Effect of gypsum on soil potassium and magnesium status and growth of alfalfa

Abstract

Though surface‐applied gypsum has been shown to be useful in reducing the subsoil acidity syndrome, excessive application could reduce the availability of other essential cations in soil. This study was conducted to determine the effects of surface‐applied gypsum on the availability of potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) in field soils. Field experiments were conducted on Davidson and Tifton series soils in the southeastern United States with 6 main ameliorant treatments (0, 2, 5, and 10 t gypsum/ha, soil profile mixed to 1 m without lime incorporation and, mixed with lime to 1‐m depth), and 2 levels of Mg (0 and 100 kg Mg/ha) and 4 levels of K (0, 125, 250, and 375 kg K/ha) in a split‐split plot configuration. Alfalfa was grown on the Tifton soil and sorghum on the Davidson soil. Yields of alfalfa and sorghum increased with 2 t gypsum/ha but were adversely affected above 5 t gypsum/ha. Gypsum amendment at 2 t/ha reduced topsoil exchangeable Mg and K in both soils. In the soil profile study, exchangeable Mg was reduced throughout the upper 52.5‐cm depth, while no reduction of K was observed below the 22.5‐cm depth in either soil. The study indicates that Mg is more susceptible to leaching loss than K after surface application of gypsum. It is also suggested that surface‐applied gypsum be used as a soil ameliorant along with proper management of Mg and K fertilizers.     

Effects of liming on yield,forage cation composition,and tetany potential of wheat in Kansas

Abstract

We studied the effects of liming on dry matter production, nutrient composition, and grain yields of wheat in field experiments conducted on two soil types at three locations during the 1976–77 and 1977–78 growing seasons. Lime sources were commercial agricultural lime, finely divided stack dust, and dolomitic limestone (which contained 10.6% Mg). Lime applied at 2,800 kg/ha in the 1976–77 and 10,750 kg/ha in the 1977–78 experiments provided Mg from the dolomite at rates of 300 and 1,140 kg/ha, respectively.

Soil pH was significantly increased by liming, but Mg saturation percentages were significantly greater only at the 1,140 kg/ha rate. Forage dry matter and grain yields were not increased by lime applied at the lower rate, but significant increases were found in dry‐matter production in the late fall and spring samplings of the 1977–78 experiment. Those increases in plant growth and dry matter production were probably due to reductions in the soluble Mn and Al concentrations in the soil. Forage N and P concentrations were generally not influenced by liming. Potassium concentrations in forage from the limed plots were usually equal to or greater than those in forage from unlimed plots. Calcitic limestone sources generally increased forage Ca concentrations, but liming with dolomite more often than not depressed Ca concentrations below levels found in the check plots. Dolomite, when applied at the 1,140 kg/ha rate, effectively increased the forage Mg concentration, although the concentration exceeded 0.2% only during the early growth stages. Liming generally showed no significant reduction in the tetany potential of the wheat forage as predicted by the equivalent ratio K/(Ca + Mg).     

Combined N,P, K fertilization and liming maximises crop productivity of acid loams in Lithuania

Crop response to fertilization and liming was investigated in field and pot trials on sandy loam Dystric Albeluvisols (pH 4.2–4.3). Treatments in the field trial were: 1, no fertilizer; 2, PK; 3, NK; 4, NP; 5, NPK; 6, lime; 7, lime+PK; 8, lime+NK; 9, lime+NP; 10, lime+NPK. In the pot trial, they were: 1, no fertilizer; 2, N; 3, P; 4, K; 5, NP; 6, NK; 7, PK; and 8, NPK applied to unlimed and limed soils. All treatments were in four replicates. Crops sensitive to soil acidity (winter wheat, fodder beet, spring barley and clover-timothy ley) and the less acid-sensitive winter rye, potatoes, oats and lupins and oats mixture were sown in the field trial. In the pot trial, the acid-sensitive spring barley and red clover, and the less acid-sensitive oats and lupin-oats served as the test crops. Combined application of fertilizers (NPK) increased yields of crops sensitive to soil acidity in plots receiving lime by 23%, and those of crops less sensitive to soil acidity by 18% in comparison to crops grown on unlimed soils. The results of pot experiments corroborated the field results. When N was applied alone, crop yields were always higher than those recorded for P or K treatments on both the unlimed and limed treatments. N application proved to be a prerequisite for high crop yields in the soils investigated. Thus, the efficiency of P and K fertilizers increased in the order NK<NP<NPK, with the effects being accentuated more in the limed than in the unlimed treatments. The results demonstrated the importance of multi-nutrient (NPK) fertilization in combination with liming for enhancement of high crop productivity in the unlimed soil investigated. N applied alone in combination with liming produced relatively good yields; hence, where resources are limited for the purchase of P and K fertilizers, applying N and lime can be a viable option in the short term.     

