energy supply to soil microbes.Therefore,a laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the responses of soil microbes to increasing salinity with repeated additions of plant residues using a loamy sand soil with an electrical conductivity in saturated paste extract（EC_e） of 0.6 dS m^-1.The soil was kept non-saline or salinized by adding different amounts of NaCl to achieve EC_e of 12.5,25.0 and 50.0 dS m^-1.The non-saline soil and the saline soils were amended with finely ground pea residues at two rates equivalent to 3.9 and 7.8 g C kg^-1 soil on days 0,15 and29.The soils receiving no residues were included as a control.Cumulative respiration per g C added over 2 weeks after each residue addition was always greater at 3.9 than 7.8 g C kg^-1 soil and higher in the non-saline soil than in the saline soils.In the saline soils,the cumulative respiration per g C added was higher after the second and third additions than after the first addition except with3.9 g C kg^-1 at EC_e of 50 dS m^₁.Though with the same amount of C added(7.8 g C kg^-1),salinity reduced soil respiration to a lesser extent when 3.9 g C kg^-1 was added twice compared to a single addition of 7.8 g C kg^-1.After the third residue addition,the microbial biomass C concentration was significantly lower in the soils with EC_e of 25 and 50 dS m^₁ than in the non-saline soil at3.9 g C kg^-1,but only in the soil with EC_e of 50 dS m^-1 at 7.8 g C kg^-1.We concluded that repeated residue additions increased the adaptation of soil microbial community to salinity,which was likely due to high C availability providing microbes with the energy needed for synthesis of organic osmolytes.     

添加生物炭对酸性红壤中玉米生长和氮素利用率的影响

Biochar added to soil can improve crop growth through both direct and indirect effects, particularly in acidic, highly weathered soils in subtropical and tropical regions. However, the mechanisms of biochar improving crop growth are not well understood. The objectives of this study were i） to determine the crop responses to biochar addition and ii） to understand the effect of biochar addition on N use efficiency. Seven acidic red soils varying in texture, p H, and soil nutrient were taken from southern China and subjected to four treatments： zero biochar and fertilizer as a control（CK）, 10 g kg-1biochar（BC）, NPK fertilizers（NPK）, and 10 g kg-1biochar plus NPK fertilizers（BC＋NPK）.15N-labeled fertilizer was used as a tracer to assess N use efficiency. After a 46-d pot experiment,biochar addition increased soil p H and available P, and decreased soil exchangable Al3＋, but did not impact soil availabe N and cation exchange capacity（P 〉 0.05）. The N use efficiency and N retained in the soil were not significantly affected by biochar application except for the soil with the lowest available P（3.81 mg kg-1） and highest exchanageable Al3＋（4.54 cmol kg-1）. Greater maize biomass was observed in all soils amended with biochar compared to soils without biochar（BC vs. CK, BC＋NPK vs. NPK）. This agronomic effect was negatively related to the concentration of soil exchangeable Al3＋（P 〈 0.1）. The results of this study implied that the liming effect of biochar improved plant growth through alleviating Al toxicity and P deficiency, especially in poor acidic red soils.     

ELECTRIC CHARGES OF CLAYS

Conductimetric titrations, with NaOH, of solutions containing Al ion detect two OH-ions of Al in the acid range, with OH/Al ratios of ions such as Al(OH)²⁺ and A1₆(OH)³⁺₁₅; in the alkaline range aluminate Al(OH)^?1₄ is formed. Similar titrations of an Al-kaolin, prepared by acid washing, give results that can be adequately interpreted in terms of these three ions, i.e. by the reaction with alkali of Al³⁺ ions balancing the permanent isomorphous replacement charge. If there are reactions with alkali at the edge-faces of the kaolin, e.g. the neutralization of residual positive edge-charge, these edge-charges must be small in comparison with the permanent charge. Bonding by the complex ion Al₆(OH)³⁺₁₅, formed on the surfaces of clay particles, explains why the viscosity of Al clays is greatest at the five-sixths stage of neutralization, because the formation of the hydroxide Al(OH)₃ is theoretically equivalent to the measurement of the permanent charge.     

