Evaluation of Modified Mehlich and Sikora Buffer Methods as an Alternative to Modified Woodruff Buffer in Determining Lime Requirement for Missouri Soils

The modified Woodruff buffer (MWB) test is used to determine lime requirement (LR) for Missouri soils. Though this method is proven to work for Missouri soils, it uses p-nitrophenol, which is a hazardous substance. Soil-testing laboratories are under increasing pressure to reduce hazardous wastes, which must be collected and disposed of following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency protocols. The goal of this study was to evaluate the modified Mehlich buffer (MMB) and the Sikora buffer (SB) as alternatives to the MWB in determining the LR for Missouri soils. Thirty soils were collected from major agricultural areas in Missouri, treated with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), and incubated for 90 days. Soil pH_s [0.01 M calcium chloride (CaCl₂) 1:1] was regressed against CaCO₃ rate, and the actual LR was estimated for each soil to raise the soil pH_s to target levels of 5.8, 6.3, and 6.8. The MWB, MMB, and SB pHs were regressed against the actual LR for all 30 soils to evaluate the effectiveness of each test for estimating the LR. The MMB and SBs were found to be as good as or better than MWB in predicting LR in Missouri soils. Both buffers (MMB and SB) were found to be equally effective in generating accurate estimates of the LR to raise soils to pH_S 5.8, 6.3, and 6.8 (for pH values 5.8: R² = 0.76, 0.82, 0.81; for pH values 6.3: R² = 0.80, 0.88, 0.86; and pH values 6.8: R² = 0.77, 0.89, 0.87 for MWB, MMB, and SB, respectively). A test to evaluate the stability of the buffers over time indicated that MMB had the shortest bench life (about 21 days) when compared to the MWB and SB, thus making it less feasible for use by soil test laboratories. Based on performance and stability, SB is a better alternative than MWB for Missouri soils.     

Modification of the Mehlich Lime Buffer Test

Routine use of the Shoemaker, McLean, and Pratt (SMP) lime buffer method resulted in chronic problems with electrode reference junction degradation, stability of readings relative to contact time, and generation of hazardous waste. During method recalibration, the Mehlich buffer was chosen for parallel evaluation with SMP, with the goal of improving method performance and eliminating of hazardous waste. The Mehlich buffer was modified by substituting calcium (Ca) for barium (Ba). The modified Mehlich (MM) buffer was found to be identical to the original with respect to buffering power and linearity over an extended pH range of 3.0–6.6. Seven agronomic soils were incubated with eight rates of calcium carbonate for 90 days. Regression analysis was performed to predict lime requirement (LR) to several target pH levels, based on pH measured in each buffer alone or in both water and buffer. Slightly better predictability was obtained using multiple regressions, with R²>0.95 in all cases. Significant but minor differences occurred between the newly calibrated buffers in extended comparisons. The MM buffer was superior to the SMP during routine usage, with fewer adverse effects on electrodes and the elimination of hazardous waste.     

石灰与生物炭配施对不同浓度镉污染土壤修复

通过室内培养试验,研究生物炭与石灰不同用量配施对镉污染土壤pH和镉赋存形态的影响。结果表明,生物炭与石灰配施能够明显提高污染土壤pH,且随着施入量的增加pH提升效果显著。随着石灰和生物炭配施用量的增加,土壤交换态镉降低比例逐渐增大。培养60天后,镉污染浓度为5mg/kg的土壤交换态镉含量同对照处理相比依次减少36.80%,49.12%和57.38%;而土壤镉污染浓度为20mg/kg的土壤交换态镉含量较对照相比分别降低29.27%,31.68%和39.03%。2个浓度中土壤碳酸盐结合态镉、铁锰氧化物结合态镉和有机结合态镉均有所增加,残渣态镉虽有所增加,但在不同浓度之间存在差异。总体来看,本试验用量条件下,石灰和生物炭配施对污染浓度为5mg/kg的土壤镉钝化效果优于污染浓度为20mg/kg的土壤。     

Sugar-Beet-Processing Lime as an Amendment for Low pH Soils

In the Red River Valley, about 385,000 Mg of lime is used to help refine about 39,000 Mg of sugar beets. In a greenhouse study, sugar-beet-processing lime (spent lime; SL), commercial ag lime (AL), and reagent-grade lime (RL) were added to an acidic soil at rates of 0, 1.96, 3.93, and 7.86 Mg ECC ha^?1. Wheat was planted, and aboveground biomass and root masses were determined after 44 d of growth. Soil pH increased the greatest with the highest lime application rates. Incorporation of lime uniformly increased soil pH in the pots, whereas with surface application, soil pH decreased with increasing depth. The SL yielded more aboveground soil biomass and root mass than the AL and RL. Use of SL for increasing soil pH and reducing exchangeable Al in acid soils would be a viable use for this industrial by-product.     

