Effect of two types of lime on some soil physical attributes of an oxisol from Brazil

Abstract

Liming is a very important practice, especially in acid soils such as some Oxisols from Brazil, in which the chemical effects of liming are reasonably known. However, the effects of liming on soil physical properties are either not well known or, at least, controversial. In order to verify, under field conditions, the effect of liming on some soil physical attributes such us the aggregate stability, the water dispersible clay, the water retention were evaluated in a citrus liming experiment on a Dark Red Latosol (Typic Haplorthox) clay texture, from Cordeirópolis, São Paulo State, Brazil. The soil samples were collected in 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depths, three years after the application of lime in the experiment, which had two replications per treatment. Calcitic and dolomitic limes were used with application rates of 0, 3, and 9 Mg ha‐1, with a total of five treatments, i.e., one control and two rates of application of each kind of lime. The results showed an increase in the aggregate stability. As a consequence, a significant linear correlation was found between aggregate mean weighted diameter (MWD) and calcium content and other indices affected by liming such as pH, sum of bases, base saturation and aluminum content. An increase in the stability indices (MWD) resulted in an increase in the water retained at 0.03 MPa and 0.1 MPa.