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Earthen sites (i.e., ancient earthen buildings) with important historical, cultural, artistic, social, and scientific value have been seriously damaged. Soil treatment with chemical additives can decrease the degradation rate of earthen sites. In the past, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and quicklime as chemical additives were studied separately for the protection of earthen sites. In arid and semi-arid northwest China, the early strength of the lime-treated soil may be insufficient due to an inappropriate reaction environment, and the PVA as the additive can quickly increase the soil strength. However, calcium carbonate has been proven to not be decomposed for hundreds of years, while there is still a lack of experimental evidence to show that the PVA cannot be decomposed in decades. The PVA and lime as the additives show the potential to make up for the defects each other. Therefore, the physical and mechanical properties of the PVA and lime composite soil are analysed, and the microscopic properties of the composite soil are discussed in this study. The results show that the addition of the PVA decreases water vapour permeability and pore size, which causes a delay in the carbonization reaction of lime, but it acts as a cementing agent to improve soil strength before the lime appropriately reacts. The addition of quicklime can decrease the hydrophobicity of the PVA-treated soil. The mixing of these two materials is conducive to the colour control of the sample. For the composite soil applied to earthen sites in northwest China, the optimal ratio is 10% lime and 1.0% PVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ureolytic microbes are abundant in broiler litter (BL), and previous research indicates that microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation via urea hydrolysis occurs in gypsum‐amended litters. Given that calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is used to correct soil acidity, we hypothesized that the soil‐liming potential of BL + gypsum is greater than that of unamended litter. First, an experiment was conducted to isolate ureolytic bacteria from BL and confirm their ability to precipitate CaCO3. To determine the effects of calcium on urea hydrolysis, six isolates were identified from screenings of 30 colonies collected from different BL sources. Calcium increased the ureolytic rate by 29%–160% and the precipitation of CaCO3 by ~1500% in solution. The 16S rRNA of the isolate with the greatest rate of urea hydrolysis was sequenced and belong to Lysinibacillus macroides. Broiler litter amended with gypsum was inoculated with L. macroides and found to precipitate significantly more CaCO3 than inoculated litter without gypsum. Finally, over the course of a 28‐day incubation, the pH and inorganic‐N of soil, soil + BL, and soil + BL + gypsum were measured. Surprisingly, soil + BL + gypsum was found to have a significantly lower pH than soil + BL for the first 21 days. We propose that the decreased liming ability of BL + gypsum is due to a combination of pH buffering mechanisms and increased nitrification. Although gypsum is a useful litter amendment, it cannot be used to increase the liming ability of litter, despite the fact that gypsum‐amended litter has more CaCO3. Core Ideas: Calcium ions increase the rate of urea hydrolysis by poultry litter‐derived ureolytic isolates.Inoculating gypsum‐amended litter with ureolytic bacteria increases the CaCO3 and NH4+ content of litter.The soil liming potential of gypsum‐amended litter is not greater than the liming potential of unamended litter, even though treated litter contains more CaCO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate predictions of the short-term reactivity of liming products are needed for situations where rapid soil pH adjustment is desired. Lime efficiency (LE) describes the capacity of a liming material to neutralize soil acidity in comparison with a finely ground CaCO3 standard (LE = 100%). Our objectives were to evaluate LE for calcitic liming materials varying in particle size at 1–12 months after soil incorporation using pH change (LEpH) and CO2 evolution (LECO2) as response indicators, and to evaluate a 15-min citric acid (CA) test as a predictor of LE. We evaluated LE for lime particle size separates from 10 to 200 USA mesh (< 2000 µm to 75 µm) and for three commercial liming products (65, 25 and 11 µm average particle size) in a sandy loam soil. In field microplots, it took 6 months to achieve LE of > 80% with lime particles of <60 mesh (< 250 µm). LEpH was linearly related to LECO2 at one month following lime incorporation into soil. Both LEpH and LECO2 increased as a function of CA test values, as described by logarithmic equations. Lime particle size, CO2 evolution, and CA test values were all useful indicators of short-term LE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Listy Cukrovarnicke a Reparske is the property of VUC Praha a.s. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cow manure and compost has been applied as fertilizer for many years by farmers in Kampong Cham province. Improperly processed of cow manure and compost may contained pathogenic bacteria such coliform and E. coli that are harmful to humans. Pathogenic bacteria coliform and E. coli are both recognized as hazardous microorganism in the environment and for public health. It is an important pathogen associated with several foodborne and waterborne outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, which has been widely reported in Cambodia. Also, coliform and E. coli was detected in farmlands soils of Samraong and Baray Communes, Kampong Cham Province. The contamination of agricultural land, surface water, irrigation water, and fresh vegetables, can become a reservoir of infections. