Agricultural Lime Research Articles

Base Neutralizing Capacity of Agricultural Soils in a Quaternary Landscape of North-East Germany and Its Relationship to Best Management Practices in Lime Requirement Determination

Despite being a natural soil-forming process, soil acidification is a major agronomic challenge under humid climate conditions, as soil acidity influences several yield-relevant soil properties. It can be counterbalanced by the regular application of agricultural lime to maintain or re-establish soil fertility and to optimize plant growth and yield. To avoid underdose as well as overdose, lime rates need to be calculated carefully. The lime rate should be determined by the optimum soil pH (target pH) and the response of the soil to lime, which is described by the base neutralizing capacity (BNC). Several methods exist to determine the lime requirement (LR) to raise the soil pH to its optimum. They range from extremely time-consuming equilibration methods, which mimic the natural processes in the soil, to quick tests, which rely on some approximations and are designed to provide farmers with timely and cost-efficient data. Due to the higher analytical efforts, only limited information is available on the real BNC of particular soils. In the present paper, we report the BNC of 420 topsoil samples from Central Europe (north-east Germany), developed on sediments from the last ice age 10,000 years ago under Holocene conditions. These soils are predominantly sandy and low in humus, but they exhibit a huge spatial variability in soil properties on a small scale. The BNC was determined by adding various concentrations of Ca(OH)2 and fitting an exponential model to derive a titration curve for each sample. The coefficients of the BNC titration curve were well correlated with soil properties affecting soil acidity and pH buffer capacity, i.e., pH, soil texture and soil organic matter (SOM). From the BNC model, the LRs (LRBNC) were derived and compared with LRVDLUFA based on the standard protocol in Germany as established by the Association of German Agricultural Analytic and Research Institutes (VDLUFA). The LRBNC and LRVDLUFA correlated well but the LRVDLUFA were generally by approximately one order of magnitude higher. This is partly due to the VDLUFA concept to recommend a maintenance or conservation liming, even though the pH value is in the optimum range, to keep it there until the next lime application during the following rotation. Furthermore, the VDLUFA method was primarily developed from field experiments where natural soil acidification and management practices depressed the effect of lime treatment. The BNC method, on the other hand, is solely based on laboratory analysis with standardized soil samples. This indicates the demand for further research to develop a sound scientific algorithm that complements LRBNC with realistic values of annual Ca2+ removal and acidification by natural processes and N fertilization.

Trialling Water-Treatment Residuals in the Remediation of Former Mine Site Soils: Investigating Improvements Achieved for Plants, Earthworms, and Soil Solution.

During clarification processes of raw water, a vast amount of by-product known as "drinking water-treatment residuals" (WTRs) are produced, being principally composed of hydroxides of the Al or Fe salts added during water treatment plus the impurities they remove. Aluminum-based (Al-WTR) and iron-based (Fe-WTR) materials were applied at 10% w/w to degraded, bare (unvegetated) soils from a restored coal mining site in central England (pH <3.9) to study their potential amelioration effects on earthworm mortality, biomass yield of seedling plants, and element concentrations in plant tissues, earthworm tissues, and soil solutions. A separate treatment with agricultural lime was also conducted for comparison to evaluate whether any observed improvements were attributable to the liming capacity of the WTRs. After completion of the trials, all samples were subjected to a wet-dry cycle, and the experiments were repeated (i.e., simulating longer-term effects in the field). Both types of WTRs significantly increased the biomass of plants, and in some treatments, survival of earthworms was also enhanced compared to nonamended soils. Excess plant tissue element concentrations and element concentrations in soil solutions were reduced in amended soils. The implications are that adding WTRs to mining-impacted soils is a potentially viable, sustainable, and low-cost remediation method that could be used globally to improve the soil condition. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1277-1291. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Lime equivalence of organic manures and scope of their utilization as acid soil amendments

