Some observations on surface soil pH, base saturation and leaching of cations under three contrasting orchard soil management practices
1980
Haynes, R.J. | Goh, K.M. (Lincoln College, Canterbury (New Zealand). Dept. of Soil Science)
Observations from a soil management trial conducted on a previously grassed down orchard showed that after 3 years the pH of the surface soil (0-10 cm) whether measured distilled water or 1 N KCl was significantly lowered in herbicided and cultivated treatments in comparison with plots under continued grass sod. The drop in pH was accompanied by a decrease in base saturation and a consequent increase in exchange acidity. This was attributed to the leaching of Ca and also Mg from the surface soil of the non-grassed plots. In a subsequent laboratory leaching study, cubic soil blocks (16 cm('3)) were leached with distilled water at two weekly intervals for 24 weeks. It was found that over the experimental period, the cumulative quantity of cations (in milli-equivalents) per soil block from the herbicided and cultivated treatments was approximately 3.5 times that leached from the grassed treatment
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