The effect of lime on the response of soils to sodic conditions

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Abstract
Summary: The role of CaC03 in preventing clay dispersion and losses in hydraulic conductivity (HC) of sodic soils was determined directly by mixing two lime‐free soils with 0.5 and 2.0 per cent CaCO3. Whereas the HC of the lime‐free soils dropped sharply when 0.01 n solutions of SAR 20 were displaced with distilled water, mixing the soils with powdered lime prevented both HC losses and clay dispersion. The response of a sandy soil mixed with lime was similar to that of a calcareous sandy soil. The beneficial effect ofCaC03 was not so pronounced in soils equilibrated with solutions of SAR 30. The increase in electrolyte concentration, due to CaCO3 dissolution, was suggested as the mechanism responsible for the beneficial effect of lime.