ABSTRACT The effectiveness of organic manures (pig, poultry and farmyard manure, compost and vermicompost) as acid soil amendment for addressing Al toxicity and P deficiency was investigated using groundnut (cv. ICGS-76 crop) in comparison with conventional liming agent (CaCO3). The organic manures’ ash alkalinity and calcium carbonate equivalent varied from 5876 to 9506 K mol H+ kg−1 × 10−6 and 236 to 476 kg tonne−1 product, respectively. The exchangeable acidity (27.5% and 22.5%, respectively) and readily soluble Al (by 45% and 56%, respectively) in soil decreased significantly; whereas soil pH, organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon increased under the application of poultry and pig manure. In contrast to dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase enzymes, the activity of acid phosphomonoesterase in soil amended with pig and poultry manures decreased markedly. Better physicochemical and yield attributing characters (chlorophyll content, leaf thickness, cell membrane integrity, stomatal frequency, root length, root to shoot ratio, shoot dry weight, NPK uptake, pod yield and harvest index) and yield (66% and 64%, respectively) under poultry and pig manure could be related to improvement in soil fertility. Incubation study further corroborated that pig and poultry manures are the potential sources of amendments for amelioration of acid soils.

Investigating the Suitability of Grape Husks Biochar, Municipal Solid Wastes Compost and Mixtures of Them for Agricultural Applications to Mediterranean Soils

Present work aimed at evaluating the leaching potential of grape husks biochar, municipal solid wastes compost and their combined application as amendments of sandy Mediterranean soil, in order to assess their capability of releasing/retaining nutrients or heavy metals and therefore their suitability for agricultural applications. Grape husks biochar was produced by pyrolysis at 500 °C in a fixed bed unit. Column leaching experiments, simulating Mediterranean rainfall conditions, were conducted. For all compost/biochar/soil combinations, alkali and alkaline earth metals showed greater solubility, increasing the pH of the extracts and thus decreasing the leachability of heavy metals Cr, Cu, Zr and Sr. Biochar co-application with compost did not prevent the leaching of nitrates, phosphates or trace elements; however, it did lower the chemical oxygen demand and allowed the slower release of sodium, calcium and magnesium from soil. As compared to compost, addition of biochar to soil increased the concentration of potassium by 76%, whereas it decreased that of heavy metals in the leachates by 40%–95%. Grape husks biochar could serve as a better soil amendment than municipal solid wastes compost and if carefully managed could be used as liming agent or fertilizer on acidic soils.

Creeping Bentgrass Fairway Wear Resistance by Granular Topdressing of Ca/Mg-rich Liming Agents

Depletion of extractable silicon (Si) from surface soil depths has been observed in managed production systems. While not characterized as a plant essential nutrient, Si accrues in epidermal and vascular tissue of monocotyledonous plants. A field evaluation of granular Ca/Mg-rich liming agents was initiated on a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. cv. Declaration) fairway in 2010. Excluding the control, treatments comprised 2440 kg (ha year)−1 topdressing of calcitic/dolomitic blended limestone or Ca/Mg-SiO3 in semi-annual or more frequent “split” applications. Each week of the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons, a dedicated wear simulator trafficked the fairway plots. Measures of canopy quality, clipping yield, tissue composition, soil pH, and plant-available soil Si levels were collected frequently. The described Ca/Mg-SiO3 annual topdressing rates correlated with acetic acid extractable Si levels &gt;30 mg kg−1 in the 0- to 5-cm soil depth. Neither creeping bentgrass vigor, nutrition, nor leaf water content was influenced by significantly elevated levels of soil and tissue Si. Relative to non-trafficked plots, all split plots within trafficked main plots showed similarly reduced canopy quality regardless of topdressing treatment. If a critical threshold leaf Si concentration for creeping bentgrass wear tolerance enhancement exists, it is unlikely &lt;11 g Si kg−1.

