Effect of soil acidification on the growth and nitrogen use efficiency of maize in Ultisols

Purpose

To examine the effect of soil acidification on growth and nitrogen (N) uptake by maize in Ultisols.

Materials and methods

A clay Ultisol derived from Quaternary red earth and a sandy Ultisol derived from tertiary red sandstone were used in this study. A pot experiment was conducted with maize growing in the two Ultisols acidified to different pH values. Urea with ¹⁵N abundance of 10.11% was used to investigate the distribution of N fertilizer between soil and plant. Total N content and ¹⁵N abundance in plant and soil samples were determined by elemental analysis-isotope mass spectrometry.

Results and discussion

Critical soil pHs of 4.8 and 5.0 were observed for maize growing in the clay and sandy Ultisols, respectively. Below the critical soil pH, increasing soil pH significantly increased maize height and the yield of maize shoots and roots (both P < 0.05), but changes in soil pH showed no significant effect on maize growth above the critical soil pH in both Ultisols. Maize growing in the sandy Ultisol was more sensitive to changes in soil pH than in the clay Ultisol. Increase in the pH in both Ultisols also increased N accumulation in maize, the N derived from fertilizer in maize, physiological N use efficiency, and N use efficiency (NUE) by maize. Changes in soil pH had a greater effect on these parameters below the critical soil pH, compared to above. The change in soil pH had a greater effect on N accumulation in maize, the N derived from fertilizer in maize, and NUE in the sandy Ultisol than in the clay Ultisol. The NUE increased by 24.4% at pH 6.0, compared with pH 4.0 in the clay Ultisol, while the NUE at pH 5.0 was 4.8 times that at pH 4.0 in the sandy Ultisol. The increase in soil pH increased the ratio of N accumulation in maize/soil residue N and decreased the potential loss of fertilizer N from both Ultisols.

Conclusions

Soil acidification inhibited maize growth, reduced N uptake by maize, and thus, decreased NUE. To maintain soil pH of acidic soils above the critical values for crops is of practical importance for sustainable food production in acidic soils.

     

Influence of nitrogen fertilizer forms and crop straw biochars on soil exchange properties and maize growth on an acidic Ultisol

Effects of repeated application of urea (UN) and calcium nitrate (CN) singly and together with crop straw biochars on soil acidity and maize growth were investigated with greenhouse pot experiments for two consecutive seasons. Canola straw biochar (CB), peanut straw biochar (PB) and wheat straw biochar (WB) were applied at 1% of dried soil weight in the first season. N fertilizers were applied at 200 mg N kg^?1. In UN treatments, an initial rise in pH was subjected to proton consumption through urea hydrolysis, afterwards nitrification of NH₄⁺ caused drastic reductions in pH as single UN had soil pH of 3.70, even lower than control (4.27) after the 2nd crop season. Post-harvest soil analyses indicated that soil pH, soil exchangeable acidity, NH₄⁺, NO₃^? and total base cations showed highly significant variation under N and biochar types (P < 0.05). Articulated growth of plants under combined application with biochars was expressed by 22.7%, 22.5%, and 35.7% higher root and 25.6%, 23.8%, and 35.9% higher shoot biomass by CB, PB and WB combined with CN over UN, respectively. Therefore, CN combined with biochars is a better choice to correct soil acidity and improve maize growth than UN combined with biochars.     

Critical pH and exchangeable Al of four acidic soils derived from different parent materials for maize crops

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the critical soil pH, exchangeable aluminum (Al), and Al saturation of the soils derived from different parent materials for maize.

Materials and methods

An Alfisol derived from loess deposit and three Ultisols derived from Quaternary red earth, granite, and Tertiary red sandstone were used for pot experiment in greenhouse. Ca(OH)₂ and Al₂(SO₄)₃ were used to adjust soil pH to target values. The critical soil pH was obtained by two intersected linear lines of maize height, chlorophyll content, and yield of shoot and root dry matter changing with soil pH.

Results and discussion

In low soil pH, Al toxicity significantly decreased plant height, chlorophyll content, and shoot and root dry matter yields of maize crops. The critical values of soil pH, exchangeable Al, and Al saturation varied with soil types. Critical soil pH was 4.46, 4.73, 4.77, and 5.07 for the Alfisol derived from loess deposit and the Ultisol derived from Quaternary red earth, granite, and Tertiary red sandstone, respectively. Critical soil exchangeable Al was 2.74, 1.99, 1.93, and 1.04 cmol_ckg^?1 for the corresponding soils, respectively. Critical Al saturation was 5.63, 12.51, 14.84, and 15.16% for the corresponding soils.

Conclusions

Greater soil cation exchange capacity and exchangeable base cations led to lower critical soil pH and higher critical soil exchangeable Al and Al saturation for maize.