Lime application in marshlands of Northern Germany—Influence of liming on the physicochemical and hydraulic properties of clayey soils
2020
Frank, Tina | Zimmermann, Iris | Horn, Rainer
Liming is a well-established practice to ameliorate acidic soils worldwide. However, 42 % of the arable soils in Germany are classified in a low pH-range (A/B). We hypothesize that the surface application and incorporation of lime will affect the structure and thus the physicochemical and hydraulic properties of two marshland soils with different clay content. Water holding capacity, total porosity, bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and aeration parameters were quantified in the topsoil of two study sites located in the marshlands of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The soil at the first study site is a Haplic Gleysol, the most representative soil type in the region, with a clay content of 28 %, and the second is a Haplic Gleysol with a clay content of 40 %. The field experiments were arranged in a randomized block design with three different treatments: a control with no lime application (Lime0), lime application according to the soil-specific recommendations by VDLUFA (2000) to achieve an optimized soil pH (Lime1), and soil-specific recommendations x 1.5 (Lime1.5). Liming significantly increased the pH, cation exchange capacity, plant available water capacity, and aeration parameters, decreased bulk density in the soils already 12 months after application, and the effects remained stable during the surveyed three years after lime application. The results underline the importance of sufficient lime supply and the potentials of elevated lime doses to ameliorate soil structure, plant water supply and yields in undersupplied, clay-rich soils.
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