Soil Evaluation Methods for Calcium for Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Production in the Coastal Plain

Successful peanut production requires adequate Ca in the pegging zone. Soil testing for Ca based on pegging zone samples provides scientific basis for Ca supplementation for peanut, but concerns regarding inaccuracy of certain soil testing methods have been brought up by previous studies; therefore, reevaluation of routine soil testing methods for Ca on pegging zone samples is necessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate relationships and predictability of four major soil tests including Mehlich 1 (M1), Mehlich 3 (M3), 1 N neutral ammonium acetate (AA), and 0.01 M sodium nitrate (SN) for Ca, K, and Mg for peanut production in Coastal Plain soils common in the major peanut producing regions of the Southeast. Results showed that the four tests extracted varied amount of Ca, K, and Mg from soil. Soil treatments that included an addition of gypsum or lime reduced availability of soil K and Mg. Correlations were strong among soil K and Mg determined using M1 and M3, but the relationship was ...