Influence of Soil Amendment on the Relative Growth Rate and Net Assimilation Rate of Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna aconitifolia

Background: Soil pH is one of the most important factors that contribute to crop growth and productivity. The present research was designed to assess the influence of soil amendment using organic manure and agricultural lime on the relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) of Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna aconitifolia grown on soils from different locations.&#x0D; Methodology: The three locations were: Akamkpa, Calabar Municipality and Odukpani. The pH for the three soil locations were 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0, respectively. The treatments were; control (0 g), OM1 (100 g organic manure), OM2 (200 g organic manure), AL1 (100 g agricultural lime), AL2 (200 g agricultural lime), OM1 + AL1 (50 g organic manure + 50 g agricultural lime) and OM2 +AL2 (100 g organic manure and 100 g agricultural lime).&#x0D; Results: Results obtained on the RGR of the leaf dry weight of P. vulgaris treated with OM2 was the highest (0.50 g/wk) followed by OM1 (0.41 g/wk). OM1 + AL1 had the highest RGR of the stem dry weight of P. vulgaris grown on soil from Calabar Municipality. In the RGR of the root dry weight, OM2 had the highest mean value in both plants grown on Akamkpa soil. Results obtained at 4 weeks after planting (WAP) revealed that there was significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in NAR of plants grown on soil from Akamkpa. The highest NAR was obtained for V. aconitifolia treated with OM2 (0.0447 g/wk) followed by OM2 + AL2 (0.0057 g/wk) for both V. aconitifolia and P. vulgaris. P. vulgaris grown on Akamkpa and Odukpani soils treated with AL2 (0.0032 g/wk), OM1 + AL1 (0.0041 g/wk) and OM2+ AL2 (0.0062 g/wk) had the highest NAR at 8 WAP.&#x0D; Conclusion: The RGR and NAR of the two bean varieties were improved following treatments with organic manure and agricultural lime.

Lime and gypsum in the implantation no-till system promote the nutrition and yield of soybean

Soybean production in the Cerrado area is limited by the acidity and excess of aluminum in the soil. Thus, the use of agricultural lime and gypsum is necessary to decrease these factors and favor soybean growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the application of lime and gypsum doses on soybean yield and nutrition, in a no-tillage system (NTS). The experiment consisted of a completely randomized blocks design, with four replications, and tested lime doses (0, 2, 4, 8, and 10 t ha−1) combined with the gypsum doses (0, 1, 2, and 4 t ha−1), applied to a Xanthic Haplic Ferrasol, in a Cerrado area intended to the implantation of a soybean crop under NTS. The traits leaf nutrition, hundred-grain weight, and the grain yield were evaluated in the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons. The application of lime combined with gypsum significantly changed the calcium content in the leaf, hundred-grain weight, and yield in the 2015/2016 season, and hundred-grain weight in the 2016/2017 season. Lime doses increased soybean nutrition for Ca, Mg, and yield in two seasons; however, are decreased N and K. N, P and Mg (season 2016/2017) are increased by Gypsum doses and decreased K and Mg (season 2015/2016).

Agrochemicals used in freshwater aquaculture in Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh

The present experiment was conducted in order to investigate the use of agrochemicals in freshwater aquaculture with emphasis on fish health management. The selected area was Mahespur upazila under Jhenaidah district and the study duration was six months. The main group was fifty fish farmers and the data were collected through interview with fish farmers and key informants (chemical seller). Ten categories of chemicals were identified that are used by fish farmers for various purposes such as pond preparation, water quality management, controlling diseases, supplying oxygen, killing fish predators, Ten pharmaceutical companies were found to provide the agrochemicals to fulfill the farmers need. These companies are Novartis Anmal Health Ltd, Fishtech (BD) Ltd, SK+F BD Ltd, Renata Ltd, ACI Animal Health, Opsonin Pharma Ltd, Eon Animal Health Products Ltd, Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Sciencetech Agro Industries Ltd, Rals. In the study area some kinds of diseases were founded such as Epizotic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) in Rohu (Labeo rohita), Catla (Catla catla), Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Black spot in Stinging cat fish, skin diseases, gill damage, tail and fin rot in Yellow tail catfish (Pangasius pangasius). For highest stocking density tilapia and pangus were mostly affected by diseases in winter. Farmers use various chemicals such as for water quality management agriculture lime, Geotox, JV Zeolite, Mega Zeo Bio, Aquakleen and Biomin, as antibiotic they use Novamix 101, Erocot, Captor, Oxysentin 20%, Renamycin, Aquamycin and Oxysentin 20% are antibiotics with different trade names were seen in the market as well as used by the fish farmers in the study area. The fish farmers use a wide variety of disinfectants in freshwater aquaculture. Timsen, Polgard plus, Formalin, Bleaching powder, EDTA are found available in all the shops of Mahespur. Formalin is used to control protozoan diseases. Virex is used to destroy virus and bacteria. Fish farmers use oxygen suppliers to increase the oxygen level in the water body. Oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide are major active ingredients of such chemical. The recovery of fish diseases was found 80-90% in the study area. During field observation many problems were identified in case of using agrochemicals which included lack of skill and knowledge of farmers about the application, withdrawal period of agrochemicals and drugs and some adverse effects on fish and human health.&#x0D; Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2019, 3(2), 63-76

Effect of Organic Manure and Agricultural Lime on Growth and Yield of Two Bean Varieties

Aim: This study evaluates the effects of soil amendment with organic manure-OM and agricultural lime-AL on the growth and yield of Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna aconitifolia grown on soils with 3 different pH (locations) in Southern Cross River State.&#x0D; Study Design: The study was laid in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Greenhouse, Department of Plant and Ecological Studies, University of Calabar for a period of 3 months.&#x0D; Methodology: The three locations were: Akamkpa with pH 4.0, Calabar Municipality with pH of 7.0 and Odukpani with pH of 9.0. The treatments were; control (0 g), OM1 (100 g organic manure), OM2 (200g organic manure), AL1 (100 g agricultural lime), AL2 (200 g agricultural lime), OM1 + AL1 (50 g organic manure + 50 g agricultural lime) and OM2 +AL2 (100 g organic manure and 100 g agricultural lime.&#x0D; Results: Results obtained from the physico-chemical properties of the soil before treatment application revealed low nutrients and minerals which increased after treatment application. Six weeks after planting, there were significant increase in plant height (p&lt;0.05) of P. vulgaris and V. aconitifolia on soil from Akamkpa (169.66 cm) and Odukpani (146.63 cm) treated with OM2 + AL2 compared to 43.77 cm and 71.77 cm from control. Leaf area, petiole length, number of leaves were all significantly improved especially at 8 weeks after planting. Fresh weights of leaf, stem and root revealed higher yield (p&lt;0.05) at the final harvest recorded as 8 weeks after planting than the amount at 4 weeks after planting. The results obtained from the pod number, pod weight and number of seed showed significant improvement after treatment application.&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings of this study strongly support the use of organic manure and agriculture lime as affordable and accessible sources of manure especially for our local farmers.&#x0D;

INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC MANURE AND WOOD ASH ON THE ABUNDANCE OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS, ORGANIC CARBON AND GRAIN YIELD OF SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX L. MERRILL) IN ACID SOIL

Organic production methods which include the exclusion of chemical approach of soil amendment have been observed to improve plant growth and preserve the soil health and biodiversity of production environment. A study was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, to examine the influence of organic manure and wood ash on the abundance of soil microorganisms, organic carbon and yield of soybean in acid soil. The study consisted of three rates of wood ash (0, 2.5 and 5.0 t ha-1) and three rates of cow dung (0, 5.0 and 10.0 t ha-1) arranged in completely randomized design, replicated three times. Soybean variety TGX 1485 – ID was sown into 5 kg. The results showed that wood ash application at 5.0 t ha-1 significantly increased the soil pH (6.6), organic carbon (7.48) and soil microbial population (110 × 104 cfu g-1) compared to lower rate of 2.5 t ha-1 and control, which resulted in highest number of pods (7.7) and grain yield (14.2 g per plant) at harvest. Cow dung treatment of 10 t ha-1 significantly had highest soil organic carbon (7.39%) at 8 WAP and soil microbial population (21.1 and 91.4 × 104 cfu g-1) at 4 and 8 WAP respectively. These findings indicate that application of wood ash may be an acceptable alternative liming agent to the inorganic soil amendment and higher soybean productivity.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Impact of Plant Nutrients on Prediction of Wheat Crop Yield from Pond Ash Amended Field by Artificial Neural Networks