Biological and chemical properties of arable soils affected by long-term organic and inorganic fertilizer applications

 Using soils from field plots in four different arable crop experiments that have received combinations of manure, lime and inorganic N, P and K for up to 20 years, the effects of these fertilizers on soil chemical properties and estimates of soil microbial community size and activity were studied. The soil pH was increased or unaffected by the addition of organic manure plus inorganic fertilizers applied in conjunction with lime, but decreased in the absence of liming. The soil C and N contents were greater for all fertilized treatments compared to the control, yet in all cases the soil samples from fertilized plots had smaller C:N ratios than soil from the unfertilized plots. The soil concentrations of all the other inorganic nutrients measured were greater following fertilizer applications compared with the unfertilized plots, and this effect was most marked for P and K in soils from plots that had received the largest amounts of these nutrients as fertilizers. Both biomass C determined by chloroform fumigation and glucose-induced respiration tended to increase as a result of manure and inorganic fertilizer applications, although soils which received the largest additions of inorganic fertilizers in the absence of lime contained less biomass C than those to which lime had been added. Dehydrogenase activity was lower in soils that had received the largest amounts of fertilizers, and was further decreased in the absence of lime. This suggests that dehydrogenase activity was highly sensitive to the inhibitory effects associated with large fertilizer additions. Potential denitrification and anaerobic respiration determined in one soil were increased by fertilizer application but, as with both the microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, there were significant reductions in both N₂O and CO₂ production in soils which received the largest additions of inorganic fertilizers in the absence of lime. In contrast, the size of the denitrifying component of the soil microbial community, as indicated by denitrifying enzyme activity, was unaffected by the absence of lime at the largest rate of inorganic fertilizer applications. The results indicated differences in the composition or function of microbial communities in the soils in response to long-term organic and inorganic fertilization, especially when the soils were not limited. Received: 10 March 1998     

Effects of limestone and phosphorus on nutrient availability and coastal bermudagrass yield on an ultisol

Abstract

This field study was conducted to evaluate nutrient availability and Coastal bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] yield response to factorial combinations of applied limestone and P in a strongly acid (pH 4.7), infertile soil. Limestone was applied at rates of 0, 672, and 3808 kg ha^‐1 to a Lilbert loamy fine sand (loamy, siliceous, thermic, arenic Plinthic Paleudult). Phosphorus was applied at rates of 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, and 480 kg P ha^‐1. Soil pH in the surface 15 cm initially increased to 6.2 in response to the high limestone rate, but subsequently declined due to N fertilization. Lime increased soil test P, Ca, and Mg and decreased K and Al. The efficiency of increasing soil test P with fertilizer P was low, but improved as a consequence of liming. Coastal bermudagrass yield increased by as much as 37 percent from P application. Maximum yield coincided with 10 to 15 mg kg^‐1 or greater soil test P and tissue P concentrations that ranged from 1.6 to 2.2 g kg^‐1. Lime Increased tissue Ca and Mg, but had no effect on plant P concentrations. Yield was unaffected by lime despite its positive effect on soil P and an apparent K‐Mg antagonism. Plant nutrients obtained from deep rooting of the bermudagrass into an argiilic horizon may have precluded any positive effect of lime on Coastal bermudagrass yield.     