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the pathogenic bacteria from the contaminated areas. Many studies have shown that inactivation of pathogens in biosolids depends on several factors, from that the soil pH is one of the dominant factors affecting the inactivation of pathogenic bacteria. Increasing of pH can be achieved by adding agricultural limestone calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or quick lime (CaO). The objectives of this study are to investigate and evaluate the effects of adding different agricultural and organic lime materials on soil chemical properties and the survival rates of pathogenic bacteria coliform and E. coli. Pot experiments was conducted and different CaCO3 and CaO material such CaCO3 powder, eggshell, clamshell, and wood ash are used for the soil amendment. The CaCO3 and CaO added to soil at the ratio of 0 g, 5 g, and 15 g to 750 g of soil to each pot. The CaO obtained by burning the CaCO3 powder, eggshell, clamshell, and wood ash at 800°C. Soil chemical and biological parameters such as pH, EC, K+, Na+, Ca2+, coliform and E. coli were determined. The results showed that increase in soil pH due to lime addition were observed. However, there's no significant difference of soil pH responding to amounts of lime added 5 g, 10 g and 15 g. Similar trends were also observed between the unburned and burned lime material. The survival rate of coliform and E. coli were decreased with unburned and burned lime added, the pathogenic bacteria can be eliminated at 7 days after addition of lime. Since the performance of unburned and burned lime on the survival rates of pathogenic bacteria no different. So, it is not necessary to burn the lime material of CaCO3, eggshell, clamshell, and wood ash. As burning material need the temperature at 800 °C, farmers need a burner machine that can reach to that temperature. Farmers in Cambodia usually burning wood or charco to get the heat. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers can use the unburned lime instead of burned materials in Kampong Cham Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cropping systems of northern Idaho and eastern Washington are dominated by a cereal-based (winter wheat) rotation that is exclusively rainfed. Following the green revolution, the productivity of wheat increased dramatically with semi-dwarf varieties and inexpensive synthetic fertilizers. However, long-term and frequent use of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers has resulted in the gradual acidification of fields in the region, with reduced productivity and symptoms of aluminum toxicity in some locations. A micronized liquid formulation of lime (calcium carbonate) was evaluated at three locations to mitigate soil acidification in comparison to a no-lime control. To examine how liming affects bacterial community structure, soil samples were taken in the spring in wheat and pea rotations 7 and 19 months after lime application, DNA was extracted and the V1-V3 portion of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced with Illumina MiSeq. pH was only increased ∼0.2–0.3 units in most locations, and liming only had a significant effect on bacterial community composition at one location (Pullman). Liming had no consistent or significant effect on community richness or diversity. Location had a stronger effect on communities than liming or crop rotation, but some specific taxa increased in relative abundance in response to liming, including the families Cytophagaceae and Flavobacteriaceae (Phylum Bacteroidetes), A4b (Phylum Chloroflexi), and Opitutaceae (Phylum Verrucomicrobia). A number of operational taxonomic units (OTU) in Chitinophagaceae and Xanthomonadaceae were increased by liming at the Pullman location, which had 3–4 X more OTUs affected by liming than the other locations. Streptomycetaceae and Oxalobacteraceae were more abundant in root zone soil of wheat than pea. In conclusion, there was a strong interaction between liming and location in determining soil bacterial composition, but specific components of the bacterial community responded to even minimal increases in soil pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The pH adjustment of acidic red soils with lime materials is beneficial for the reduction of phosphorus (P) fixation. However, the reasons for varying levels of P activation after adding different lime materials have not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study examined changes in soil labile P and P forms after phosphate application to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and dolomite amended red soil during a 120‐day incubation period. Also change of P sorption properties in the amended soil samples from day 120 were examined through a sorption–desorption experiment. RESULTS: The increase of soil H2O‐P and NaHCO3‐P in the CaCO3 and dolomite amended soil treatments was mainly ascribed to the decline of the NaOH‐P. However, when compared with the control treatment after 120 days, soil Olsen‐P significantly increased by 34% and 66% in the CaCO3 and dolomite treatments. The Hedley P fractionation results demonstrated that the CaCO3 application caused a notable increase of HCl‐P (stable Ca–P), which was 88.4% higher than that in the dolomite treatment. However, the formation