不同土壤磷的固定特征及磷释放量和释放率的研究

通过加入不同浓度的P(水土比为 2 0∶1 )并利用连续提取法 ,对三种土壤P的固定特征以及磷的释放进行了研究。结果表明 ,红壤对P的固定能力高于潮土 ,而潮土高于水稻土 ,在加入P量为 2 97gkg- 1土壤的条件下 ,三种土壤对P的固定量分别为 2 84gkg- 1、2 5 3gkg- 1和 2 0 8gkg- 1。三种土壤对P的固定率则随着加入P量的增加而降低。在P的释放研究中 ,随着提取次数的增加 ,P的释放量减少 ,并在提取 8次后 ,以后各次P的释放量不发生显著变化。三种土壤中 ,水稻土P的最大释放量 (1 2 4 0 7mgkg- 1)显著高于红壤 (60 46mgkg- 1)和潮土 (1 9 74mgkg- 1) ,水稻土P的总释放量 (1 6次 )也大于红壤和潮土 ,三种土壤P的总释放量分别为 2 0 6 0 2 (1 98gkg- 1土壤P处理 )和 2 71 91mgkg- 1(2 97gkg- 1土壤P处理 )、1 0 0 48和2 60 5 3mgkg- 1、1 1 6 0 6和 1 3 1 91mgkg- 1。三种土壤P的释放率随着提取次数的增加而增加 ,并逐渐达到稳定。水稻土的释放率显著高于红壤和潮土。水稻土和潮土中 ,1 98gkg- 1土壤P处理的土壤P的释放率高于2 97gkg- 1土壤P处理的土壤 ,红壤则相反     

Sodium hypochlorite oxidation reduces soil organic matter concentrations without affecting inorganic soil constituents

Oxidative treatment can isolate a stable organic matter pool in soils for process studies of organic matter stabilization. Wet oxidation methods using hydrogen peroxide are widely used for that purpose, but are said to modify poorly crystalline soil constituents. We investigated the effect of a modified NaOCl oxidation (pH 8) on the mineral composition of 12 subsoils (4.9–38.2 g organic C kg^?1) containing varying amounts of poorly crystalline mineral phases, i.e. 1.1–20.5 g oxalate‐extractable Fe kg^?1, and of different phyllosilicate mineralogy. Post‐oxidative changes in mineral composition were estimated by (i) the determination of elements released into the NaOCl solution, (ii) the difference in dithionite‐ and oxalate‐extractable Si, Al and Fe, and (iii) the specific surface areas (SSAs) of the soils. The NaOCl procedure reduced the organic C concentrations by 12–72%. The amounts of elements released into the NaOCl extracts were small (≤ 0.14 g kg^?1 for Si, ≤ 0.13 g kg^?1 for Al, and ≤ 0.03 g kg^?1 for Fe). The SSA data and the amounts of dithionite‐ and oxalate‐extractable elements suggest that the NaOCl oxidation at pH 8 does not attack pedogenic oxides and hydroxides and only slightly dissolves Al from the poorly crystalline minerals. Therefore, we recommend NaOCl oxidation at pH 8 for the purpose of isolating a stable organic matter pool in soils for process studies of organic matter stabilization.     

Nitrate Mobility in Variable-Charge Tropical Soils

ABSTRACT

Nitrate (NO₃ ^–-N) leaching in tropical soils, which are more weathered, is influenced by their mineralogical, physical, and chemical characteristics. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the variation of net electrical charge on the mobility of nitrate, applied as potassium nitrate (KNO₃) or calcium nitrate (Ca(NO₃)₂), in samples from A and B horizons of three Red-Yellow Latosols (Oxisols), with different mineralogical and textural characteristics. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) volumes were added to previously sterilized soil samples in order to condition five hydrogen potential (pH) values, obtaining different net electrical charges. The experiment was carried out with leaching columns under laboratory conditions. The soil columns were percolated with solutions of KNO₃ or Ca(NO₃)₂ or water (control). An increase in positive net charges was significant and varied according to the soil and percolating solution; in general, it resulted in an increase of up to 50% in nitrate adsorption in some soils. Larger amounts of adsorbed nitrate were observed in the columns filled with the B horizon of the clayey gibbsitic Red-Yellow Latosol, showing adsorption of 85% for a positive net charge of 2 cmol_c kg^?1. Regarding kaolinitic soils, lower adsorption was observed in the medium-textured kaolinitic Red-Yellow Latosol, which had lower clay content and positive net charge. Application of Ca(NO₃)₂, as a percolating solution, increased nitrate adsorption compared to the application of KNO₃. This effect may be attributed to the increase in positive net charge promoted by calcium (Ca²⁺), being more evident for the highest negative net charges.     