Effects of liming on soil magnesium on some soils in New Zealand

Abstract

Results from 2 pastoral field lime trials showed that liming reduced exchangeable Mg. This effect increased with increasing rate of lime and with time following lime application, and was greatest in the top 0–50 mm depth. Soil solutions, sampled 2 years after liming, showed that solution Mg increased in increasing rate of lime. This effect was greatest in the top 20 mm of soil.

Lime incubation studies indicated that Mg fixation did occur on some of the soil studied, at pH >6.2. However, this did not account for the size of the observed effects of liming on exchangeable Mg in the field or explain the observed effects of liming at pH <6.2.

It is suggested therefore, that the major mechanism by which liming reduces exchangeable Mg, on these soils, is through displacement of exchangeable Mg into solution by the added Ca in lime, and subsequent leaching.

Results from other field trials suggest that liming will decrease exchangeable Mg if the change in pH‐dependent CEC (?ECEC) per unit change in soil pH is <15 me 100 g‐¹.     

Annual ryegrass response to limestone and phosphorus on an ultisol 1

Decreasing winter pasture productivity in unlimed Ultisols has been associated with increased soil acidity due to fertilizer N application. The susceptibility of cool season grasses to soil acidity and associated infertility factors that result in reduced forage yield are not well understood. This field study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of factorial combinations of limestone and P applications on annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. ‘Marshall') dry matter production and tissue mineral concentrations on a strongly acid (pH 4.7), sandy soil. Limestone was applied to a Lilbert loamy fine sand (loamy, siliceous, thermic, arenic Plinthic Paleudult) at rates of 0, 672, or 3808 kg ha^‐1. Phosphorus was applied to split plots at rates of 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, or 480 kg P ha^‐1. Over three harvest years, ryegrass yields increased 90 to 750% and 25 to 80% at the highest lime and P rates, respectively. In the second year, yield response to applied P was significantly less at the high lime rate which indicated that liming made soil P more plant available. Lime and applied P increased plant tissue P, Ca, and Mg concentrations. Yield was positively correlated with soil pH, P, Ca, and Mg and negatively related to soil K and Al. Clear relationships between individual soil test levels and leaf mineral concentrations with yield fluctuations could not be established because these variables were inextricably related to the lime and P rates. Nevertheless, excessive soil Al, coupled with inadequate P, Ca, and Mg availability, were indicated as important nutritional factors limiting annual ryegrass growth in unlimed soil.     

Factors associated with annual ryegrass yield response to limestone

Abstract

Quantifying the effects of soil acidity on plant growth remains a challenging research topic as numerous soil and plant growth factors are influenced by pH and lime. In the field, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. ‘Marshall') responded positively to the application of 3.8 Mg lime/ha on a strongly acid (pH 4.7) Lilbert loamy fine sand (loamy, siliceous, thermic, arenic Plinthic Paleudult) over three growing seasons. Dry matter yield in some cuttings, however, was better correlated with soil Al, P, Ca, Mg, and K than with pH. A greenhouse study was undertaken to quantitatively determine the effects of these five minerals plus Mo on ryegrass yield in limed and unlimed Lilbert soil material. Three ryegrass cuttings were obtained from unlimed (pH 4.8) or limed (1000 mg CaCO₃/kg) Lilbert soil which was also amended with five rates of Ca, K, Mg, Al, P, and Mo in combinations stipulated by central composite design methodology. Response surface models that fit yield to the applied treatments and soil test data were complex because all factors and many interactions were significant. Furthermore, the models were transformed as the plants matured and element availability changed due to mineral uptake. Most yield improvement derived from liming occurred as a result of the elimination of exchangeable Al with a concomitant increase in P efficiency. Applied Ca did not alleviate Al toxicity in unlimed soil. Chlorotic plants developed in all pots where Mg was excluded. Yield was increased by applied Mg and Mo in unlimed soil, but not in limed soil. Applied K improved yield only in limed soil. Although regression accounted for a large portion of the yield variability (R² values ranged from 0.75 to 0.95), these models were unable to accurately predict yield in control treatments.     

