A STUDY OF THE INFERTILITY OF TWO ACID SOILS

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The principal theories that have been advanced to account for the infertility of acid soils were examined, using Romaine lettuce as the test plant, in studies on 2 acid California soils. For these 2 soils, poor plant growth was found to be attributable mainly to severe P deficiency. After this deficiency was corrected, however, further significant growth increases were brought about by partially neutralizing the soil acidity with Ca(OH)2 or MgO. Growth increments obtained by additions of these bases w.ere not the result of furnishing needed nutrient Ca or Mg. Further indications were that the beneficial effect of these bases was not due to alleviating toxicity of Mn or Al.