Response of grass leys to applications of calcified seaweed

Abstract

Calcified seaweed has long been used as a soil conditioner in northern Europe, but supposed beneficial responses have not been experimentally substantiated. Field and glasshouse studies examined treatment responses on the characteristics of sandy silt loam Hapludalf soils and on the growth and elemental composition of Loliumperenne. Agricultural lime was a treatment in both experiments, being chemically similar to calcified seaweed. Calcified seaweed was applied at 2 t ha‐1 and produced small increases in soil pH and extractable calcium (Ca). Significant increases in Lolium perenne growth were found in field studies after both calcified seaweed and lime applications. Smaller, but consistent, increases in growth were found in glasshouse pot studies. However, only one harvest showed a significant dry weight yield increase after calcified seaweed application compared with the untreated control. In pot studies, increases in soil extractable Ca were associated with increases in shoot elemental Ca. Decreases in shoot zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were found after both calcified seaweed and lime applications. Total shoot element accumulation of Zn and Mn after calcified seaweed application were similar to those produced by the control, suggesting that decreases in shoot Zn and Mn concentrations resulted from dilution after increased shoot growth. However, total Zn and Mn accumulation decreased after lime application compared to the control and calcified seaweed treatments, probably resulting from fixation of available soil Zn and Mn through greater increases in soil pH.