Evaluation of the Mehlich 3 Reagent as an Extractant for Cations and Available Phosphorus for Soils in Mozambique

Accurate soil testing procedures contribute to agricultural development of Mozambique. The Mehlich 3 (M-3) procedure has not been evaluated for Mozambican soils despite its wide applicability. Results showed M-3 solution could extract exchangeable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) as well as 1 M ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc), while M-3 was not appropriate for extraction of exchangeable sodium (Na). M-3 was an alternative procedure to Bray-I for available phosphorus (P) extraction. Although M-3 extracted 1.6 times more P than Bray-I, determination coefficient between the two procedures showed significantly high value. P content in M-3 extracts can determine using inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometers (ICP) to maximize the merits of M-3. In conclusion, M-3 is applicable for determination of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and available P, in a single determination using ICP, and should contribute to development of effective and accurate soil diagnosis in Mozambique.     

Evaluation of Mehlich 3 as a Universal Nutrient Extractant for Australian Sugarcane Soils

This study evaluated the suitability of the Mehlic h3 universal extractant as a part of a multielement test to assess the nutrient status of Australian sugarcane soils. Soil samples from BSES Soil Exchange Programs, representing all major soil types and geographic sugarcane-growing regions, were analyzed using existing BSES, acid-based extraction methods for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and phosphorus (P) and the ASPAC 10B3 method for sulfur (S). These were compared with the Mehlich 3 procedure. Mehlich 3 results for Ca, Mg, Na, S, and Mn correlated highly with the BSES procedures (R² = 0.95, 0.98, 0.99, 0.91, and 0.91, respectively). Satisfactory correlations were also obtained with 0.1 M HCl–extracted Zn, Cu, and Fe (R² = 0.89, 0.85, and 0.85, respectively) and with the BSES sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)–extracted P (R² = 0.81). The poorest correlation (R² = 0.79) was observed for K. In conclusion, the Mehlich 3 procedure is suitable as a diagnostic tool to assess the basic nutrient status of Australian sugarcane soils.     

Nature of Soil Acidity in Relation to Properties and Lime Requirement of Some Inceptisols

Some Inceptisols representing the Singla catchment area in Karimgaunge district of Assam, India, were studied for lime requirement as influenced by the nature of soil acidity. The electrostatically bonded (EB)-H+ and EB-Al3+ acidities constituted 33 and 67 percent of exchangeable acidity while EB-H+, EB-Al3+,exchangeable and pH-dependent acidities comprised 6, 14, 20 and 80 percent of total potential acidity. The pH-dependent acidity made a major contribution towards the total potential acidity (67%～84%). Grand mean of lime requirement determined by the laboratory incubation method and estimated by the methods of New Woodruff, Woodruff and Peech as expressed in MgCaCO3 ha-1 was in the order: Woodruff (15.6) ＞ New Woodruff (14.9) ＞ Peech (5.1) ＞ incubation (5.0). Correlations analysis among different forms of acidity and lime requirement methods with selected soil properties showed that pH in three media, namely water, 1 mol L-1 KCl and 0.01 mol L-1 CaCl2, had a significant negative correlation with different forms of acidity and lime requirement methods. Exchangeable Fe and Al showed significant positive correlations with EB-Al3+ acidity, exchangeable acidity, pH-dependent acidity and total potential acidity, and also lime requirement methods. Extractable Al showed positive correlations with different forms of acidity except EB-H+ and EB-Al3+ acidities. The lime requirement by different methods depended upon the extractable aluminium.Significant positive correlations existed between lime requirements and different forms of acidity of the soils except EB-H+ acidity and incubation method. The nature of soil acidity was mostly pH-dependent. Statistically, the Woodruff method did slightly better than the New Woodruff, incubation and Peech methods at estimating lime requirement and hence the Woodruff procedure may be recommended for routine soil testing because of its speed and simplicity.     