“New type” forest declines and restabilization/revitalization strategies a programmatic focus

Annual terrestrial inventories carried out in West Germany since 1984 indicate that for the last 4 yr approximately 50% of the forests were damaged. The damages were and are commonly attributed to the adverse effects of acid rain and other air pollutants. As most decline types are associated with nutritional disturbances, it was found that the application of lime and/or fertilizers could reduce or even remove the damages. Therefore, the West German government has established a nationwide program by which up to 80% of the costs of fertilization in forests revealing ”new type“ forest damages are subsidized. In practice, a clear distinction is made between compensative and ameliorative fertilization methods. Compensative fertilization means the application of Mg containing lime (generally 3,000 kg-ha^?1) to neutralize further acidic deposition in forest soils. The ameliorative fertilization is focused on the specific application of nutrients, particularly in stands with acute nutritional deficiencies. This is accomplished by means of readily soluble Mg and K fertilizers at application rates of 500 to 1,000 kg-ha^?1. In cases of insufficient P supply or for the activation of microbial decomposer chains in organic top soil horizons, P fertilizers are utilized. For ameliorative fertilization, foliar and soil analyses are recommended as a sound basis for fertilizer selection. In many cases, particularly in the States of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg, Mg containing lime in combination with fast soluble Mg and/or K (P) fertilizers are applied. Between 1984 and 1987, approximately 400,000 ha of “new type” forest damage areas have been limed and/or fertilized in West Germany. As positive as the application of lime and/or fertilizers appear to be, there exists some potential risks and limitations of these practices with regard to restabilization and revitalization of declining forest stands.     

Evaluation of liming and magnesium materials for increasing soil pH and available magnesium

Abstract

Four liming and Mg materials were compared in a greenhouse experiment with soybeans for their ability to raise soil pH, supply Mg, and their effect on the availability of Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn. Three materials were added at rates of 0, 1, and 2 times the lime requirement, calcitic lime, dolomitic lime, and Hydra‐Mag (an industrial by‐product containing 20% Mg). Sul‐Po‐Mag was the fourth material added as a plus Mg check at a rate based on an equivalent amount of Mg to that supplied by Hydra‐Mag. Plant growth, plant tissue element content and extractable soil elements were determined after growing the soybeans for 5 weeks. Plants in treatments where no lime/Mg materials were added were very small due possibly to Mg deficiency and Al toxicity. The 1 and 2 times rates of the materials gave about equal growth except that the high Sul‐Po‐Mag rate caused salt injury. Hydra‐Mag increased soil pH more than calcitic lime which increased soil pH more than dolomitic lime. Soil and plant Mg levels were increased more by Hydra‐Mag than dolomitic lime when applied at equivalent rates based on the lime requirement. Dolomitic lime gave very good plant growth indicating that it made adequate amounts of Mg available. Hydra‐Mag reduced plant and extractable soil Zn, Cu, and Fe but no more so than calcitic or dolomitic lime. Hydra‐Mag reduced plant Mn more than for the other limes.     

连续施石灰对作物生长及其养分吸收的影响

在浙江金华由红色粘土发育的酸性水稻土上,对稻—稻—大麦连续,次施石灰的试验结果表明,适量地施石灰可使大麦增产2—3倍,而水稻的反应一般不明显。对土壤和作物的测定显示,大麦增产的原因主要与石灰提高土壤pH,消除铝的毒害,提高磷肥有效性,促进根系发育,并显著增强大麦对磷、钾等养分吸收有关。但施石灰反而降低了水稻对磷素的吸收。因此,石灰一般宜用于大麦等旱作物。从产量、经济效益、消除铝毒及养分有效性诸因素综合考虑,对大麦的石灰用量以中和土壤pH至6.0左右为宜。但不论何种作物,连续大量地施石灰都是极不可取的。     

Precision farming protocols. part 2. comparison of sampling approaches for precision phosphorus management