In India presently, 145 existing Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) contribute about 70% of the total energy requirement and produce approximately 184 million metric tons of fly ash per year, which is projected to exceed 440 million metric tons per annum by 2030. This quantity of fly ash generated poses significant environmental problems, besides occupying large areas of land for its dumping, requiring appropriate measures for its safe disposal and gainful utilization on sustainable basis. Based on the field demonstration work carried out on the bulk utilization of pond ash in agriculture and forestry sectors under different agro-climatic conditions and soil types for the last two decades, it has been well established that pond ash has significant potential for utilization as liming agent, soil conditioner, source of plant nutrients and also for boosting the growth and yield of a variety of crops. Some field scale studies carried out especially in the waste/alkaline lands of State Agriculture Research Farm and farmers’ fields are discussed in the present paper for the development of artificial neural network (ANN) for the correlation of crop yields and plant nutrients. As such, the influence of major plant nutrients viz. N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S on the yield of wheat crops cultivated in different soil types and agro-climatic conditions is discussed. Furthermore, an attempt has also been made to develop a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) model. Satisfactorily enough, it has been found that the predictions of the developed ANN model are in quite good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental results.

Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of biomass ash from different power plants in the Upper Rhine Region

Bottom and fly ash samples from six biomass power plants with different power scales and various flue gas treatment strategies were collected and analyzed in regard to their mineralogical composition, and their bulk major and trace element contents, all of which are of concern for regulations on biomass ash for further utilization. Furthermore, individual ash particles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy to characterize their physicochemical microstructures.Thermal behavior of wood-pellet ash, i.e. decomposition processes and mineral transformations during combustion, was indicated by thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction.Results reveal extensive variation of physicochemical features across the different ash types: wood-chip fly ash from electrostatic precipitators mainly consisted of water-soluble salts, whereas wood-chip fly ash from cyclones contained predominantly cenospheres (hollow spherical fly ash particles) and higher heavy metal concentrations. In addition, the fuel type and admixture had influences on ash compositions; some fuels like Miscanthus straw require a liming agent such as calcium hydroxide to be admixed to prevent fouling, which is then predominantly found in the ash. Furthermore, boiler size had an influence on fly ash composition. Cadmium concentrations were elevated in some fly ash samples at levels of concern for further utilization, whereas concentrations of troublesome Cr(VI) were below the detection limit for all investigated ash samples. Other contaminating elements such as Ni, Pb and Zn were variable but below limit values.Results clearly show that the nature of biomass ash calls for careful analyses prior to further application as, e.g., cement clinker replacement material.