of stable P was strongly suppressed in the dolomite treatment due to the presence of magnesium (Mg), which was identified by the negative relationship between M3‐Mg and HCl‐P. In line with these findings, P sorption–desorption work showed weaker P binding energy in the dolomite treatment relative to the CaCO3 treatment. CONCLUSION: In terms of increasing P availability in red soil, this study suggests that dolomite should be used to substitute CaCO3 in order to reduce the soil P fixation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the liming equivalence (LE) of manures and soil pH kinetics were computed in triplicates, for soil pH measurements after eight weeks of soil incubation using manure ashes and CaCO3. The liming effects of CaCO3 and manure ashes are related to their Ca content. The pHKCl was more reliable for estimating the LE of the soil. The average LE was 0.73, 0.30, 0.26 for goat, cattle, and poultry ashes, respectively in pH KCl and 0.22, -0.22 and 0.15 in pHwater. Generally, the estimated LE of the ashes was 0.58 in pH KCl and 0.46 in pHwater. The goat manure ash had an LE value of 0.57, followed by the poultry manure ash value of (0.48); the least LE value (0.39) was found by the cattle manure ash. In alluvial soil, pH kinetics was best described by the power-function model (pHKCl), while first-order and power-function models were most appropriate for soils amended with the poultry and cattle manure ash, respectively in pHwater. In a sedimentary soil, no single kinetics model could be used to describe the changes in soil pH. The liming equivalence of the ashes was (0.58) in pHKCl and (0.46) in pHwater. Their liming equivalences relative to CaCO3 were 57, 48 and 39 %, for goat, poultry and cattle manure ash, respectively. Conformity of the soils to the kinetics model is a function of the solution (electrolyte) used for the pH estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accurate and rapid method to measure low concentrations (>0.5%) of inorganic carbon established. • Detection and prediction of inorganic carbon can be used to measure agricultural lime in soils. • Various lime sources can be detected and measured in different soil types and depths. • This method can be used to monitor lime movement and assist with management of acidic soils. • Infrared Spectroscopy approach is a viable alternative to traditional laboratory methods. Globally, surface and subsurface soil acidity pose a serious threat to crop production and require effective management to prevent yield losses. The application of lime (calcium carbonate, CaCO 3) is a well-recognised remediation technique for surface soil acidity. However, for subsurface acidity, improved application and detection methods are required to manage acidity due to the stratification of acidic layers. Mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopy has potential as a rapid, cost effective and accurate method of CaCO 3 detection in soils. However, for this technology to be valuable in an agricultural context, there is a need to develop MIR spectroscopy methods for the detection of CaCO 3 at agriculturally relevant concentrations of <1%, which was the aim of this study. MIR Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) carbonate prediction models were developed using carbonate-specific spectral regions to predict CaCO 3 concentrations in soil. Prediction models were initially developed using a single soil type spiked with reagent grade CaCO 3 and were tested further with soils collected from field trials that had been treated with various rates and sources of lime. Prediction models using specific carbonate peak regions were established and compared with models using the entire MIR spectrum to assess the model performance. Models built using a single peak range at 2560–2460 cm−1 gave the best results (highest R2 values and lowest RMSE values) followed by the single peak range at 1840–1760 cm−1. Specifically, model performance was improved when developed with a single soil type and reagent grade CaCO 3 in the 2560–2460 cm−1 spectral region, with PLSR R2 of 0.834 and RMSE of 0.030. Performance was reduced but still satisfactory (R2 of 0.735 and RMSE of 0.069) when applied to field trial soils using a range of different lime sources, including dolomitic lime. The MIR method enabled accurate prediction of carbonate concentrations and had a detection limit of 0.05% CaCO 3 , similar to what can be achieved using a pressure calcimeter. Findings suggest that MIR spectroscopy measurements of agriculturally applied CaCO 3 in soils may provide valuable insights into monitoring the movement and efficacy of lime treatments and will enable more informed lime applications in the future. The method may also be used to detect naturally-occurring carbonates at low concentrations and may be useful for rapid isolation of inorganic carbon from organic carbon in soil carbon measurements and carbon accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liming increases soil negative charges and thus affects the chemical equilibrium of cations between the solid phase and the soil solution with consequences for the mobility of cations. The effects of lime and potassium chloride (KCl) addition on the vertical movement of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were investigated in two Brazilian soils. The experiment was carried out in leaching columns. Treatments included a combination of rates of KCl (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg kg−1 K) and acidity levels (without and with liming). Seven water percolations (400 