Soil Acidity

Managing Soil Acidity

The minerals from which a soil is formed partly determine whether it is acid or alkaline. Soils formed from acidic rocks have a lower pH than those formed from basic rocks or alkaline parent material. Rainfall affects soil acidity development by leaching basic elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium from the soil profile, leaving the acidic elements: hydrogen, aluminum and ma...

Soil Acidity and Liming

Soil pH, soil acidity, and their effects on plants The pH scale, ranging from 0 to 14, is used to indicate acidity and alkalinity. pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions (symbol = H) in the water contained in the soil. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, values below 7 are acidic, and those above 7 are alkaline (basic). The lower the pH, the more acid the soil. Each unit pH drop indicates te...

pH, SOIL ACIDITY, AND PLANT GROWTH pH, Soil Acidity, and Plant Growth

The reason for these questions lies in the fact that the pH, or degree of acidity of the soil, often is a symptom of some disorder in the chemical condition of the soil as it relates to plant nutrition. A measurement of soil acidity or alkalinity is like a doctor's measurement of a patient's temperature. It reveals that something naay be wrong but it does not tell the exact nature of the troubl...

Alleviating Soil Acidity with Crop Residues

Soil acidity, which is characterized by mainly aluminum (Al) toxicity and often calcium (Ca) deficiency, is a serious constraint for crop production in many regions of the world. Soil acidity is traditionally corrected by applications of lime (CaCO3 or Ca(OH)2), which raise soil pH, precipitate Al and provide Ca. However, high rates of lime cannot be afforded because of its high cost relative t...

Soil Acidity and Survival of Hookworm Larvæ