Abstract

Research is needed to compare the different techniques for developing site‐specific phosphorus (P) recommendations on a field‐wide basis. The objective of this study was to determine the impact different techniques for developing site‐specific P recommendation maps on yield and profitability. Enterprise analysis combined with a crop simulation model and detailed field characterization was used to estimate the value of spatial P information in a system where N was not limiting. The systems evaluated were continuous corn (Zea mays) and corn and soybean (Gfycine max) rotations where sampling and fertilizer applications were applied annually and semi‐annually, respectively. The sampling techniques tested were: (i) an unfertilized P control; (ii) whole field; (iii) whole field plus historic information (feedlot); (iv) landscape positions; (v) soil type; (vi) soil type plus historic information (feedlot); and (vii) 90‐m grid sampling. The finding of this study were based on soil samples collected from a 30 by 30‐m grid. The value of the spatial information was dependent on the crops response to P, the accuracy of the different sampling techniques, crop rotation, and the length of time between sampling dates. All of the sampling techniques produced different application maps. The recommendation map based on a single composite sample under fertilized 56.5% of the field. Increasing the sampling density reduced the percentage of under‐fertilized land. If corn had a low P response, then simulation/enterprise analysis indicated that applying P did not increased profits. For all scenarios tested: (i) the soil type + historic sampling approach had higher potential profits than the 90 m grid sampling approach; and (ii) there was no economic benefit associated with the 90‐m grid sampling. However, if research shows that amortization of sampling and analysis costs over 3 or 4 years is appropriate, then it may be possible to derive economic benefit from a 90‐m grid sampling. For a corn/soybean rotation, where fertilizer was applied when corn was planted and N and P was not applied to soybeans, enterprise/ simulation analysis (2.8 Mg ha^‐1 soybean yield goal and a moderate P model) showed that soil + historic sampling approach increased profitability $3.74 ha^‐1 when compared to the uniform P treatment.     

The use of carbonatite rock powder as a liming agent

Carbonatite rock powder, originating from the Lillebukt Alkaline Complex at Stjernøy in northern Norway, can potentially be used as a slow‐releasing lime and potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) fertilizer due to a high concentration of the easily weathered minerals calcite (42%) and biotite (30%). However, the enrichment of barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) may cause an undesired uptake to plants when carbonatite is applied to agroecosystems. A pot experiment was designed to investigate the liming and fertilization effects of carbonatite and the potential mobilization of Ba and Sr compared to a dolomite lime commonly used in Norwegian agriculture. These liming agents were mixed with a sandy soil applied to different amounts of peat, and the uptake of Ba, Sr, calcium (Ca), Mg, and K by Festuca arundinácea Schreb. Kora (tall fescue) and Trifolium repens L. Milkanova (white clover) was evaluated. The liming agents were generally incapable of buffering the acidifying effect from increased applications of peat, while the plant dry mass was unaffected. Compared to pots given dolomite and soluble K, the availability of K from carbonatite to plants was equally high or higher, and no difference in the K:(Ca + Mg) ratio in plants was observed. Carbonatite was a significant source to plant Ba and Sr, and the uptake seemed to follow the Ca uptake. Addition of peat amplified the uptake of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, and K to plants, probably an effect of organic acid‐induced weathering of carbonatite. White clover took up Ba, Sr, and Ca more effectively than tall fescue, but the Ba and Sr concentrations in plants were relatively moderate compared to concentrations reported from field investigations.     

