The effect of liming on the acidity level of Dystric cambisol and the content of available forms of some microelements

Int. J. Agri. & Agri. R.
Gudzic et al.
Page 36
RESEARCH PAPER OPEN ACCESS
The effect of liming on the acidity level of Dystric cambisol and
the content of available forms of some microelements
Nebojsa Gudzic*
, Miroljub Aksic, Slavisa Gudzic, Jasmina Knezevic
University of Pristina, Faculty of Agriculture, Kopaonicka bb, Lesak, Serbia
Article published on October 12, 2015
Key words: Acid soils, Dystric cambisol, liming, aluminum, microelements.
Abstract
Limited acid soil fertility is caused by a high concentration of H+ and Al3+, some organic acids and heavy metals,
but also by a small accessibility of some nutrients (P, Ca, Mg, B, Zn, particularly Mo) and a small microbiological
activity. This study has been conducted to determine the effect of three levels of liming (partial – 1/3 Y1, half –
1/2 Y1, and complete liming) on the neutralization of the acid reaction, a high content of mobile Al3+, and changes
in the concentrations of available forms of Fe, Zn, and Cu in Dystric cambisol soil. The complete liming has
almost completely neutralized the acid reaction, and decreased the level of mobile Al3+ below 1.0 mg kg-1. There
has been a satisfactory degree of decrease in pH and Al3+ in partial (1/3 of Y1) and half (1/2 of Y1) liming. No level
of liming has had a significant influence on the content of available forms of Fe and Cu, while the content of Zn
has decreased in accordance with the level of entered lime material and has been the lowest at the maximum
doses of CaO applied. The level of changes caused by partial and halh-liming has justified these levels of acid
repairing, which can be a great ecological and economic importance.
* Corresponding Author: Nebojsa Gudzic  nesagudzic@gmail.com
International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR)
ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online)
http://www.innspub.net
Vol. 7, No. 4, p. 36-43, 2015

Gudzic et al.
Page 37
Introduction
Acid soils create a number of difficulties in
agriculture, especially in the production of good-
quality and biologically valuable food. There are
numerous factors that limit the fertility of these soils.
High concentrations of H and Al ions, of some organic
acids and heavy metals, as well as low accessibility of
nutrients (P, Ca, Mg, B, Zn, particularly Mo) are just
some of them. However, Al-toxicity is a major stress
factor for plants on soils whose pH ≤ 5.5
(Poschenrieder et al., 2008; Merino-Gergichevich et
al., 2010), and in these conditions, the prevailing
pressure for the adaptation of cultivated plants is
attributed to it (Ryan and Delhaize, 2010). The acidic
environment serves to increase the presence of
trivalent aluminum cations – Al3+ (Lidon and
Barreiro, 2002; Kochian et al., 2005), which is the
most poisonous of all kinds of Al. More recognizable
effects of Al-toxicity have been observed and well-
described on the root (Barceló and Poschenrieder
2002; Ma, 2007; Panda and Matsumoto, 2007).
However, damages may be present even on the upper
parts of the plants (Merino-Gergichevich et al., 2010),
especially on the leaves, about which little is known.
Today, there is growing evidence of the negative
impact of aluminum on the light absorption,
photosynthetic electron transport, gas exchange
(Chen et al., 2005a; Chen et al., 2005b; Chen, 2006),
photoprotective systems (Chen et al., 2005a; Ali et
al., 2008), pigments (Chen et al., 2005a; Mihailovic
et al., 2008; Milivojević et al., 2000), as well as on
other elements related to the structure or function of
the photosynthetic apparatus. In addition to the
direct effect, Al also affects plants indirectly, in such a
way that aluminum ions, among other things, block
the adsorption of phosphorus and potassium, thus
disrupting the growth and development of crops
(Zheng, 2010).
The availability of microelements in different soils,
apart from the presence of phosphorus and organic
matter, is significantly conditioned by their pH value
(Wei et al., 2006; Li et al., 2007; Asadu et al., 2014).
Thus, the availability of micronutrients and toxic ions,
as cations (e.g. Al3+, Fe3+, Mn2+), increases with an
increase of soil acidity (Porter et al., 2004; Khabaz-
Saberi and Rengel, 2010). After Al, an excess of Mn is
the greatest factor of limited plant growth on acid
soils (Rengel, 2000). Like Al, when manganese
reaches the level of toxicity, it also limits the growth
and function of plant roots, reduces the absorption of
nutrients and water.
