Effect of gypsum rates and lime with different reactivity on soil acidity and crop grain yields in a subtropical Oxisol under no-tillage

Abstract

The low solubility of lime (CaCO3) and the absence of soil disturbance in fields under no-tillage (NT) may diminish the effectiveness of surface liming to reduce exchangeable Al3+ (toxic to plants) and increase the base saturation in deep soil layers. However, the effects of subsurface soil acidity can be attenuated by applying agricultural gypsum (CaSO4⋅2H2O), which is more soluble than lime, and thus, can leached bases (exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+) and S-SO42− to deeper soil layers as well as decrease Al3+ toxicity to plants. Therefore, gypsum can be applied individually or in combination with lime. Herein, we conducted a field experiment aiming to evaluate short- (1 year) and long-term (11 years) effects of surface liming and gypsum application on the chemical properties of the 0.00–0.10, 0.10–0.20, 0.20–0.40 and 0.40–0.60 m soil layers and also on crop yield of 22 crop seasons (i.e., 10 soybean, 3 maize, 4 white oat, 3 wheat and 2 barley crops). The study was performed in a clayey Typic Hapludox of moderate acidity managed under NT for more than 25 years in Guarapuava, Paraná State, southern Brazil. Three soil surface-applied lime strategies were tested in order to raise base saturation to 70%, namely: (a) 4.62 Mg ha–1 rate of lime of low effective calcium carbonate equivalent (ECCE = 75%); (b) 3.47 Mg ha–1 rate of lime with a high ECCE value (101%); and (c) the same rate of high-ECCE lime split in three applications (i.e., 1/3 at the start of experiment; 1/3 after 1 year and 1/3 after 2 years). A control treatment without liming was also conducted. The liming strategies were combined with four rates of agricultural gypsum (i.e., 0, 3, 6 and 9 Mg ha–1) applied at the start of the experiment. Our findings did not reveal synergistic effect of lime and gypsum on soil chemical properties nor on crop yield. Gypsum resulted in very slight gains in grain yield (4% on average) and limited to just 25% of cereal (corn and winter cereals) crop seasons. On the other hand, liming increased soybean yields by 14% in 40% of crop seasons. Gypsum was more efficient than lime in raising exchangeable Ca2+ levels up to −0.60 m in the short term; however, lime promoted greater reduction of soil acidity and had a more marked residual effect on exchangeable Ca2+ contents than gypsum. The liming strategies did no promote substantial differences in crop yield, but low-ECCE lime sustained better soil chemical condition to plant growth for a longer period. Surface liming efficiently reduced subsurface acidity in a moderately acidic Oxisol managed under NT even in the short-term, promoting increments on soybean crop yields. In this case, the application of gypsum rates did not bring additional benefits to soil or plant yield.