云南省部分地区烤烟适宜pH值范围的缓冲研究

对云南省部分地区烤烟土壤适宜pH值范围缓冲研究结果表明,1982年与2 0 0 2年相比2 0年中土壤pH值平均变小0 .30 ,占总平均值的4 .8%。山地土壤一般酸性较强,而发达地区土壤酸性变化更多。故云南省某些地区应施一定量Ca(OH) 2 以调节酸碱度     

Evaluation of Mehlich 3 for Extraction of Copper and Zinc from Irish Grassland Soils and for Prediction of Herbage Content

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine how the extractant Mehlich 3 (M3) compared with other methods currently used in Ireland for determination of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in soils. Samples from eight different mineral soil types, four of sandstone/shale and four of limestone origin, were analyzed for copper and zinc using M3 and conventional extractants. Herbage samples were taken from the soils and analyzed for Cu and Zn. Mehlich 3 results showed good correlation with ethylenediamine‐tetraacetic acid (EDTA)– and diethylenetriamine‐pentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable Cu and Zn. Inclusion of soil properties in multiple regression models improved the coefficients of determination. All extractants were equal in their ability to predict Cu and Zn herbage content. Differences between sandstone/shale and limestone soils in relation to herbage content were also found, with the better relationship found in sandstone/shale soils.     

Food Production on Acid Soils in the Developing World: Problems and Solutions

The current state of food production on acid soils in developing regions is presented. Africa lags far behind ASEAN and Latin American nations in almost all the parameters considered. Agronomic research shows that the resources and potential productivity are the same in all these regions. The reasons for the poor performance of Africa are to be found in government corruption, civil strife, poor infrastructure, lack of inputs and markets and the unavailability of production loans. The Millennium Project established by the United Nations is presented as the framework for a possible solution to these problems.     

Food Production on Acid Soils in the Developing World: Problems and Solutions

The current state of food production on acid soils in developing regions is presented. Africa lags far behind ASEAN and Latin American nations in almost all the parameters considered. Agronomic research shows that the resources and potential productivity are the same in all these regions. The reasons for the poor performance of Africa are to be found in government corruption, civil strife, poor infrastructure, lack of inputs and markets and the unavailability of production loans. The Millennium Project established by the United Nations is presented as the framework for a possible solution to these problems.     

Effect of Lime and Flooding on Phosphorus Availability and Rice Growth on Two Acidic Lowland Soils

Abstract

Loss of soil‐water saturation may impair growth of rainfed lowland rice by restricting nutrient uptake, including the uptake of added phosphorus (P). For acidic soils, reappearance of soluble aluminum (Al) following loss of soil‐water saturation may also restrict P uptake. The aim of this study was to determine whether liming, flooding, and P additions could ameliorate the effects of loss of soil‐water saturation on P uptake and growth of rice. In the first pot experiment, two acid lowland soils from Cambodia [Kandic Plinthaqult (black clay soil) and Plinthustalf (sandy soil)] were treated with P (45 mg P kg^?1 soil) either before or after flooding for 4 weeks to investigate the effect of flooding on effectiveness of P fertilizer for rice growth. After 4 weeks, soils were air dried and crushed and then wet to field capacity and upland rice was grown in them for an additional 6 weeks. Addition of P fertilizer before rather than after flooding depressed the growth of the subsequently planted upland rice. During flooding, there was an increase in both acetate‐extractable Fe and the phosphate sorption capacity of soils, and a close relationship between them (r²=0.96–0.98). When P was added before flooding, Olsen and Bray 1‐extractable P, shoot dry matter, and shoot P concentrations were depressed, indicating that flooding decreased availability of fertilizer P. A second pot experiment was conducted with three levels of lime as CaCO₃ [to establish pH (CaCl₂) in the oxidized soils at 4, 5, and 6] and four levels of P (0, 13, 26, and 52 mg P kg^?1 soil) added to the same two acid lowland rice soils under flooded and nonflooded conditions. Under continuously flooded conditions, pH increased to over 5.6 regardless of lime treatment, and there was no response of rice dry matter to liming after 6 weeks' growth, but the addition of P increased rice dry matter substantially in both soils. In nonflooded soils, when P was not applied, shoot dry matter was depressed by up to one‐half of that in plants grown under continuously flooded conditions. Under the nonflooded conditions, rice dry matter and leaf P increased with the addition of P, but less so than in flooded soils. Leaf P concentrations and shoot dry matter responded strongly to the addition of lime. The increase in shoot dry matter of rice with lime and P application in nonflooded soil was associated with a significant decline in soluble Al in the soil and an increase in plant P uptake. The current experiments show that the loss of soil‐water saturation may be associated with the inhibition of P absorption by excess soluble Al. By contrast, flooding decreased exchangeable Al to levels below the threshold for toxicity in rice. In addition, the decreased P availability with loss of soil‐water saturation may have been associated with a greater phosphate sorption capacity of the soils during flooding and after reoxidation due to occlusion of P within ferric oxyhydroxides formed.     

