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Some effects of reaction (pH) changes in a basaltic soil on the mineral composition of growing crops
Author(s) -
Stewart J. W. B.,
McConaghy S.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740140903
Subject(s) - dry matter , chemistry , agronomy , soil ph , manganese , zinc , phosphate , phosphorus , composition (language) , magnesium , limiting , soil water , biology , environmental science , soil science , mechanical engineering , engineering , linguistics , philosophy , organic chemistry
Results are presented of analysis of radish, oats, barley, beet, swedes and ryegrass grown on a basaltic soil adjusted to a range of pH values. When the pH of the soil was as low as 4.5, little growth was obtained even with acid‐tolerant crops other than radish and, although the application of phosphate resulted in some increase in growth under these conditions, the main factor limiting growth was the so‐called ‘acidity complex’. There was an appreciable increase in manganese, magnesium and iron content with increasing acidity and, as expected, the calcium content of dry matter decreases with increasing degree of soil acidity. The calcium content of the dry matter was decreased by increasing phosphate application to a greater extent than by increasing acidity. Swedes, beet and radish growing on the heavily limed soil plots showed definite symptoms of boron deficiency which also apparently reduced the calcium uptake of beet. Zinc and copper contents were apparently not affected by treatment. The range for zinc was 20–63 p.p.m. and the range for copper 2–10 p.p.m. Aluminium content in plant dry matter showed a slight increase with increasing acidity in radish and swedes but showed no change with beet, oats, barley and ryegrass. Most of the latter crops failed to grow under conditions where the ‘active’ aluminium in the soil was high.