Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Fertility
Jonathan Deenik
Assistant Specialist, Soil Fertility
Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences
Outline
Soil as a Nutrient Reservoir
Organic Matter
Soil Acidity
Liming
N and P
Soils of Hawaii
50% Solids
45%
Mineral
25% H2O
25% Air
5% Organic Matter
50% Pores
Brady & Weil, 2004. Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils
oxides
Clay Minerals
2:1 Clays (high activity)
Properties:
http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=1285
Montmorillonite (smectite)
Expanding
Permanent charge (-)
High CEC (80-120 cmolc kg-1)
High surface area
Sticky
Clay Minerals
Clays
Properties:
http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/forengeo/thnsec.htm
Kaolinite
Non-expanding
pH dependent charge
low CEC (1-10 cmolc kg-1)
Relatively low surface area
Non-sticky
Al Oxides (Gibbsite)
Source:http://www.icmab.es/multimetox/docs_lectures/lectures_html/Gale_J/img033.JPG
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Stable at low pH
Zero point of charge (pH = 5.9-6.7)
Al only dissolves under very acidic conditions
Clay Minerals
Al & Fe Oxides
Properties:
Non-expanding
pH dependent charge
Very little CEC
High anion retention
Non-sticky
Surface Charge
Permanent Charge
Isomorphic substitution
Net negative
2:1 clays
Brady & Weil, 2004. Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils
Surface Charge
pH-Dependent Charge
Net Negative or net positive
Charge determined by H+/OH Oxide-rich soils have + charge at low pH
Protonation
De-protonation
Smectite
Kaolinite
Oxides
Organic Matter
http://www.sct.embrapa.br/diacampo/2004/releases.htm
Humus
Physical
Chemical
Biological
Plant uptake
Nutrient
in
solution
Soil Acidity
Natural Sources of Acidity: Human Induced Acidity:
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Acid rain
Urea
Ammonium fertilizers
Mono and diammonium
phosphate
Elemental S
Soil Acidity
40 years of N application
(NH2)2CO + 4O2
Aluminum toxicity
Manganese toxicity
Nutrient deficiencies
Decreased microbial
activity
Al precipitated as
Al(OH)3 down
to pH 4.5
Aluminum Toxicity
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Manganese Toxicity
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Liming is Important
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To raise pH
- Reduce existing/potential toxicities
- Increases P availability
- pH range 5.5 - 7.0
- Liming can be expensive because soils
are buffered (clay content and OM)
To supply Ca
- Highly weathered soils are almost always
deficient in Ca
Al(OH)2+ + H+
Liming Reactions:
CaCO3 + H2O
OH- + H+
H2 O
HCO3- + H+
H2CO3
Al3+ + 3OH-
Al(OH)3
Liming
Nitrogen
http://www.bettersoils.com.au/module2/images/27.gif
N Mineralization
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Immobilization
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Immobilization
Conversion of mineral N to organic N by microbes
Ammonium N
Ammonium N = NH4+
OHHigh pH
NH3 + H2O
Gas
Nitrate N
2NO3-
N2O & N2
Anaerobic
gases
Warm temperatures
Favored by higher pH
3O2
Phosphorus
http://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol112/Biol112WebPage/Syllabus/Topics/Week%2013/PhosphorusCycle.jpg
P Fixation
Soil type
Andisol>OxisolUltisol>Inceptisol>MollisolVertisol
Honokaa
Waimea
Kula
Kapaa
Wahiawa
Alaeloa
Makaweli
Waialua
Keahua
Lualualei
Soil pH
- acid soils P fixed by Al/Fe oxides
- alkaline soils P fixed by Ca
Decrease P fixation by liming and/or adding
OM
Clay content
Clay mineralogy
- 2:1
- 1:1
- Oxides
Organic Matter
Fertile Soils
Infertile Soils
z Slightly acid to
z Acid to strongly
neutral pH
acid pH
z High CEC
z Low CEC
z High organic matter z High P fixation
Vertisols - Lualualei
z Toxicities
Mollisols - Waialua
Medial Andisols Waimea
Oxisols - Kapaa
Ultisols - Haiku
Hydrus Andisols - Hilo
Smectite
Kaolinite
Oxides
Kauai
Category
Highly Weathered
Very Acid
Series
Classification
Kapaa
Halii
Makapili
Pooku
Lawai
Mahana
Puu Opae
Puhi
Kalapa
kunuweia
Hanamaulu
Lihue
Niu
Hihimanu
Makaweli
Pakala
Pohakupu
Koloa
kaloko
Kolokolo
Mokuleia
Mamala
Kekaha
Iao
Waikomo
Nonopahu
Hanalei
Kalihi
Nohili
Kaena
Lualualei
Waiawa
Moderately Weathered
Slightly acid
Limited Weathering
Neutral to alkaline
Paia
Kahului
Lahaina
Kula
Hana
Kihei
Kaupo
Kalaupapa
Kaluakoi
Halawa
Hoolehua
Kaunakakai
Kamalu
Kona
Volcano
Pahoa
Summary
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Resources
Books
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Havlin, J.L., S.L. Tisdale, J.D. Beaton, and W.L. Nelson. 2005.
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ
Foth, H. D. and B.G. Ellis. 1997. Soil Fertility. CRC Press, Inc.,
Boca Raton FL.
Brady, N.C. and R.R. Weil. 2004. Elements of the Nature and
Properties of Soils. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River,
NJ
Web
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http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/so.htm
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt4449.html
Excellent short course in soil fertility