mL per column) were performed at weekly intervals, totaling an equivalent to 357 mm of rain. Raising the soil pH decreased the leaching of K, in both soils, up to 50% because of the increase of its electrostatic adsorption on created negative charges. Addition of KCl increased the percolation of K, Ca, and Mg proportionally to the rate applied, and it was more efficient than calcium carbonate to percolate Ca in both soils. Liming must be taken into consideration when K leaching or plant needs of K are estimated in predominantly variable-charge soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faba beans (Vicia faba L) are grown in northern Tunisia where annual rainfall approaches 1200 mm and where the soil acidity is the most limiting factor for plant growth. Aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) toxicities provide a hostile environment to root growth. To alleviate such a problem, farmers use selected acid-tolerant species. However, crop yields remain far below their optimal levels. Liming, a practice to eliminate acidity, has never been tried in this area before. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of lime and mineral fertilizers on root nodulation, plant uptake and yield of faba beans using a pot experiment. Treatments were combinations of two rates of calcium carbonate with three rates of superphosphate and three rates of potassium sulfate. Liming produced significantly higher number and weight of nodules on roots as well as higher nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents in plant tissue. Liming also increased shoot growth and bean yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of lime or liming materials to acid-soil grasslands might help mitigate soil acidity, a major constraint to forage productivity in many temperate mountainous grasslands. Nowadays, in these mountainous grasslands, it is essential to promote agricultural practices to increase forage yield and nutritive value while preserving biodiversity and agroecosystem functioning. Two different field experiments were conducted in the Gorbeia Natural Park, northern Spain: (i) one in a calcareous mountainous grassland (Arraba) and (ii) the other in a siliceous mountainous grassland (Kurtzegan) to study the effects of a single application of two liming products, i.e. 2429kg lime (164.3% CaCO3) ha−1 and 4734kg calcareous sand (84.3% CaCO3) ha−1, applied one month before the beginning of the sheep grazing season (May–October), on soil chemical (pH, organic C, total N, C/N ratio, %Al saturation, Olsen P, exchangeable K+ and Ca2+) and biological parameters (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase activity) as well as on botanical diversity (graminoids, forbs, shrubs) and forage yield and nutritive value (crude protein, modified acid detergent fibre, digestibility). Untreated control plots were also included in the experiment. Soil sampling was carried out at the end of the sheep grazing season (6 months after liming treatment), while botanical composition was determined one year after treatments application. Although no increase in soil pH was observed in Arraba, liming significantly increased dehydrogenase activity (an indicator of soil microbial activity) by 30.4 and 86.7% at Arraba and Kurtzegan site, respectively. Liming treatments significantly improved forage yield and nutritive value in Arraba but not in Kurtzegan. Furthermore, no differences in soil biological quality, evaluated using the “treated-soil quality index” as proposed in this work, were observed between treated and untreated soils, and between the two different lime treatments (lime, calcareous sand). It was concluded that, in acid-soil temperate mountainous grasslands, moderate liming treatments have no negative short-term effects either on soil quality or botanical composition, while resulting in improvements in forage yield and nutritive value under some conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odonate assemblages were compared between replicate sets of shallow lakes that had been created and acidified by open-cast mining across a large area (2,451 ha) of southwest France (Arjuzanx, Landes); one set of lakes ( n = 5) was experimentally restored by liming with calcium carbonate, whereas another group ( n = 5) was left as untreated reference lakes. Both odonate adults and exuviae were sampled bimonthly during May–August 1998. Elevated turbidity and conductivity in limed lakes were the only physicochemical measures differing between restored and reference lakes, because deacidification occurred naturally, even in reference lakes during the 17 years after the onset of restoration. Restoration by liming can apparently lead to effects on lake turbidity that might be considered adverse. Twenty-four and 19 odonate species occurred among adults and exuviae, respectively, but there were no significant differences in richness between restored and reference sites. However, significantly, more exuviae were collected from the reference sites (588 vs. 180), where exuvial diversity and rank abundance indicated more evenly structured assemblages than those in restored lakes. Ordination showed that adult assemblages differed significantly between restored and reference lakes, and varied highly significantly with lake turbidity. This effect occurred because a small group of generally scarce adults were characteristic of reference sites ( Chalcolestes viridis, Lestes virens, Cordulia aenae, Leucorrhinia albifrons, and Sympetrum sanguineum). Exuviae of these same species were less abundant at restored sites, but