Eficacia de la tierra de diatomeas y la cal sobre ariónidos y agriolimácidos

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue evaluar el efecto de la tierra de diatomeas (TD) y la calsobre Arion distinctus en condiciones de laboratorio, y sobre ariónidos y agriolimácidos en campo. Se realizaron tratamientos por espolvoreo y aspersión para evaluar su efecto por ingestión y contacto en el laboratorio, y se registró la movilidad y la mortalidad de los ejemplares. En laboratorio se emplearon tres dosis de tierra de diatomeas: 1, 2 y 4 kg/ha, una de cal agrícola a 2 kg/ha, y un testigo; en campo solo se evaluó el método por aspersión con la misma cantidad de variantes, pero en todos los casos se duplicaron las dosis. Se utilizó un diseño de bloque azar en arreglo 5 × 4 y la evaluación se llevó a cabo a través del método de trampas; para ello, se colocaron 20 trampas de refugio por tratamientos. Se determinaron las poblaciones de babosas y la eficacia a los tres y siete días después las aplicaciones. Se aplicó una prueba de comparación de medias de Tukey para las poblaciones en las parcelas tratadas y el testigo. Se obtuvo mayor efecto por contacto que de ingestión. Tanto en las aplicaciones en campo como en laboratorio, las mayores mortalidades se observaron a los siete días, sin diferencias significativas entre la TD y la cal. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la TD es útil en el control de estas especies de moluscos y su resultado es mejor con dos aplicaciones.

The Legacy of Pre–Columbian Fire on the Pine–Oak Forests of Upland Guatemala

Mountain tropical forests of the Southern Maya Area (Pacific Chiapas and Guatemala, El Salvador and Northern Honduras) predominantly comprise pine and oak formations, which form intricate mosaics and complex successional interactions following large–scale fire. These forests have been transformed by the peoples of the Maya civilization through practices of horticulture, agriculture and architectural developments over thousands of years. Anthropogenic impacts and the extent of early human interaction with these upland forests is currently poorly understood. In this study we identify: (i) the natural baseline vegetation of the region; (ii) when human impact and agrarian practices began in the Maya uplands; and (iii) what impacts the Maya had on forest structure, composition, and successional regeneration. Past vegetation, anthropogenic use of fire, and faunal abundance were reconstructed using proxy analysis of fossil pollen, macroscopic charcoal, microscopic charcoal, and dung fungal spores (Sporormiella). Three phases of forest succession were identified from 4000B.C.E. to 1522CE that broadly overlap with the well–defined archaeological periods of (i) the Archaic (10,000–2000B.C.E.); (ii) Pre–Classic (2000B.C.E. –100C.E.); (iii) Terminal Pre–Classic (100–250C.E.); (iv) Classic (250–950C.E.); and (v) Post–Classic (950–1522C.E.). These results also include the earliest evidence for agriculture within the Southern Maya Area through presence of peppers (Capsicum) from 3850B.C.E. and the rise of maize cultivation (Zea mays) from 970B.C.E. Persistent high intensity burning driven by agricultural practices and lime production during the Late–Pre-Classic (400–100B.C.E.) to Classic Period resulted in a compositional change of forest structure c.150B.C.E. from oak (Quercus) dominated forests to pine (Pinus) dominated forests. The legacy of Pre–Columbian anthropogenically driven fire in these mountain tropical forests demonstrates the resilience and thresholds for fire driven succession. These findings are particularly relevant for addressing current land use and management strategies involving agriculture, fire, and forest management in the mountain tropical forests of the Southern Maya Area.

SOME PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL AFFECTED BY THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF LIME IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

A field experiment was conducted at University of Abuja Teaching and Research farm, F.C.T-Abuja, Nigeria to determine the effects of different sources of lime on soil properties. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in factorial fashion comprising six treatments replicated three times. The treatment includes two types of industrial lime (ultrasol - V1 and agricultural lime – V2) applied at three different levels. Data collected from the study were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means were separated with Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT). The result obtained showed a high significant effects of treatments on soil chemical properties. The soil chemical properties were calcium (Ca), with the application of V2L1 (1000kg/ha) giving the highest value relative to other treatments and control. Soil exchangeable magnesium showed a significant effect in the control plot (V2Lo). Percent organic carbon and percent organic matter content in the soil were highly significant in plots treated with V1L2 (ultrasol lime at 2000kg/ha). Exchangeable potassium (k) and sodium (Na) produced the highest values in plots amended with V1L1 (ultrasol lime at 1000kg/ha) though not significant. Base saturation was increased though not significant in V2L1 (agricultural lime at 1000kg/ha) treated plot. CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) increased in the V2L0 (agricultural lime at 0kg/ha) but was not significant. Exchangeable acidity reduced greatly in V1L2 and V2L1 treated plots. Electrical conductivity in the soil and percent total nitrogen showed no significant difference but produced the highest values in plots amended with V1L1. Manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the soil were influenced by treatments with the lowest values in plots treated with V2L2 (agricultural lime at 2000kg/ha) though not significant. Iron (Fe) was reduced in plot treated with V1L0 (ultrasol lime at 0kg/ha) but was not significantly different. Zinc (Zn) was completely eliminated on the application of both agricultural and ultrasol limes. Available phosphorus had no significant influence on the amended plots and control. Soil pH (in water (H2O), potassium chloride (KCl) and in calcium chloride (CaCl2) showed no significant effect on treatments and control. Based on the following results, the use of agricultural lime (V2­­) and ultrasol lime (V1)­ both at 1000kg/ha and 2000kg/ha could be recommended for improving soil properties.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF LIMING MATERIALS ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AMARANTHUS (Amaranthus hybridus) IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