Alternative procedure for total phosphorus determination in plant tissue

Abstract

Surface liming will prevent the formation of an ‘acid roof’ on the surface of soil cropped in no‐till corn (Zea mays L.). A study was begun in 1985 to determine the effectiveness of unincorporated liming in raising pH in no‐till soil which had developed significant acidity throughout the upper 15 cm. Lime was applied at 0, 3.36, 6.72 and 10.08 Mg ha^‐1. All lime was applied on 26 April 1985 and was not incorporated. The pre‐liming pH at 0‐5 cm below the surface was 4.5; after two months the pH was raised to 5.6, 5.8, and 6.0 by 3.36, 6.72 and 10.08 Mg ha^‐1 of lime, respectively. After 19 months soil‐pH was raised to 6.0, 6.4 and 6.6 by liming at 3.36, 6.72 and 10.08 Mg ha^‐1 respectively. Soil‐pH below 5 cm was not affected by any rate of lime during the first 19 months after liming. Tissue analysis of corn ear leaves indicated that calcium uptake was increased significantly by lime in 1985, while manganese uptake was significantly reduced. In 1986, increases in calcium were greater than in 1985 and addtional significant reduction in manganese uptake was accompanied by significantly reduced zinc and copper uptake. In both 1985 and 1986, a trend toward lower average corn grain yield in unlimed plots than in limed plots was noted, but the yield increases due to lime were not statistically significant in either year. This study will be continued as a long term investigation of lime penetration into no‐till soil and response of corn to soil‐pH changes.     

Compost,Lime, and Rock Phosphate Effects on Organic White Cabbage Growth and Nutrient Uptake

Organic white cabbage response to the application of a source-separated municipal organic-waste compost, lime, and Gafsa phosphate was investigated throughout a randomized block pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. Cabbage yield and nitrogen (N) uptake increased with all fertilizes; however, lime and phosphate effects on cabbage yield were enhanced when the compost was not applied. Phosphate application partially replaced the need for lime, showing that liming has to be estimated based on soil acidity but also on soil P availability and phosphate recommendation. Partitioning of N, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) between leaves and roots was held for the benefit of the leaves, but to a lesser extent for P and Ca, compared to for N and K. This study shows the importance of P availability to improve cabbage growth and recommends source-separated organic waste compost to increase soil N availability for organic cabbage.     

Application of lime and wood ash to decrease acidification of forest soils

Liming and wood ash application are measures to decrease acidification of forests soils. The assessment of lime requirement can be based on that base saturation, which indicates a low risk of acid toxicity. Because of a wide spread Mg deficiency in Central European forests, Mg containing lime is normally applied. Ash from untreated wood is applied to decrease soil acidity as well as to improve K and P nutrition. In wood ash, K is the most soluble nutrient, follwed by Ca and Mg. The overall dissolution rate of lime applied to the forest floor is about 1t ha^?1 a^?1. After liming, soil solution alkalinity and Mg concentrations increase markedly, while changes of Ca, H ions and Al concentrations are less pronounced. After the application of wood ash, K concentrations increase due to the high K content and the high solubility of K in wood ash. After the application of a sufficiently high dosage of lime to the forest floor, the decrease of acidity in deeper soil layers may need decades because of the low solubility of lime. Nitrification and nitrate leaching induced by lime or wood ash may reduce their acid buffering efficiency.     

Yield response of corn to lime and urea application on an acidic tropical soil

Abstract

The effects of liming (7 500 kg CaCO₃/ha) and rate of urea application (0,50,100, and 200 kg N/ha) and its placement at the surface or at 5 cm depth on grain yield and nutrient uptake by corn grown on an acidic tropical soil (Fluventic Eutropept) were studied. Liming significantly increased grain yield, N uptake, and P and K uptake although Ca and Mg uptake, generally, were unaffected. Sub‐surface application of urea increased N uptake only. Yield response to applied N was observed up to 50 kg N/ha when limed but at all rates in the absence of liming. It therefore, reduced the fertilizer N requirement for optimum grain yield. Liming the acidic soil also reduced exchangeable Al but increased nitrification rate and available P in the soil profile (at least up to 0.6 m depth).     

Soil pH Change and Crop Responses with Long-Term Liming Applications in Tilled and Untilled Systems

An 8-year field study measured soil pH changes annually at various depth increments. Limestone was applied to tilled and untilled field strips annually for 8 years at either a 2.0 Mg/ha rate (100% calcium carbonate efficiency) and once every 4 years at the 8.0 Mg/ha rate (100% calcium carbonate efficiency), or as a water-treatment-plant limestone by-product in two replicated field trials. Liming materials increased soil pH in the 0- to 5-cm and 5- to 10-cm depths with time in untilled soils. Incorporated liming materials increased soil pH faster at the 5- to 10-cm depth and increased soil pH at the 10- to 15-cm depth. Mean maize and soybean grain yields increased for all liming materials, and maize ear leaf P and soybean shoot P and Ca increased after liming at the last year of the study. Consistent surface applications of liming materials without incorporation can mitigate acidification and improve crop yields in highly buffered soils.     