exuvial assemblages overall did not discriminate between restored and reference lakes. We conclude that lake restoration by liming can reduce diversity and larval numbers among odonates and subtly affects adult assemblages. In this case study, adult assemblages discriminated best between the lake types involved in the experiment, but important additional information arose from exuvial abundance and structure. This study indicates that natural recovery processes after acidification in formerly open-cast areas––rather than chemical intervention through liming––might lead to preferable conservation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial isopods are sensitive to variability in the pH-buffering capacity of soils, partly because of their high requirement for calcium. Acid deposition resulting from air pollution can reduce the quality of the environment for isopods and other forest-floor animals through the reduction of available calcium and increased acidity. We examined the potential for calcium carbonate (lime) application in soil to mitigate negative effects of simulated acid deposition on the isopod, Porcellio scaber Latreille (1804), in laboratory microcosms. Growth rate of animals was lower when subjected to strongly acidic simulated precipitation compared to weakly acidic simulated precipitation. Animals in limed microcosms had higher growth rates and lower risk of mortality than those in conditions without lime. Whole-body calcium concentration was higher for isopods in limed than unlimed microcosms receiving strongly acidic simulated precipitation. These results underscore the importance of buffering substrates for isopods and suggest that application of lime may be a productive mitigative technique in areas affected by acid rain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to test soil pH increase, subsoil acidity neutralization and vegetative cover restoration abilities of both biosoil and different types of lime for alluvial mine tailings located in Leadville, Colorado. Lime types used comprised of sugar beet lime (SBL), agricultural lime (AL), and lime kiln dust (LKD), and all were applied at 224 Mg ha-1 calcium carbonate equivalence. The plots were then established in 200 and monitored through to 2007. pH increase was then found in both surface and subsurface depths for all amendmends with those of LKD, LKD + BS and SBL + BS being shown to be most effective. Plant growth was also observed and appeared to be sparse on all treatments and were related to higher electrical conductivity (EC).

Liming is an effective method of correcting soil acidity, but the cost and other factors, such as sub-soil acidity, topography, and nutrient availability may limit its benefits. An alternative option is to grow acid tolerant plants. Pot experiments are an effective way of identifying plants with the genetic potential to grow in acidic soils. These experiments require a range of acidity levels. The soil used in this study was a sandy loam. Increments of aluminum sulfate [Al2(SO4)3.18H2O] and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) were added to derive dose-pH response relationships. The derived relationships were used to estimate the quantity of aluminum sulfate and lime required to change the pHCa (1:5, w:v, soil:10 mM CaCl2) of the soil from 4.4 to 3.89 and 4.4 to 5.2, respectively. The estimated quantities of aluminum sulfate (380 g) and calcium carbonate (48 g) were thoroughly mixed through 100 kg batches of the soil, which was potted (2 kg/pot). Then the acidified soils were leached to remove excess salts. The initial pHCa achieved was 3.86 and rose to 3.94 after leaching. A wide range of soluble aluminum (Al) concentrations (1:5, w:v, soil:10 mM CaCl2) was obtained from this study, e.g., 52 mg Al/kg soil in acidified soil and 1.8 mg Al/kg soil in limed soil. The variation in pH and EC between replicate pots was negligible (range 0.05 pH and 0.02 dS/m) and these remained relatively unchanged after six months. During the next six months some pots were held in the laboratory with 3 wetting/drying cycles; however, most were placed outdoors where they were sown with seed of Austrodanthonia spp. During this time, the pHCa of the acidified soils increased slightly to: 4.10 (laboratory), 4.18 (outdoors without plants), and 4.20 (outdoors with plants). A similar increasing trend was also observed in limed soils. It was concluded that adding aluminum sulfate and calcium carbonate followed by washing with water are quick and convenient methods for adjusting soil pH for pot experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers and liming (CaCO3) to improve soil quality and crop productivity are regarded as effective and important agricultural practices. However, they may increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is limited information on the GHG emissions of tropical soils, specifically when liming is combined with N fertilization. We therefore conducted a full factorial laboratory incubation experiment to investigate how N fertilizer (0 kg N ha−1, 12.5 kg N ha−1 and 50 kg N ha−1) and liming (target pH = 6.5) affect GHG emissions and soil N availability. We focussed on three common acidic soils (two ferralsols and one vertisol) from Lake Victoria (Kenya). After 8 weeks, the most significant increase in cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes compared with the unfertilized control was found for the two ferralsols in the N + lime treatment, with five to six times higher CO2 fluxes than the control. The δ13C signature of soil‐emitted CO2 revealed