Soil acidity Yoda Conyers
pH and Acidity Acid alkaline pH: 0 7 14 Sour ‘sweet’ Taste Vinegar milk Lemon, lime Plants Sorrel lucerne Oxalis barley
How acidity develops: naturally, by carbonic acid N cycling, by nitrification C cycling, by product removal
N cycle acidification: Organic matter, or Urine R- NH2 NH4OH NH4+ OH- NH4+ NO3- 2H+ Net: organic N NO3- H+
NO3- H+ OH- Net process: neutral
H+ adsorbed onto clay.........NO3- leaches
Clay + H+ Al3+, SiO2, cations Acid soil clay breakdown = Al released, nutrient cations lost i.e. Al toxicity and an infertile soil
How does lime work? CaCO3 + 2H+ Ca2+ + (H2CO3 H2O + CO2 )
Chemical biological ecological lime imported hay/compost hay fed back perennial grasses manure spread split N applications maximise legume N
Simple this is No questions have you?