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Results of eleven survey rounds of arable soils performed from 1964 to 2022 in the southwestern part of the central chernozemic region in Belgorod oblast are analyzed. Ordinary chernozems predominate in the steppe zone of the region, and typical and leached chernozems predominate in the forest-steppe zone. During the eleventh survey round (2019–2022), the average application of mineral fertilizers was 114.4 kg a.i./ha; of organic fertilizers, 9.6 t/ha; the rate of liming of acid soils was 43 800 ha per year. As a result, the average yield of winter wheat increased to 5.09 t/ha, sugar beet up to 45.6 t/ha, and corn for grain up to 7.15 t/ha. At the same time, the maximum value of the weighted average content of organic matter (5.3%) was recorded in the soils of cropland for the entire observation period. The part of acid soils decreased to 28.6%, and the part of moderately acid soils decreased to 3.0%. The hydrolytic acidity decreased to 2.7 cmol(c)/kg. The weighted average content of available phosphorus (139 mg/kg) and potassium (161 mg/kg) was the highest in the central chernozemic region. Soils with the low content of available sulfur comprised 85.7% of surveyed soils, those with the low content of zinc, 97.2%; copper, 92.5%; cobalt, 98.8%, manganese, 40.1%; and molybdenum, 21.3%. In terms of the content of available boron, 98.2% of soils were classified as very rich. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution poses a growing threat to rice production in acidic paddies. In south China, a common agricultural practice involves the combined utilization of Chinese milk vetch (M) and rice straw (R). However, it is unclear how the addition of lime to these amendments affects Cd bioavailability and accumulation in soil. Control (CK), chemical fertilizer (F), Chinese milk vetch + rice straw + chemical fertilizer (MRF), and Chinese milk vetch + rice straw + chemical fertilizer + lime (MRFL) treatments were applied to develop a kind of green, efficient, and practical amendment for acidic paddies. We conducted a microplot experiment to explore Cd immobilization in paddy soil and the Cd content in rice grains with these treatments. The results showed that compared with F, the rice Cd in the MRF and MRFL treatments were significantly decreased by 51.7% and 65.2% in early rice and 23.0% and 43.3% in late rice, respectively. Both the MRF and MRFL treatments significantly reduced soil available Cd and weak acid-extractable cadmium (Aci-Cd) concentrations and increased soil organic matter (SOM), exchangeable cation concentrations, and pH, which converted Cd into a stable form in soil. In addition, the MRF and MRFL treatments increased soil pH value by reducing soil exchangeable hydrogen ion concentration (E-H). Additionally, recombination of Cd forms was the primary factor in the reduction in available Cd concentration according to partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) analysis. The Cd concentration of rice grains was primarily associated with soil available Cd, soil pH value, and SOM. Overall, these results provide useful data and novel insights into reducing rice grain Cd in south China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilization with suitable amendment in acidic soil is crucial to achieve long-term high crop yield without deteriorating soil health in intensive cropping system. We studied the chemical and biological properties of soil, soybean, and wheat yield after 47 years of long-term fertilization in an acidic Alfisol. Treatments were: unfertilized (control); recommended N dose (N); recommended N and P (NP); recommended N, P and K (NPK); NPK + hand weeding (NPK + HW); NPK + 10 Mg ha−1 farmyard manure (NPK + FYM) and NPK + 0.40 Mg ha−1 lime (NPK + lime). Long-term application of NPK + FYM significantly enhanced the soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon, available NPK and microbial functions compared to NPK. Application of NPK + lime increased soil pH, dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and bacterial population by 15.7%, 38.8% and 145% respectively, over NPK. Continuous inorganic-P fertilizer application leads to substantial build-up of available-P in soil. Fertilization of FYM/lime with NPK recorded higher crops yield compared to NPK. Soil DHA, bacterial population and CEC were most influencing factors governing grain yield. Overall, long-term application of NPK with FYM/lime improved soil health and crop yield, but rate of inorganic-P input should be curtailed in an Alfisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif and Summer seasons for two consecutive years of 2016-17 and 2017-18 with rice (Oryza sativa L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), grown in a sequence at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Mandya on an acid soil to study the effect of biochar, lime and mangala setright on yield, nutrient uptake and fertility status of an acidic soil. Application of biochar along with soil test value based fertilizer (STV) + FYM + ZnSO4 influenced the productivity of rice and cowpea of 104.82 q ha−1 and 2474.77 kg ha−1, respectively and