EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF CALCIUM-ORGANIC COMPLEXES IN SODIC SOIL

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Abstract
Alfalfa plants were grown in a non-sodic, non-calcareous soil until established. Roots were allowed to penetrate a water-impermeable membrane into a low Ca nutrient solution. Alkali-zation of the soil was finished during a 30-day period by leaching with Na2CO3. The final exchangeable Na percentage of the soils were 0.9, 14.9, 35.4, and 54.9%. Subsequent analysis of the soil (after 8 shoot cuttings and 212 days) showed that sodic soils that have not been leached and contain considerable amounts of dispersed organic material may contain Ca-organic complexes and little free ionic Ca; consideration must be given to possible complexing of soil Ca by organic material when ion activity calculations are based on ion concentration in water extracts of sodic soils containing dispersed organic material; Ca-organic complexes can influence alfalfa shoot and root development; and a butyl -alcohol fractionation procedure for soil-water extracts may be useful in future studies on metallo-organic complexes in sodic soils.

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