Amelioration Effects of Crop Residues with Different Chemical Components on an Acidic Tea Garden Soil

Abstract

Various crop residues were applied to a strongly acidic tea garden soil to investigate their performance in ameliorating soil acidity. A laboratory study found the performance of crop residues on soil acid amelioration was mainly determined by the combined effect of nitrogen (N) transformation, cation exchange, and ash alkalinity. Nitrogen transformation was varied for different crop residues added, but followed N regulation, resulting in an adverse liming effect. It was assumed that during the release of ash alkalinity, cations replaced soil exchangeable acidity in soil solution, which largely diminished the liming effect of ash alkalinity. That was why soil pH was highly correlated with N transformation process. Furthermore, soil pH was positively correlated with carbon (C)/N ratios of crop residues both in low-level treatment (R 2 = 0.955) and in high-level treatment (R 2 = 0.981). Therefore, crop residues with relative high C/N ratios were considered to be more suitable for long-term pH adjustment of tea garden soils.