the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by rice (107.72, 28.16 and 69.34 kg ha−1, respectively) and cowpea (68.06, 5.86 and 38.67 kg ha−1, respectively) significantly, which was found on par with application of biochar along with RDF + FYM + ZnSO4. The soil pH (6.01), organic carbon content (5.03 g kg−1) and available nitrogen (340.45 kg ha−1), phosphorus (39.45 kg ha−1) and potassium (166.45 kg ha−1) significantly increased through the integrated use of biochar, FYM, ZnSO4 and fertilizers. Yield and soil properties like soil pH, organic carbon content and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium significantly increased with application of lime and mangala setright as compared to farmer's practice. Highest net income and benefit:cost ratio (2.65) was obtained with integration of soil test value based fertilizer application, FYM and biochar. Significant reduction in the productivity of crop and soil fertility was recorded in farmer's practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many agricultural soils are naturally acidic, and agricultural production can acidify soil through processes such as nitrogen (N) fixation by legumes and application of N fertiliser. This means that decisions about mitigation of soil acidity (e.g. through application of lime), crop rotation and N fertiliser application are interdependent. This paper presents a dynamic model to determine jointly the optimal lime application strategies and N application rates in a rainfed cropping system in Western Australia. The model accounts for two crop rotations (with and without a legume break crop), for the acid tolerance of different crop types, and for differences in the acidifying effect of different N fertilisers. Results show that liming is a profitable strategy to treat acidic soils in the study region, but that there are interactions between N and acidity management. Choice of fertiliser affects optimal lime rates substantially, with the use of a more acidifying ammonium-based fertiliser leading to higher lime rates. The optimal liming strategy is also sensitive to inclusion of a legume crop in the rotation, because its fixed N can be less acidifying than fertiliser, and it allows a reduction in fertiliser rates. Higher rainfall zones have greater N leaching, which contributes to a higher optimal rate of lime. We find that injection of lime into the subsoil increases profit. Optimal lime rates in the absence of subsoil incorporation are higher than usual current practice, although the economic gains from increasing rates are small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perhaps the most outstanding features of the soil solution are its reaction i.e. whether it is acidic or alkaline or neutral. Acid soils are problematic soils because of the fact that soil acidity is a serious threat to profitable crop production and lime is essential for correlation of acidity as well as of toxic and infertile condition likely to be prevalent in the acid soils. A considerable amount of work is necessary to define the optimum pH range for the principle crops and rotation systems practiced in the state, to measure the yield responses to be expected for the more important soil types and to determine the longevity of the lime response. Adsorbed cations, Hydrogen (H+) and Aluminium (Al3+) are largely responsible for soil acidity. The present study was conducted in the Department of Chemistry, Techno India, Batanagar in the year 2015 to determine the Lime Requirement (LR) of acid soils collected from three soil series of Jamtara district of Jharkhand viz., Kunjabana (I), Bhandarbera and Kunjabana (II). In order to determine the LR, the soils were incubated with different doses of lime (Calcium Carbonate) and the result obtained was in the following order: Kunjabana I>Kunjabana II>Bhandarbera. The lime requirement showed significant correlation with pH (H2O) (r=-0.69), pH (KC1) (r=-0.59), clay content (r=-0.53), organic matter (r=0.65), the product of the increase in pH value due to liming and organic matter (r=0.71), CEC (r=0.63), log CEC (r=0.65), A1KC1 (r=0.71), FeNH4OAc (r=0.65), A1NH4OAC (r=0.59), total potential acidity (r=0.52) and lime potential (r=-0.84). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidic soils typically suffer from high phosphorus (P) retention, a problem that can be dealt with using greater P fertilization, soil liming, or both. The aim of this work was to examine which of these practices bears the more beneficial result forLolium perenneL. growth. In a pot experiment, five acidic soils were treated as follows: L0P0 (unamended control), L1P0 (liming only), L0P1 (P addition only), and L1P1 (both liming and P addition). We found that P amendment alone was sufficient to increase plant P levels when the initial soil P concentrations were low. Liming without P addition increased plant P satisfactorily only in the high-P soil. We conclude that P addition alone is a better practice than liming alone for improved plant growth conditions in acidic, low-P soils, unless there is relatively high P content in soil, in which case liming alone may be sufficient to increase P availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]