Effects of Boron and Lime on Productivity of Garden Pea under Acidic Soils in Northwestern Himalayas

An experiment comprising seven treatments was conducted to study the effect of boron and lime integrated with organic manures and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizers on garden pea productivity. Seed yield along with growth parameters were significantly influenced by combined use of farmyard manure and NPK fertilizers either alone or in combination with boron and lime. Treatment combination of 20 t farmyard manure / ha + 100% NPK + borax (T₄) resulted in 37% increase in seed yield over recommended practice of 20 t farmyard manure / ha + 100% NPK (T₃). In addition, recommended practice supplemented with granubor (T₅) and lime (T₆) also significantly surpassed T₃ with respective increase of 14 and 10% in seed yield. Similarly, maximum nutrient was observed in T₄. Hence, application of boron along with farmyard manure and NPK fertilizers could be the best option to maximize pea productivity in acidic soils under humid subtemperate climate.     

Effects of Goat Manure and Lime Addition on Phosphate Sorption by Two Soils from the Transkei Region,South Africa

More than 40% of soils in the Transkei region, South Africa, have high phosphorous (P) fixation capacities that necessitate application of high P fertilizer rates. This incubation study compared the effectiveness of goat manure (GM) and lime to minimize P sorption in two such soils. Manure application reduced P sorption in both soils, which was partly attributed to the liming effect of GM that resulted in marked reductions of exchangeable aluminum (Al). The liming effect of GM rates followed the order 20 t GM ha^?1 > 10 t GM ha^?1 > 5 t GM ha^?1. Therefore, GM can be cost‐effectively used to lime acid soils in the region and reduce their Al toxicity potential and P fertilizer requirements. Liming reduced P sorption on the Chevy Chase soil soon after application, but P sorption was reduced after 2 months on the Flagstaff soil, suggesting that the timing of liming for improved P availability could be critical for some soils.     

镁、锰、活性炭和石灰对土壤pH及镉有效性的影响

采用土壤培养方法研究单独添加不同量的硫酸镁、硫酸锰、活性炭和石灰性物质及其配合施用对土壤pH和镉有效性的影响。结果表明:镁、锰、活性炭和石灰性物质对土壤pH和Cd有效性的影响存在显著差异。添加石灰能显著提高土壤pH,pH增加幅度与石灰用量呈正相关;而添加镁、锰和活性炭都能降低或显著降低土壤pH,降低程度与用量呈负相关。这几种物质,无论单独施用还是配合施用都能降低或显著降低土壤有效镉的浓度,单独施用的效果总体上为石灰>硫酸锰>硫酸镁>活性炭,而配合施用的效果则为石灰+硫酸锰+硫酸镁>硫酸锰+硫酸镁>石灰+硫酸锰>石灰+硫酸锰+硫酸镁>石灰+活性炭。氢氧化镁对降低土壤Cd有效性的效果优于等量氢氧化钙(石灰)。     

Criteria for Determining the hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity of Soils

Except for dehydroxylated silica, all the inorganic minerals of soils are hydrophilic because their surfaces usually hold ions and polar groups (hydroxyls). The molecules of humic acid, i. e. the most important part in soil humus, are amphiphilic and superficially active. Water repellancy in soils is mainly caused by amphiphilic humic acid. Criteria are supplied to characterize the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of soils. The changes in the hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity of soil by the addition of organic components modify many of their hydric properties, such as wetting, evaporation, infiltration, etc. which are frequently incompatible. Due to the many different types of soil and organic correctors, no general recommendations can be made.     

