The effect of lime, KCl and parent material on the cation exchange capacity of some acid subsoils of the western Cape

Abstract

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) values obtained by 22Na dilution for a number of mineralogically diverse acid subsoils reflected positive responses to lime and to treatment with KCl such that: CEC (unlimed, no KCl) BS > > granite; and: TMS > > granite > BS. CEC values per kg clay−1 increased exponentially with decreasing soil clay content, probably as a function of dilution.