A field experiment was conducted at University of Abuja Teaching and Research farm, F.C.T-Abuja, Nigeria to determine the effects of different sources of lime on growth of maranthus (Amaranthus hybridus). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in factorial fashion comprising six treatments replicated three times. The treatment includes two types of industrial lime (ultrasol - V1 and agricultural lime – V2) applied at three different levels. Data collected from the study were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means were separated with Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT). The result obtained showed a high significant effects of treatments on growth of Amaranthus (Amaranthus hybridus). Growth parameters such as plant height at 5 Weeks after Transplanting (WAT) had significantly higher value with the application of V1L2 (2000kg/ha) compared to other treatments and control. There was no significant effect on treatments and control at 2, 3 and 4WAT. Leaf count showed significant influence at 5WAT with the application of V1L1 (1000kg/ha), at 2 and 3WAT, there was no significant effect on treated plots and control. At 4WAT treatments had no significant effect on number of leaves. Plot treated with limes had no significant effect on Shoot Fresh Weight (SFW) at 4 and 5WAT. There was no significant effect on SFW at 2 and 3WAT. Shoot Dry Weight (SDW) showed a significantly higher value at 5WAT with V1L1 (1000kg/ha) compared to other treatments and control. At 4WAT control plot had a significant higher value on SDW. There was no significant effect on SDW at 4WAT with treatments. At 2 and 3WAT, SDW showed no significance difference on amended plots and control. Based on the following results, the use of ultrasol lime (V1)­ both at 1000kg/ha and 2000kg/ha could be recommended for improving growth of Amaranthus (Amaranthus hybridus).

Examination of nanoparticulate phosphate rock as both a liming agent and phosphorus source to enhance the growth of spinach in acid soil

ABSTRACT To examine the effect of nanoparticulate phosphate rock (NPR) as both a liming agent and phosphorus source in a tropical acid soil. The study examined five rates of NPR (0, 250, 500, 1000, or 2000 kg ha−1), which supplies 30, 60, 120 or 240 kg P ha−1, in a randomized complete pot experiment design with 3 replications. The pots of soil were incubated in a climate-controlled greenhouse for 21 days and then spinach was grown for 49 days. Soil parameters (pH, available P and exchangeable acidity), spinach parameters (leaf area, root hair surface area, root length and dry matter yield) and the effectiveness of NPR dissolution were estimated. The soil and plant parameters and the effective NPR dissolution all increased to the same degree at 1000 and 2000 kg NPR ha−1. Therefore, the use of 1000 kg ha−1 was most economically justified. Although, NPR has been appeared as an effective liming agent and phosphorus source in tropical acid soil. However, a regular application of NPR and further research for economic comparison between NPR and both of lime and superphosphate, as well as the original PR, will be needed.