that for the ferralsols, liming (i.e. the addition of CaCO3) was the dominant source of CO2, followed by urea (N fertilization), whereas no significant effect of liming or of N fertilization on CO2 flux was found for the vertisol. In addition, the N2O fluxes were most significantly increased by the high N + lime treatment in the two ferralsols, with four times and 13 times greater N2O flux than that of the control. No treatment effects on N2O fluxes were observed for the vertisol. Liming in combination with N fertilization significantly increased the final nitrate content by 14.5%–39% compared with N fertilization alone in all treatment combinations and soils. We conclude that consideration should be given to the GHG budgets of agricultural ferralsols since liming is associated with high liming‐induced CO2 and N2O emissions. Therefore, nature‐based and sustainable sources should be explored as an alternative to liming in order to manage the pH and the associated fertility of acidic tropical soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of the mechanisms organic matter transformation in compost organic fertilizers is an urgent task of modern soil ecology and soil chemistry. The main components of such fertilizers are newly formed, weakly humified labile humic acids (HAs). The objective of the study is to determine the mechanism of converting the newly formed HAs into the forms with increased resistance to microbiological and biochemical influences. Obtained during the plant residues decomposition, HAs were studied in the incubation experiment (0, 30, 90 days). Calcium carbonate and biochar produced by rapid pyrolysis from birch and aspen wood, at 550 °C, were used as the composting mixture compounds. Decomposed plant residues—fresh aboveground mass of clover (Trifolium pratense L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), as well as dry oat straw (Avena sativa L.) were the material used for humification. To obtain Has, 0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M Na4P2O7 were used. Then, HAs were separated from fulvic acids (FAs) using a 0.5 M H2SO4. The amount of labile HAs (HAs1) was estimated by their content in 0.1 M NaOH. The amount of stabilized HAs (HAs2) was calculated by the difference between the HAs content in 0.1 M Na4P2O7 and 0.1 M NaOH. Preparation of HAs for elemental composition and NMR analysis was performed according to the International Humic Substances Society's recommendations. The possibility of converting newly formed HAs into stable forms (calcium humates), whose share in the HAs composition reaches 40–50%, has been shown. However, the mechanism of HAs transformation under the studied reagent's influence was different. In the presence of calcium carbonate, it is caused by the physicochemical processes of newly formed HAs rearrangement. However, in the presence of biochar, this is due to the humification processes' intensification and to the increase in the aromatization degree confirmed by the increase in the optical density, as well as by the increase in carbon and oxygen proportion, and by the decrease in hydrogen proportion in HAs molecules. The understanding of HAs formation and transformation mechanisms at the early humification stages can help to optimize the methods of obtaining organic fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of lime (calcium carbonate) may be a cost-effective strategy to promote forest ecosystem recovery from acid impairment, under contemporary low levels of acidic deposition. However, liming acidified soils may create more suitable habitat for invasive earthworms that cause significant damage to forest floor communities and may disrupt ecosystem processes. We investigated the potential effects of liming in acidified soils where earthworms are rare in conjunction with a whole-ecosystem liming experiment in the chronically acidified forests of the western Adirondacks (USA). Using a microcosm experiment that replicated the whole-ecosystem treatment, we evaluated effects of soil liming on Lumbricus terrestris survivorship and biomass growth. We found that a moderate lime application (raising pH from 3.1 to 3.7) dramatically increased survival and biomass of L. terrestris, likely via increases in soil pH and associated reductions in inorganic aluminum, a known toxin. Very few L. terrestris individuals survived in unlimed soils, whereas earthworms in limed soils survived, grew, and rapidly consumed leaf litter. We supplemented this experiment with field surveys of extant earthworm communities along a gradient of soil pH in Adirondack hardwood forests, ranging from severely acidified (pH < 3) to well-buffered (pH > 5). In the field, no earthworms were observed where soil pH < 3.6. Abundance and species richness of earthworms was greatest in areas where soil pH > 4.4 and human dispersal vectors, including proximity to roads and public fishing access, were most prevalent. Overall our results suggest that moderate lime additions can be sufficient to increase earthworm invasion risk where dispersal vectors are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil pH correction and balanced fertilization are essential for coffee production and drink quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate strategies of soil limestone management to Arabica coffee plant development and yield. Five limestone management strategies were studied [T1: 100% limestone, relative power of total neutralization (RPTN) 100%, applied in September; T2: 50% in September + 50% in January (RPTN 100%); T3: 50% in September + 50% in January (RPTN 