Effects of pseudogley chemical amelioration on the changes in soil and plant phosphorus and potassium contents

Abstract

Pseudogley is a soil type that is under natural conditions characterized by unfavorable properties, the most pronounced being insufficient amounts of basic plant nutrients. Using different amelioration measures, numerous researchers have tried to overcome the problems resulting from soil acidity (increased aluminum and manganese contents, deficiency of alkaline cations in the adsorption complex and reduced available phosphorus content). Calcification was the most common measure almost always producing the best results of all the measures. In order to determine the effect of some neutralization acidity materials derived from natural sources (bentonite zeolite, lifos, CaO and MgO) on the change in the available phosphorus and potassium contents, a trial was set up on extremely acid soil to determine the manner of change in the nutrients concentrations in maize leaf and grain. The results obtained show that all ameliorative measures used affected the soil phosphorus and potassium contents increase, depending on the reduction of acidity and the mobile aluminum content, resulting also in a better uptake of the nutrients from the soil.

Keywords

• soil acidity
• ameliorative measures
• available phosphorus
• available potassium