Tomato response to long‐term potassium and lime application on a sandy ultisol high in non‐exchangeable potassium

In a ten‐year study of potassium (K) and lime application to a Kalmia sandy loam (fine‐loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Hapludult), a soil high in nonexchangeable K, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Herr.] have not responded to applied K. The objectives of this study were to determine if a high K‐requiring crop such as tomato (Lycocersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Redpak) would respond to KCl fertilizer rate or lime type (dolomitic, calcitic, and mixed) and rate on such a soil. Potassium was applied at 0, 56, and 112 kg K/ha every year for ten years. Lime was applied at 0, 2, and 9 Mg/ha in calcitic, mixed, and dolomitic forms twice in ten years (1970 and 1973). In 1980, the tenth year of the study, tomato fruit was harvested by hand once‐over to simulate machine harvest and divided into four maturity groups by color. Soil pH was higher with dolomitic than calcitic lime. Soil K saturation was not influenced by lime rate or type. Fruit yield and leaf phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations increased with increasing lime rates. Leaf K, manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), boron (B), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), and aluminum (Al) concentrations decreased with increasing lime rate. Leaf Mn, Ba, and Sr concentrations were lower with dolomitic than with calcitic lime. Lime type had no effect on tomato yield. Wide ranges in basic cation saturation ratios had little effect on yield. Soil K saturation and leaf K, Zn, and Ba concentrations increased with increasing K rate. Soil Ca and leaf Ca, Mg, and Al concentrations decreased with increasing K rate. Applied K had no effect on total yield but onceover marketable yield increased linearly with increasing K rate. Marketable yield increased 14% with an increase in K rate from 0 to 56 kg/ha. Thus, fruit maturity was apparently hastened by K fertilization.     

长期施肥及石灰后效对不同生育期玉米根际钾素的影响

依托祁阳红壤旱地定位施肥试验(始于1990年),选取施氮磷(NP)、氮磷+石灰(NPCa)、氮磷钾(NPK)、氮磷钾+石灰(NPKCa)、氮磷钾配施秸秆(NPKS)、氮磷钾配施秸秆+石灰(NPKSCa)6个处理,采集玉米不同生育期根际与非根际土壤,测定其钾、钙、镁、铝含量和p H。结果表明:与NP处理相比,施钾处理(NPK和NPKS)根际和非根际土壤速效钾含量显著提高。NP、NPK和NPKS处理根际速效钾在拔节期和灌浆期均处于亏缺状态,亏缺率分别平均为18.2%、34.2%和26.4%。与对应不施石灰处理相比,NPKCa和NPKSCa处理根际土壤速效钾含量在苗期分别降低46.0 mg kg~(-1)和26.5 mg kg~(-1),非根际分别降低68.5 mg kg~(-1)和56.0 mg kg~(-1);从拔节期至收获期,根际速效钾含量平均升高25.2 mg kg~(-1)和33.7 mg kg~(-1),非根际略微降低。NPCa、NPKCa和NPKSCa处理根际土壤速效钾盈亏率与不施石灰相比,整个生育期分别平均提高8.6%、33.2%和19.3%。根际和非根际土壤速效钾含量与相对应缓效钾含量、钾饱和度、K+/(Ca2++Mg2+)和K+/Al3+呈极显著正相关关系。缓效钾和钾饱和度相对变化率(交换性钙镁相对变化率)与速效钾相对变化率呈极显著正(负)相关关系。长期施氮磷钾肥基础上施石灰(NPKCa和NPKSCa)4年以后,根际土壤速效钾、缓效钾含量及钾饱和度均提高(苗期除外),根际土壤交换性钙镁含量提高幅度低于非根际,最终缓解根际土壤钾素的亏缺。