140%); T4: 100% (RPTN 100%) in September + 100% (RPTN 140%) in January; T5: 100% (RPTN 140%) in September + 100% (RPTN 100%) in January] in a 25-years-old commercial Arabica coffee area. Soil chemical attributes, plant nutritional status, biometrics, and yield were evaluated 120 days after treatment's application. Soil Ca and Mg levels and base saturation increased for T5 limestone management strategy. The improvements in soil fertility did not alter the coffee leaf contents of the macronutrients but increased the micronutrient levels after the second limestone application. Split limestone application and mixing limestone with different RPTNs (140 before 100%) improved soil Ca, Mg, base saturation, and coffee cherry production. The sole application of the recommended limestone dose (RPTN 100%) can reduce responses compared to more complex limestone managements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic calcite precipitation is the removal of calcite (CaCO3) from the epilimnion to the sediments of hard-water lakes during summer stratification, caused by increased pH during algal blooms and by nucleation of calcite crystals on surfaces of micro-algae. Although this phenomenon has been studied for decades, details of the underlying mechanisms are still debated. Using results of approximately 70,000 alkalinity measurements from 13 hard-water Swiss lakes (each with approximately 30 yr to 50 yr of monitoring), we demonstrate that (i) calcium carbonate-buffered lakes act as alkalinity sinks during summer stratification but act as CO2 sources during and immediately after spring overturn; (ii) as the alkalinity concentration ([Alkmix]) and the total phosphorus concentration ([TPmix]) at spring overturn increase, increasingly more alkalinity is lost from the epilimnion during summer stratification; (iii) [Alkmix] is determined by the lake's discharge-weighted average inflow concentration ([Alkin]), flushing rate, mean depth and [TPmix]; and (iv) [Alkin] depends on the mineralogy and the land use affecting in-soil nitrification of ammonia and subsequent calcite dissolution in the catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper was to investigate the effect of numerous combinations of mineral, lime and manure fertilisers on wheat yield of two varieties (Pobeda and Kruna) grown on pseudogley. As mineral feeds NPK fertilisers were used, as lime fertiliser CaCO3, and manure as organic fertiliser. Results of the investigation didn't show statistical significance in grain yield at any of investigated variants of wheat, no matter what variant of fertilisation was used. With the use of mineral fertilisers, yield was rising from the lowest to the highest dose. Using the combination of mineral and lime fertilisers, especially those with higher doses of mineral feeds, higher yield was achieved which was statistically significant compared with those achieved only with mineral fertilisers. Combination of a manure, mineral and lime fertilisers gave a bigger yield, which was statistically very significant, than using of only mineral fertilisers. Also, using of that combination, but with increased dose of mineral feeds, gave a bigger yield than a combination of mineral and lime fertilisers, on a statistically very significant level. The biggest yield (5120 kg ha-1) gave variety Pobeda with using of combination of manure, mineral (with higher dose) and lime fertilisers. The lowest yield (2810 kg ha-1) gave variety Kruna with using of the lowest dose of mineral fertiliser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaching of dissolved calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) carbonates is the main cause for decalcination of soils. The efficiency of various limes in replacing the carbonates and stabilising the available Ca content depends on the dynamics of lime solubility. The latter depends on the material and the size of its particles: the finer the material, the sooner it will dissolve and leach. To reduce the leaching of the Ca into the soil and to stabilise the available Ca content, the particle-size distribution on the basis of the solubility of lime particles with different sizes was determined so that lime would dissolve equally in a balanced way during the anticipated time. While the solubility of limestone particles of different sizes was being assessed in distilled water, the pH of water was brought to 4.0 by adding potassium biphthalate C8H5O4K: it was discovered that the solubility dynamics of all the lime applied to the soil can be controlled by means of its particle-size distribution. In the field trial, the soil contained the available Ca after the application of limestone (particle-size distribution: <0.16 mm 7%, <0.5 mm 25%, <2 mm 76% and <4 mm 93%) both at the beginning of the trial and in its third to fourth year at an equal and optimum level for the growth of field crops (1.50 g kg−1, with the base saturation around 80%). Considering the importance of Ca in soil and the leaching of a notable part of it, it is possible, by means of regulating the limestone solubility dynamics by the particle-size distribution, to improve the resistance of limes to leaching and erosion and to stabilise the Ca content in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Georgia (GA) lime recommendation equation includes a multiplier of 1.5 to account for agricultural (ag) lime that is less reactive than reagent-grade calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Research has not been conducted with ag lime to arrive at this multiplier with GA soils typical of the coastal plain or with