The mountainous massif of Sicó, in the centre of Portugal, is an extensive area composed of calcareous Jurassic formations. Hillside calcareous soils, with high pH, present chemical restrictions to support plant growth and are subjected to important erosion processes leading to their degradation if not protected by vegetation. In a first year of study some soil physicochemical characteristics h...

Iron deficiency chlorosis in plants is often associated with soil conditions that appear to restrict exchange of gases with the atmosphere, such as fine texture, lack of aggregation, excessive moisture, or discontinuity in the profile in the form of plowsole, hardpan, claypan, or stratified deposits. These conditions can cause CO2 to accumulate in the soil and, particularly in calcareous soils,...

The drought- and thermo-tolerant Quercus pubescens, a tree species growing on both acidic and calcareous soils in the sub-Mediterranean region, was exposed to soil drought (-60% to -80% soil water content) and air warming (+1.2 °C daytime temperature), singly and in combination. The experiment was conducted on two natural forest soils with similar texture but different pH (acidic and calcareous...

The effects of biochar application to calcareous soils are not well documented. In a laboratory incubation study, a hardwood-based, fast pyrolysis biochar was applied (0, 1, 2, and 10% by weight) to a calcareous soil. Changes in soil chemistry, water content, microbial respiration, and microbial community structure were monitored over a 12-mo period. Increasing the biochar application rate incr...

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations....

Iron availability in calcareous soils, and Fe uptake and translocation in plants are major factors limiting the agricultural use of land. The nutritional value of crops as Fe sources for humans is often reduced due to Fe-deficiency in plants. Agronomic approaches to overcome these shortcomings include: (i) methods aimed at increasing the availability of indigenous soil-Fe; (ii) soil and/or foli...