Liming acid soils is one of the key measures that can
preserve or increase their productivity (Mao et al.,
2008; Repšiene and Skuodiene, 2010). Quantitative
evidence on the effect of soil acidity on yield are
unknown, but some controlled experiments on the
effects of the treatment of acid soil with lime, and a
combination of triple super phosphate and living
mulch, have shown a yield increase for about three
times (Uexkül and Mutert, 1995). That is why this
research aimed to, by applying different levels of
liming on Dystric cambisol in the year of application,
define their effect on the rate of change of acidity, the
content of mobile Al, and some micronutrients (Fe,
Zn, Cu) as important factors in fertility.
Material and methods
Experimental sites
The research was conducted in 2010 and 2011 on an
experimental field near the town of Leposavic (430 16'
N; 200 36' E), belonging to the southern and central
part of the Ibar-Kopaonik region, and located in
southwestern Serbia. Leposavic is located at an
altitude of 545 m, and is characterized by a temperate
continental climate.
Agrochemical soil characteristics
The soil on which the research was performed
belonged to the Dystric cambisol type and the basic
agrochemical characteristics of the sites on which the
experiments were placed in 2010 and 2011 are shown
in Table 1. Dystric cambisol was characterized by the
acid reaction, a low content of organic matter and
available phosphorus, a high concentration of
exchangeable aluminum, and a medium quantity of
available potassium. The content of the analyzed
microelements was high and very high.

Gudzic et al.
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Table 1. Agrochemical characteristics of Dystric cambisol.
Year
pH Y1 OM Al P K Fe Zn Cu
H2O KCl cm3 % ------- mg 100 g-1 ----- ------- mg kg-1 -------
2010 5.45 4.85 14.52 2.09 12.26 2.24 18.7 19.2 6.65 2.72
2011 5.52 4.87 13.95 2.33 13.86 2.94 15.10 26.6 4.05 3.63
Experimental design
Before the establishment of the experimental field,
average soil samples had been collected for analysis to
determine the level of liming in order to eliminate the
excess acidity. CaO of high degree of fineness was
used for liming. In both years, the material was
applied in September, more precisely before basic
processing, by being properly distributed over the
surface and entered into the soil by plowing.
The applied rates of CaO were calculated according to
the value of Y1 in the soil and the size of the
experimental site (50 m2). Three variants of liming
were determined and applied: 1/3 Y1 CaO (V-3), 1/2
Y1 CaO (V-4), and Y1 CaO (V-5); as well as two
variants without liming: the version with only the
application of NPK (V-2), and the version without
liming and fertilizer application – control (V-1).
Fertilizers were also applied in the versions where
liming was performed. In all cases, the doses of active
compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
were for N 120 kg ha-1, and for P and K per 90 kg ha-1.
Fertilization was performed according to the standard
technology for the wheat production. The experiment
was set up as a random complete block design
(RCBD) in four replications. The size of the base
experimental site was 50 m2, and the crop was wheat,
Pobeda cultivar.
Soil laboratory analysis
In both years of research, during the stage of wheat
tillering (T), 5 months since the liming and after the
harvest (A. H.), 10 months since the liming, the pH
was determined on a pH meter with a glass electrode
in a 1: 2.5 suspension with water and 1 M KCl. At the
same time, the content of exchangeable or mobile Al
was determined by using Sokolov’s method on a soil
extract with 1M KCl by first determining the total
substitutional acidity, and then by a deposition of
aluminum with NaF and the share of Al3+ in the
formation of substitutional acidity. Hydrolytic acidity,
that is, Y1, was determined only after the harvest and
by Kappen’s method by treating a soil sample with
(CH3COO)2Ca, and then the neutralization of excess
acid was performed with 0.1 M NaOH. The content of
available forms of soil microelements (Fe, Cu, and Zn)
was determined by atomic absorption spectro-
photometry, using Carl Zeiss Jena apparatus – AAS-1,
Analityk Jena, Jena, Germany. The content of
available Fe was determined after the extraction into
a solution of 1M CH3COONH4 (pH 7) in the stage of
wheat tillering (T) and after the harvest (A.H.), and
for the available Cu and Zn, only after the harvest,
upon the extraction (A.H.) in 0.1 M HCl.