Evaluation of the modified olsen extracting reagent for Copper,Zinc and Manganese

Abstract

The Modified Olsen (MO) extracting reagent is used extensively as a soil test extractant in Latin America. Little correlation or calibration research hasbeenreportedonit, however, especially for the micronutrients. wheat, corn, and soybeans were grown successively in the greenhouse to evaluate Cu, Zn, and Mn, respectively. Lime and micronutrient variables (one micronutrient per crop) were imposed on six soils representing four orders. After each cropping the soils were extracted with MO and with three other extracting reagents for which there are referenced critical levels: Mehlich‐1 (Ml), Mehlich‐3 (M3) and Soltanpour‐Schwab (SS). The correlations between nutrient uptake and the concentrations extracted were fairly similar for the four solutions, but were better for Mn and Zn than Cu. The poor relationship for Cu occurred partly because a maximum wheat concentration of about 10 mg/kg was reached, creating a curvilinear function. The amounts of nutrients extracted by the four reagents were also well correlated except for that between MO and Ml for Cu. Using these relationships, along with critical levels previously determined with reference extractants, the MO critical levels for Cu, Zn, and Mn were estimated to be 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/L, respectively     

Determination of Soil-Available Micronutrients using the DTPA and Mehlich 3 Methods for Greek Soils Having Variable Amounts of Calcium Carbonate

The Mehlich 3 method for the extraction of available micronutrients, such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn), is more advantageous compared to the diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) method, because it can also be used for the extraction of macronutrients. The aim of this study was to compare the Mehlich 3 and DTPA methods for 172 soils in Greece having different levels of pH and calcium carbonate. Single and multiple regression analyses were employed to evaluate the relationship between Mehlich 3 and DTPA tests. Mehlich 3 results correlated well with DTPA-extractable Cu and Zn, but the correlation was poor for DTPA-extractable Mn. Also, a high correlation was found between Mehlich 3 and DTPA-extractable Fe for calcareous soils (R² = 0.89), while a moderate relationship was found for noncalcareous soils (R² = 0.65), which was improved to 0.78 when the pH was taken into account in multiple regression analysis.     

Development of a New Soil Extractant for Simultaneous Phosphorus,Ammonium, and Nitrate Analysis

Abstract

A new soil extractant (H³A) with the ability to extract NH₄, NO₃, and P from soil was developed and tested against 32 soils, which varied greatly in clay content, organic carbon (C), and soil pH. The extractant (H³A) eliminates the need for separate phosphorus (P) extractants for acid and calcareous soils and maintains the extract pH, on average, within one unit of the soil pH. The extractant is composed of organic root exudates, lithium citrate, and two synthetic chelators (DTPA, EDTA). The new soil extractant was tested against Mehlich 3, Olsen, and water for extractable P, and 1 M KCl and water‐extractable NH₄ and NO₂/NO₃. The pH of the extractant after adding soil, shaking, and filtration was measured for each soil sample (5 extractants×2 reps×32 soils=320 samples) and was shown to be highly influential on extractable P but has no effect on extractable NH₄ or NO₂/NO₃. H³A was highly correlated with soil‐extractable inorganic N (NH₄, NO₂/NO₃) from both water (r=0.98) and 1 M KCl (r=0.97), as well as being significantly correlated with water (r=0.71), Mehlich 3 (r=0.83), and Olsen (r=0.84) for extractable P.     

Determination of Soil Available Phosphorus using the Olsen and Mehlich 3 Methods for Greek Soils Having Variable Amounts of Calcium Carbonate

The Mehlich 3 method for the determination of available phosphorus (P) is less laborious compared to the Olsen method and provides the advantage of multielement analysis. However, in Greece the Olsen P method is currently used because of its suitability for calcareous soils. The aims of this study were to compare (a) the Mehlich 3 and Olsen methods for 200 soils having different levels of pH and calcium carbonate and (b) Mehlich 3 colorimetric and Mehlich 3 inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis for 17 acidic and 23 alkaline soils. The correlation of Mehlich 3 P and Olsen P methods, excluding soils with pH less than 5 and soils with calcium carbonate levels from 10.3 to 48.3%, resulted in a linear slope of 0.24 and r² of 0.82, and thus for this range of soils the Mehlich 3 test provided a more reliable measurement of P compared to the Olsen method. This study confirms also previous results that show that Mehlich 3 ICP test measures more P compared to Mehlich 3 colorimetry.