Physicochemical properties of the soils associated with shifting cultivation in Northern Thailand with special reference to factors determining soil fertility

Abstract

Recently agricultural activity in the mountainous area of northern Thailand has increased and problems relating to soil fertility have arisen. In order to gain basic information about the soil properties associated with shifting cultivation, physicochemical properties of the surface soils (0–10 cm) and subsoils (30–40 cm) were investigated in selected villages in the area. The physicochemical properties of the soils studied are summarized as follows: 1) The soils were rich in organic matter, content of which ranged from 11.4 to 63.3 g C kg^?1 in the surface soil. 2) The pH(H₂O) of the soils mostly ranged from 5 to 7 and soil acidity was more pronounced in the deeper horizons. In the surface soils, exchangeable Ca and Mg were generally dominant, whereas exchangeable Al was often predominant in the subsoils. 3) Most of the soils showed a medium to fine texture with more than 30% clay. The clay mineral composition was characterized by various degrees of mixture of kaolin minerals and clay mica with, in some cases, a certain amount of 2:1-2:1:1 intergrades. 4) According to the ion adsorption curves, most of the B horizon soils were characterized by the predominance of permanent negative charges. On the other hand, organic matter contributed to the increase of variable negative charges in the surface soils. The content of organic matter and the percentage of the clay fraction were essential for determining the CEC of the soils of the surface 10 and 30–40 cm depths, respectively. Under the field conditions, the composition of exchangeable cations largely reflected the soil acidity. In addition, the content of organic matter also showed a significant correlation with that of available N in the surface soils. Thus, soil acidity both in the surface soils and subsoils, organic matter content in the surface soils, and clay content in the subsoils were considered to be the main factors that affected soil chemical fertility in the area.     

可变电荷土壤表面酸碱模型及其计算机模拟

在假定土壤对酸碱的缓冲作用全由表面基团反应所控制的基础上,建立了一个描述可变电荷土壤酸碱滴定曲线的模型,并在计算机上对实验结果进行了模拟。结果表明,本模型可以较好地描述土壤酸碱滴定曲线,提供土壤的酸强度(K_a)和酸容量(S_t),并可进一步提供土壤的酸缓冲容量曲线。本模型对了解和认识土壤酸化和吸附等过程具有一定的意义。     

Predicting Liming Needs of Soybean Using Soil pH,Aluminum, and Manganese Soil Tests

Abstract

Whether a tropical soil should be limed or not for a particular crop is strongly dependent on the levels of soil aluminum (Al) which can be determined with soil tests. Soil pH is used to predict whether lime is needed in less‐weathered soils, although some evidence indicates a soil Al test would be more accurate. The objectives of this study were to determine and to compare the accuracies of four soil tests to separate soils requiring lime from those that do not, and to determine the cause of acid‐soil injury to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Soybean was grown in the greenhouse on four surface soils representing the major land resource areas of Louisiana and were amended with eight rates of lime, yields determined, and soils analyzed for soil pH, extractable Al, CaCl₂‐extractable Al, CaCl₂‐extractable manganese (Mn), and Al saturation. Acid‐soil injury in soybean grown on the Litro clay and Stough fsl was probably caused by soil‐Al effects while low soil calcium (Ca) and high soil Mn was likely responsible for lower yields from the Mahan fsl. Leaf Ca from the limed Mahan‐soil treatment was 5‐fold greater and leaf‐Mn 7‐fold less than control levels. Regression analyses’ R² values were similar for all soil tests except for CaCl₂‐extractable Mn, which was lower. Soil tests were compared across soil type by selecting treatments that had the same 85% relative yield. Using this data subset, there was no difference in the soil pH among the four soils, while there were significant differences among soils for all other soil test measurements indicating the superiority of soil pH for identifying acid‐soil injury. Critical test values were 5.1 soil pH, 30 mg kg^‐1 extractable Al, 7% Al saturation, 0.7 mg‐kg^‐1 CaCl₂‐extractable Al, and 9 mg‐kg^‐1 CaCl₂‐extractable Mn.     

CALCIUM: ALUMINIUM EXCHANGE EQUILIBRIA IN CLAY MINERALS AND ACID SOILS1

Exchange reactions between 0.0in AlCl₃ solutions of different pH and Ca-saturated montmorillonite, vermiculite, illite, and soils from the Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted and the Deerpark Experiment, Wexford, Ireland, showed that Al³⁺ and Al(OH)₂⁺ were adsorbed from solutions of pH > 4.0 and Al³⁺ and H⁺ from solutions of pH < 3.0. When Al was adsorbed, the cation exchange capacity of Ca-saturated soils and clays increased. Conventional Ca: Al exchange isotherms showed that Al³⁺ was strongly preferred to Ca²⁺ on all soils and clays. The equilibrium constant for Ca: Al exchange, K, was identical for soils before and after oxidizing their organic matter and did not vary, for any exchanger, with Al-saturation or the initial pH of the AlCl₃ solution. This proved the validity of the procedure used for calculating exchangeable Al³⁺. K values for Ca:Al exchange favoured Al³⁺ in the order: vermiculite > Park Grass soil > Deerpark soil > illite > montmorillonite. The influence of surface-charge densities of the clay minerals on this order is discussed and a method proposed and tested for calculating the K value of a soil from its mineralogical composition.