Statistical analyses
Statistical analyses were performed on SPSS software,
variant 16. The effects of the treatment on all variants
were tested by ANOVA. Statistical differences
between the treatments were determined by using the
t-test (95 and 99%) by Pearson for Fisher's LSD
(SPSS, 2007).
Results and discussion
The effect of three levels of liming on active,
substitutional, and hydrolytic acidity has been in
accordance with the applied dose of CaO (Table 2),
the highest in the variants with complete liming (V-
5), and the lowest in partial liming (V-3). The soil
quickly reacted to entered CaO, and changes were
obvious and complete already at the first check, 5
months after liming, i.e. in the stage of wheat
tillering.
The differences between the treatments where CaO
has not been used (V-1 and V-2) and the treatments in
which CaO has been used (V-3, V-4, and V-5) are
highly significant. The differences between the

Gudzic et al.
Page 39
variants in which liming has been performed can
clearly be observed. All the differences are highly
significant (p < 0.01), except for the changes in active
acidity in the tillering stage (T) in 2010, when a
difference in the level of statistical significance (p <
0.05) has been found between the first (V-3) and the
second level (V-4) of partial liming. The resulting
changes, both in active and substitutional acidity, are
in favor of the claims of the need for liming acid soils
(Busari et al., 2008; Jelić et al., 2011; Mao et al.,
2008; Repšiene and Skuodiene, 2010), in order to
perform the neutralization and create favorable
conditions for smooth growth and development of
plants. It particularly refers to a group of plants that
are insufficiently tolerant to soil acidity.
Table 2. The change in pH (H2O and KCl) and Y1 after liming.
Variants
pH H2O pH KCl Y1
2010 2011 2010 2011
2010 2011T AH T AH T AH T AH
V-1
V-2
V-3
V-4
V-5
5.45
5.50
5.92
6.17
6.79
5.43
5.51
5.89
6.15
6.77
5.42
5.41
5.90
6.18
6.87
5.50
5.47
5.84
6.14
6.73
4.83
4.75
5.23
5.57
6.24
4.83
4.79
5.30
5.56
6.20
4.84
4.79
5.29
5.60
6.24
4,83
4.82
5.24
5.58
6.19
16.32
14.32
7.76
5.21
3.00
14.12
14.56
7.66
5.38
3.45
Lsd 0.05
Lsd 0.01
0.243
0.349
0.081
0.117
0.098
0.141
0.094
0.135
0.120
0.173
0.099
0.143
0.136
0.196
0.086
0.124
1.69
2.430
1.565
2.248
The observed changes in pH during one growing
season should be emphasized. Namely, in the period
between the first (tillering stage) and the second
checks (after the harvest), there was a small decline in
pH. This trend was expected because numerous
processes in the soil, primarily flushing, as well as the
adoption of Ca by the plants, led to losses of liming
material, which inevitably led to a decrease in pH. For
this reason, it is often talked about a time-limited
(fixed-term) effect of this measure, which has to be
repeated after a while for these reasons. Since the
problem with acidity cannot be definitely resolved, a
practical approach consisting of a regular application
of moderate amounts of lime material, with which soil
acidity would be maintained at an acceptable level, is
completely acceptable (Garscho and Parker, 2001). In
this way, the benefits would be multiple. Smaller
quantities of lime material would be, on the one hand,
economically justified, and on the other hand, they
would enable a better availability of nutrients, as well
as a more favorable environment for the growth and
development of crops.
Mobile aluminum, as one of the limiting factors of
crop production in acid soils, was in Dystric cambisol
at the level at which its depressing effect on crops was
expected. However, in all the years of research and at
all levels of repair, liming radically changed the image
of mobile Al content, and the results are shown in
Table 3.
Table 3. The changes in mobile Al content (mg · 100
g-1) after liming.
Variant
2010. 2011.
T AH T AH
V-1
V-2
V-3
V-4
V-5
12.28
12.32
5.26
2.17
0.48
12.21
12.54
5.56
2.37
0.40
13.62
13.92
6.25
2.44
0.47
13.80
13.87
6.39
2.62
0.42
Lsd 0.05
Lsd 0,01
0.346
0.497
0.277
0.398
0.346
0.497
0.072
0.104

Gudzic et al.