ag limes available in GA. These ag limes may differ in their reactivity from others tested previously. The efficiency of five dolomitic ag limes were compared to reagent-grade CaCO3 on two GA soils with different pH-buffering capacities. Reactions other than acid neutralization by lime affected pH, especially in the soil with low pH-buffering capacity. Results from the soil with high pH-buffering capacity yielded multipliers of 1.17, 1.16, 1.48, 1.34, and 1.73 for ag limes 1 through 5, respectively, with an average multiplier of 1.38. Based on these results, continued use of a multiplier of 1.5 is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Soil incubations are a common practice typically employed in assessing the effect of some treatment on the availability and solubility of phosphorus (P). However, standard sample preparation (drying and sieving) can alter soil chemical and physical properties, resulting in possible changes in P behavior upon soil incubation. Sixty surface soil samples were collected, air dried, and sieved before being incubated at field capacity for 7days. After incubation, soils were allowed to air dry and were analyzed along with nonincubated samples for pH and water‐ and Mehlich‐3‐extractable elements. Incubation increased pH and decreased water‐soluble P, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) relative to nonincubated soils. Increases in pH may have been due to increased solubility of residual calcium carbonates by drying and sieving. This increase in pH among soils with sufficient levels of P, Ca, and Mg resulted in the formation of Ca and Mg phosphates as confirmed by chemical speciation modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the low mobility in soil, surface liming has increased plant growth and yield. Since only the topsoil is affected by this technique, the benefits may be caused by improvements in soil solution. This experiment aimed to assess chemical changes in the solid phase and leached solutions after addition of calcitic limes to a Humic Hapludox. Calcium carbonate or calcium hydroxide was throughly mixed with soil samples at rates of 0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 1.50-times that required to raise soil pH to 6.0 (equivalent to 0, 3.5, 7.0, 14, and 21 t ha−1). After 60 days, treated samples were transferred to the top (30 cm) of leaching columns, filled with unlimed soil in the bottom (23 cm). Water was percolated weekly through the columns during 12 weeks. Chemical determinations were performed on all leached solutions, and at different soil depths below the limed layer at the end of the experiment. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al) increased linearly in the percolated solution with increases on lime sources; the opposite occurred for leachate pH, probably due to hydrolysis of Al that was replaced from the negative charges on unlimed soil by added calcium. Calcitic limes increased pH and Ca, and decreased Al and Mg in the solid phase below the limed layer up to a maximum of 3 cm. Lime, thus, positively affected only the top of the unlimed solid phase; its effect on leached solution, however, was similar to that caused by neutral salts on acid soils, with increases in cations and decreases in pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichome biomineralization is widespread in plants but detailed chemical patterns and a possible influence of soil chemistry are poorly known. We explored this issue by investigating trichome biomineralization in 36 species of Mediterranean Brassicaceae from ultramafic and calcareous soils. Our aims were to chemically characterize biomineralization of different taxa, including metallophytes, under natural conditions and to investigate whether divergent Ca, Mg, Si and P-levels in the soil are reflected in trichome biomineralization and whether the elevated heavy metal concentrations lead to their integration into the mineralized cell walls. Forty-two samples were collected in the wild while a total of 6 taxa were brought into cultivation and grown in ultramafic, calcareous and standard potting soils in order to investigate an effect of soil composition on biomineralization. The sampling included numerous known hyperaccumulators of Ni. EDX microanalysis showed CaCO3 to be the dominant biomineral, often associated with considerable proportions of Mg—independent of soil type and wild versus cultivated samples. Across 6 of the 9 genera studied, trichome tips were mineralized with calcium phosphate, in Bornmuellera emarginata the P to Ca-ratio was close to that of pure apatite-calcium phosphate (Ca5(PO4)3OH). A few samples also showed biomineralization with Si, either only at the trichome tips or all over the trichome. Additionally, we found traces of Mn co-localized with calcium phosphate in Bornmuellera emarginata and traces of Ni were detected in trichomes of the Ni-hyperaccumulator Odontarrhena chalcidica. Our data from wild and cultivated plants could not confirm any major effect of soil chemistry on the chemistry of trichome biominerals. Hyperaccumulation of Ni in the plants is not mirrored in high levels of Ni in the trichomes, nor do we find large amounts of Mn. A comparison based on plants from cultivation (normal, calcareous and serpentine soils, Mg:Ca-ratios ca 1:2 to 1:20) shows at best a very weak reflection of different Mg:Ca-ratios in the mineralized trichomes. The plants studied seem to be able to maintain highly conserved biomineralization patterns across a wide range of soil chemistries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]