Thesis (M.Sc. Agric (Soil Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / Knowledge and management of soil pH, particularly soil acidity across spatially variable soils is important, although this is greatly ignored by farmers in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The significance of understanding spatial variability of soil acidity is the implementation of best and site-specific management strategies because when soil acidity is poorly managed, toxicity and nutrient deficiency problems in the soil are inevitable. The objective of the study was to evaluate in-field spatial variability of soil pH, and compare the efficiency of managing soil pH through site-specific method vs. uniform lime application. The study was conducted in 3 site years (23o50’ S; 29 o40’ E and 23o59’ S and 28o52’ E) with site year I, and II adjacent to each other in the semi-arid regions of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Soil samples were taken in four replicates within a 1 m radius from geo-referenced locations in 3 study sites to sampling depths of 0-20 cm on a regular grid of 30m using differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). Soils were analyzed for pH, and SMP buffer pH for lime recommendations. Lime requirement to achieve a soil pH of 6.5 for a 20 cm plough layer per hectare was calculated using CalciumCarbonateequivalent, efficiency factor (fineness factor), and neutralizing index of the liming materials. The spatial maps for SMP buffer pH and lime requirement maps were produced with surfer version 8.0 (Surfer Version 8, Golden Software, Golden, CO). The soil pH datasets from systematic unaligned randomly sampled soils on a 30-m grid were interpolated using inverse distance weighing (IDW) in Surfer software version 8.0 (Surfer Version 8, Golden Software, Golden, CO). Soil pH varied from strongly acidic to slightly acidic with minimum values of 4.22, 3.93, and 4.74 and maximum values of 6.11, 7.00, and 6.82 in site I, II, and II respectively. In Site I, II, and III, the areas of the field that had soil pH values of less than 6.0 were 99.43, 82.61, and 62.89% of the field. When lime was recommended for application using a conventional method of uniform lime application based on an average value derived from samples collected in the whole field, the results of the study showed a waste of lime in excess of lime recommended for individual grids. An excess amount of lime as high as 10, 30, and 7 tons/ha recommended on sites I, II and III respectively under uniform application. These recommendations were in excess on field areas that needed little or no lime applications. Again, the fields showed under applications of lime as much as 30, 35, and 13 tons/ha in site I, II, and III respectively for uniform liming applications. This under- and over recommendations of lime based on average soil pH values suggests that uniform soil acidity management strategy is not an appropriate strategy to be adopted in these fields. Again, in both of these sites as shown in the maps, the areas that required high amount of lime and those that require little or no lime are clearly defined, such that the fields can be divided into lime application zones. When a field is divided into lime application zones, management of soil acidity becomes easier because instead of applying variable rates of lime for every grid, lime rates are applied per zone. These zones could be areas in a field that require, (i) high rates of lime, (ii) low rates of lime, and (iii) areas that requires no lime at all. Agricultural fields that exhibit spatial variability of soil acidity must not be managed or treated as uniform when lime is applied in the field. Keywords: Lime requirement, Site specific management and Soil pH.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese-Iza M P Batista.pdf: 592710 bytes, checksum: 0fdb23680dd259d50a1b08ec8415baa1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-30 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Upland soils Amazonas state is characterized by having pH and Al3+ at levels that limit the good yields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical changes in function in soils of the addition of different levels of limestone and estimate quantities needed corrective to reach pH arable. We used a completely randomized block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of a factorial 3 x 7 by matching three textural classes (medium texture, clay, and much clay) with seven levels of limestone (0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8, 0 to 10 t ha-1). After 56 days of incubation, the pH values were determined in water; this was plotted versus liming and adjusted polynomial regression models, to determine the quantity of lime necessary to achieve pH 5.5; 6.0 and 6.5. At that time, it was determined the Al3+ content, Ca2+, Mg2+, K and H + Al and from these values calculated the base saturation (V%). The efficiency of liming by incubation curve method was evaluated in experiments conducted in a greenhouse through the effect of different rates of lime in the production of MSPA and MSR in the corn and bean crops. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design in a factorial 2 x 7, combining two soil (Ultisol and Oxisol) and seven levels of limestone (0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10 t ha-1), with four replications. The data MSPA, MSR and content of P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in the shoots were adjusted regression models and then estimated the limestone, corresponding to the ESM. The soil showed high significance indices with the amount of lime to raise the pH of the soil, and the levels of 0.3; 2.2 and 4.0; 2.6; 4.4 and 6.1; 2.2; 4.0 and 5.8 t ha-1 of lime in medium textured soils, clayey and much clayey are recommended to achieve the pH 5.5; 6.0 and 6.5, respectively. The recommendation of 1.5; 2.6 to 2.2 t ha-1 was sufficient to reduce Al3+ and the doses of 3.7; 4.7 and 4.6 t ha- 1 increasing the saturation to levels appropriate for crop development, corresponding to water pH around 6.3; 6.0 and 6.5 in medium textured soils, clayey and much clayey, respectively. The quantities of limestone corresponding to maximum economic yield MSPA and MSR both corn as the beans are close to the amount recommended by the method of incubation curve required to achieve the pH acceptable for cultivation and these doses have not reduced below the deficiency of the content absorption during the first 60 days of cultivation. / Os solos de terra firme do estado do Amazonas caracterizam-se por apresentar pH e Al3+ em níveis que limitam o bom rendimento das culturas. Objetivouse com o presente estudo, avaliar as modificações químicas nos solos em função da adição de diferentes níveis de calcário e estimar quantidades necessárias de corretivo para atingir pH agricultável. Utilizou-se um delineamento em blocos inteiramente casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de um fatorial 3 x 7, combinando três classes texturais (textura média, argilosa e muito argilosa) com sete doses de calcário (0; 1,0; 2,0; 4,0; 6,0; 8,0 e 10 t ha-1). Após 56 dias de incubação, determinaram-se os valores de pH em água, este foi plotado versus doses de calcário e ajustados a modelos de regressão polinomial, para determinar a quantidade de calcário necessária para atingir os valores de pH 5,5; 6,0 e 6,5. Nessa época, determinaram-se os teores de Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K e H+Al e a partir desses valores calculou-se o índice de saturação por bases (V%). A eficiência da recomendação de calagem pelo método da curva de incubação foi avaliada em experimentos conduzidos em casa de vegetação por meio do efeito de diferentes doses de calcário na produção de MSPA e MSR nas culturas do milho e feijão. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado num esquema fatorial 2 x 7, combinando dois solos (Argissolo e Latossolo) e sete doses de calcário (0; 1,0; 2,0; 4,0; 6,0; 8,0 e 10 t ha-1), com quatro repetições. Os dados de MSPA, MSR e conteúdo de P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn e Cu na parte aérea das plantas, foram ajustados a modelos de regressão e posteriormente estimadas as doses de calcário, correspondentes à MEE. Os solos estudados revelaram altos índices de significância com a necessidade de calcário para elevar o pH dos solos, sendo as doses de 0,3; 2,2 e 4,0; 2,6; 4,4 e 6,1; 2,2; 4,0 e 5,8 t ha-1 de calcário nos solos de textura média, argilosa e muito argilosa são recomendadas para atingirem o pH 5,5; 6,0 e 6,5, respectivamente. A recomendação de 1,5; 2,6 e 2,2 t ha-1 foi suficiente para reduzir o Al3+ e as doses de 3,7; 4,7 e 4,6 t ha-1 elevando a saturação por bases a níveis adequados para o desenvolvimento das culturas, correspondendo a pH em água em torno de 6,3; 6,0 e 6,5 nos solos de textura média, argilosa e muito argilosa, respectivamente. As quantidades de calcário correspondente ao máximo rendimento econômico de MSPA e MSR tanto no milho quanto no feijão aproximam-se da quantidade recomendada pelo método da curva de incubação necessária para atingir o pH aceitáveis para cultivo e essas doses não reduziram abaixo do teor de deficiência a absorção durante os 60 dias de cultivo.