Page 40
The content of mobile Al3+, in both years of research,
was strongly changed in all the variants where CaO
was applied. Thus, trace aluminum content was found
in the first measuring, in the stage of wheat tillering,
in the complete liming variant. According to the
results of other authors, liming had the same effect on
other soil types, such as pseudogley (Dugalić et al.,
2002; Jelić et al., 2011), Dystric albeluvisol (Repšiene
and Skuodiene, 2010), Lessivated Cambisol and
pseudogley (Pivić et al., 2011). At the same time, also
in the variants of partial (V-3) and particularly half-
liming, the content of mobile aluminum was reduced
to a level at which the risk of its toxic effect on the
crops was significantly reduced. In V-3 and V-4
variants, a slight increase in the content of mobile Al
was found during the growing season.
Despite an obvious improvement in the reaction of
Dystric cambisol, liming has not had a major effect on
the content of available forms of Fe and Cu (Table 4).
Namely, the content of Cu per variants, in both years
of research, has not indicated any effect of entrained
lime material, and the differences between the liming
treatment and the control variant are not statistically
significant. On the other hand, the content of Fe in
the tillering stage, in the part of the experiment when
amelioration was performed, did not sufficiently
clearly indicate the real impact of lime. In particular,
it was because the differences, in the part of the
experiment when liming was performed and in the
part without liming, almost entirely disappeared
when the content of the element was measured after
the wheat harvest. The observed difference in
available Fe concentration during the growing season
was most likely the result of changes in oxidation-
reduction conditions, on which numerous processes
that transform Fe into available forms and vice versa
depend.
Table 4. The changes in the content of available forms of Fe, Zn, and Cu (mg kg-1) after liming.
Variants
Fe Zn Cu
2010 2011
2010 2011 2010 2011
T AH T AH
V-1
V-2
V-3
V-4
V-5
17.43
14.78
14.45
14.61
14.50
9.73
12.30
9.78
10.05
10.78
33.48
30.15
30.18
30.25
30.60
21.28
19.20
20.40
20.21
19.55
3.78
3.30
3.13
3.05
2.95
3.18
3.75
2.83
2.75
2.55
2.40
2.49
2.49
2.51
2.55
3.65
3.69
3.66
3.64
3.62
Lsd 0.05
Lsd 0,01
3.49
5.01
3.89
5.59
3.90
5.61
1.99
2.86
0.39
0.56
0.18
0.26
0.46
0.66
0.13
0.19
The effect of liming has been observed only on the
content of available Zn. Namely, lime material and an
increase of pH have caused a decrease in the amount
of available forms of this element. The differences of
all the variants with liming, in both years of research,
have been highly significant (p < 0.01) as compared to
the control variant. Also, the amount of applied lime
material has had an effect on the content of Zn. Thus,
the lowest content, in both years, has been found in
the variant where complete liming was applied (V-5),
and the differences compared to the other two levels
of liming (V-3 and V-4) had a statistical significance
only in 2011. There is no complete consensus
regarding the concentrations of mobile fractions of Zn
after liming, so there are opinions that it is being
reduced (Lalljee and Facknath, 2001; Kovačević et al.,
2009), or that the entered lime does not influence its
content (Bošković-Rakočević and Bokan, 2005).
Conclusion
Liming has caused significant changes in Dystric
cambisol, and the changes were rapid and in
proportion to the rates of applied CaO. Soon after the
introduction, already in the stage of tillering, a
decrease in acidity and in the content of mobile
aluminum occurred, and of the analyzed

Gudzic et al.
Page 41
microelements, only Zn reacted to entered lime
material in such a manner that the content of its
available forms was reduced. The degree of achieved
changes was adequate to the level of applied liming.
Complete liming almost completely neutralized the
acid reaction, in traces it brought the content of
mobile Al, but it also significantly reduced the
availability of Zn, thus jeopardizing the regular supply
of plants with this microelement. On the other hand,
the level of changes caused by partial (1/3 Y1) and
half-liming (1/2 Y1) has justified and promoted these
levels of acid soil repairing. The main benefits of
lower levels of liming are lower investments in liming
material, satisfactory pH neutralization, a reduction
in mobile Al below the toxicity level and a lower risk
of bringing some microelements to the deficit limits,
which is of great ecological and economic importance.
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