Effect of Liming Process on Physicochemical Properties and Phytochemical Components of Non-Centrifugal Sugar from Different Sugarcane Cultivars

Non-centrifugal sugar product (NCS) is produced without molasses removal and contains nutrients and phytochemicals inherently found in sugarcane. To obtain a high-quality product, clarifying raw cane juice, especially following the traditional process, is the most important step to remove contamination as insoluble and suspended matter impurities from the rind during harvesting and pressing. Calcium oxide (CaO) is a promising chemical, widely used as a liming agent to clarify raw juice by the traditional non-centrifugal sugar process. However, use of traditional methods and different cane cultivars affect the quality of sugar products. Clarification by calcium oxide at different pH levels and the diversity of cane cultivars also affect physicochemical components. Bioactive compounds among the obtained products were evaluated. Clarifying juice at pH 8.5 gave highest insoluble solids (47.52 g) removed from cane juice and lowest sediment value (0.68%) of non-centrifugal sugar but caused greatest loss of policosanol and tricin contents. Using calcium oxide clarification, Suphanburi 50 cultivar gave NCS with the highest sugar yield (17.75%) but lowest color value (2100 IU) and phytochemical contents. LK 92-11 cane cultivar produced NCS with the highest color value (6533.3 IU), total phenolic content (1124.09 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content (143.82 mg RUE/100 g), policosanol content (4.13 mg/100 g) and tricin content (50.82 µg/100 g).

Addition of lignin to lime materials for expedited pH increase and improved vertical mobility of lime in no‐till soils

AbstractSoil acidification caused by long‐term nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications has been a growing concern for dryland crop production in both tilled and no‐till soils in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Many no‐till soils have stratified soil pH in the 5–10 cm depth due to repeated N fertilizer applications at this depth. In the PNW, the practice of liming to correct low soil pH is complicated due to lack of affordable lime sources and because the inherent difficulty in ameliorating stratified soil acidity in no‐till systems. An intact soil‐column incubation study was conducted to investigate whether mixing lime materials with lignin‐containing black liquor—a by‐product from the pulp industry—could elevate soil pH change in both conventional and no‐till systems and expedite vertical downward movement of lime in no‐till system. Results indicate that mixing lime with black liquor has the potential to not only elevate the increase in soil pH in both conventional till and no‐till systems, but also accelerate downward movement of lime to correct soil pH below the soil surface. Mixing agricultural lime or super fine micro lime with black liquor increased soil pH to a depth of 25–30 cm within 147 days after surface application to a no‐till soil.

Effects of ameliorant and fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize grown in peatlands soil of West Kalimantan Indonesia

The use of agricultural lime ameliorant or rice husk charcoal combined with inorganic fertilizers is one of the agricultural intensification efforts in peatlands. This study aimed to find out the influence of various ameliorant types and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium inorganic fertilizer doses application on growth and yield of maize in peatlands soil was conducted in Siantan Hulu Village, Pontianak City, West Kalimantan used. This study used a split-plot design with the main plot of ameliorant types (A) consisting of three treatments i.e. without ameliorant (A0), agricultural lime of 3 t/ha (A1) and rice husk charcoal of 3 t/ha (A2). The subplot was inorganic fertilizer doses (B) consisting of three treatments i.e. B1 = 50% of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizers, B2 = 75% of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizer, and B3 = 100% of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizers. Observation on crop growth consisted of crop height, number of leaves, leaf area, crop total fresh weight, crop total dry weight, and crop growth rate. Yield observation consisted of ear length, ear diameter, 100-dry seed weight, seed yield weight per hectare, and harvest index (IP). The results of the study indicated that rice husk charcoal application of 3 t/ha gave seed yield weight of 7.25 t/ha that was higher than that of agricultural lime that produced 6.34 t/ha seed yield and without ameliorant that produced the lowest seed yield of 4.18 t/ha. Application of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizer dose of 75% produced an insignificant difference seed yield compared to the dose of 100%, which were 6.32 t/ha and 6.69 t/ha, respectively. Therefore, the application of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizer dose of 75% is recommended as a basic of maize fertilization.