Effect of Physical and Chemical Profile Modification on Soybean and Corn Production
1985
Hammel, J. E. | Sumner, M. E. | Shahandeh, H.
Crop production on highly weathered soils is frequently limited by poor root penetration into the subsoil as a result of highly acid conditions. This results in reduced water uptake from the subsoil and may subject the crop to drought stress. As a result, the possibility of ameliorating the subsoil of a Typic Hapludult, both chemically and physically, was investigated in a field experiment in which four subsoil treatments were compared, namely, control, subsoil mixed to 1 m, subsoil mixed to 1 m with sufficient lime incorporated to neutralize exchangeable Al³⁺, and gypsum incorporated into the surface soil. The crops grown were soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and corn (Zea mays L.). Deep incorporation of lime increased yields. Surface-applied gypsum increased yields only in the 2nd and 3rd yr. Yield improvement resulted from deeper root penetration into subsoils, which was confirmed by water-depletion measurements. This improved root proliferation was accompanied by a reduction in exchangeable Al³⁺ and an increase in exchangeable Ca²⁺.
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