Boron adsorption and desorption in some acid soils of West Bengal,India

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the influence of soil properties on adsorption and desorption of boron (B) as well as to estimate the degree of reversibility of adsorption reactions. The utility of Freundlich and Langmuir equations for characterizing the plant availability of applied B in soils was established using soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr.] as a test crop. The adsorption-desorption study revealed that Fe₂O₃ and clay were primarily responsible for retaining added B in all the 25 different soils under investigation. Organic carbon, pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC) positively influenced the adsorption of B while free Fe₂O₃, organic carbon and clay retarded release of B from these soils. The degree of irreversibility (hysteresis) of B adsorption/desorption increased with increase in organic carbon and CEC of these soils. Freundlich isotherm proved more effective in describing B adsorption in soils as compared to Langmuir equation. The split Langmuir isotherm demonstrated that any of the adsorption maxima, calculated from lower, upper or entire isotherm, could be of practical use. Contrary, bonding energy coefficient, calculated either at lower or higher equilibrium concentration failed to show any practical benefit. Regression models as a function of B application rate and adsorption equation parameters to predict B uptake from applied B, demonstrated the utility of Langmuir and Freundlich equation parameters.