Certain acid soils and growth of sugar beet

1928 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-712
Author(s):  
George Newlands

1. Variations in growth of sugar beet on certain soils from north-east Scotland were investigated by examination of the soils with regard to field conditions, mechanical composition, pH value, lime requirement, readily extractable calcium and humified organic matter.2. Field conditions and mechanical composition did not account for the variations in growth of the beet.3. A certain degree of correlation was found between pH value, readily extractable calcium and growth of beet. In general when the pH was below 5·3 and extractable calcium below 0·12 per cent., growth was poor or failed. Above these figures it was good, but only relatively so, since all the soils were below 6·2 in pH value.

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
Wytse J. Vonk ◽  
Martin K. van Ittersum ◽  
Pytrik Reidsma ◽  
Laura Zavattaro ◽  
Luca Bechini ◽  
...  

AbstractA number of policies proposed to increase soil organic matter (SOM) content in agricultural land as a carbon sink and to enhance soil fertility. Relations between SOM content and crop yields however remain uncertain. In a recent farm survey across six European countries, farmers reported both their crop yields and their SOM content. For four widely grown crops (wheat, grain maize, sugar beet and potato), correlations were explored between reported crop yields and SOM content (N = 1264). To explain observed variability, climate, soil texture, slope, tillage intensity, fertilisation and irrigation were added as co-variables in a linear regression model. No consistent correlations were observed for any of the crop types. For wheat, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between SOM and crop yields in the Continental climate, with yields being on average 263 ± 4 (95% CI) kg ha−1 higher on soils with one percentage point more SOM. In the Atlantic climate, a significant negative correlation was observed for wheat, with yields being on average 75 ± 2 (95%CI) kg ha−1 lower on soils with one percentage point more SOM (p < 0.05). For sugar beet, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between SOM and crop yields was suggested for all climate zones, but this depended on a number of relatively low yield observations. For potatoes and maize, no significant correlations were observed between SOM content and crop yields. These findings indicate the need for a diversified strategy across soil types, crops and climates when seeking farmers’ support to increase SOM.


1946 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-225
Author(s):  
G. H. N. Pettit

The general characteristics of a group of thirtynine herds of dairy cows in the Eastern Counties of England, and the method of obtaining information about their diet during the winters 1938–9 to 1942–3 inclusive, are briefly described.The first three winters of the war show a continuous decline in starch equivalent and protein equivalent per cow, followed by a recovery during winter 1942–3.Comparing winter 1942–3 with winter 1938–9: Consumption per cow of concentrates declined by one-third, reductions in proprietary compounds and mixtures and in maize and wheat products being outstanding.The more important increases were in oats, straw and succulent foods, notably mangolds, sugar-beet tops and kale.Hay retained its important place with little overall change; a modest increase in silage was restricted to a few herds.The crude weight of the average daily ration increased from 44 to 61 lb., but its dry matter only from 21·0 to 22·6 lb.The residue: total dry matter less digestible organic matter—increased from 7·2 to 8·4 lb. per cow daily. Reference is made to changes in palatability.


Author(s):  
Khalid Hussain ◽  
Muniza Sarfraz

Background: Phosphorus, an essential element, plays a central role in cell metabolism and reproduction. It is a structural component of energy transferring molecules (ATP, ADP and AMP), nucleic acids, coenzymes, phosphor-proteins, phospholipids and sugar phosphates. In soils, the P does not occur abundantly as nitrogen or potassium. Despite its importance, only a proportion (~ 0.1-1.0 %) of it is available for use by plants and microorganisms because phosphorous has poor solubility and gets fixed in soil. Many studies had been done regarding nutrient management of soil in various parts of the world, but limited study was done in India and in North-East India, it is relatively unexplored. Thus, the main aim of this experiment was to find out how nutrient management influencing P fractions under protected cultivation. Methods: The investigation area from which soil samples were collected i.e., Horticultural Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13, Assam. The study was carried out under protected poly house condition in the year 2017-18. The test crop was Capsicum (Capsicum annum var. Swarna). The design of the experiment was Split-Split plot technique. Random soil samples were collected from different treatments under protected cultivation at a depth of 0-15 cm. The soil samples were collected at two different stages of the crop viz., flowering and fruiting stages at 45 and 115 days after planting respectively. Result: The present study revealed that single factor effect of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) had a significant effect on different forms of P The readily available P forms tend to increase in the fruiting stage while the iron bound phosphates registered a decrease. This implies that iron bound phosphate form predominantly controlled available P in acid soils under protected cultivation. The study indicates that iron bound P may be considered as slowly available labile P for fertilizer scheduling under protected cultivation. The present study also revealed that single factor effect of nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) had a significant effect on yield of capsicum. Among the various P fractions, Pi-water and Pi-Fe contribute more towards yield of capsicum.


1976 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. MACLEAN

The Cd concentration in 10 plant species grown in a neutral surface soil (0.65 ppm Cd) varied from 0.18 ppm in potato tubers to 0.99 ppm in soybean roots on a dry matter basis. Addition of 5 ppm Cd increased the concentrations in the plants markedly and they were particularly high in lettuce (10.36 ppm) and tobacco leaves (11.57 ppm). Cd concentrations tended to be lower in the edible portion (seed, fruit, tubers) than in other plant parts. Added Cd affected yields in only a few instances. But in another experiment, Cd added at a rate of 5 ppm to five soils decreased the yield of lettuce in most instances. In a comparison of results for two similarly managed sandy loam soils, nearly neutral in reaction but differing in organic matter content (2.17 vs. 15.95% organic C), the concentration of Cd was lower in lettuce grown in the soil with the higher amount of organic matter. The Cd content of the lettuce was reduced by liming some of the acid soils. Addition of Cd increased the concentration of Zn in the plants appreciably, but added Zn did not affect Cd uptake. In an incubation experiment comprising five soils, DTPA (diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid) extractable Cd decreased with liming of three Cd-treated acid soil samples. In comparisons of two sandy loam soils and of surface and subsoil layers of a sand, extractable Cd increased with higher amounts of soil organic matter.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 106882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Cooper ◽  
Isabel Greenberg ◽  
Bernard Ludwig ◽  
Laura Hippich ◽  
Daniel Fischer ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Słowińska-Jurkiewicz ◽  
M. Bryk ◽  
V.V. Medvedev

Abstract The objective of the study was to examine the structure of typical Ukrainian chernozem developed on loess, which (I) had been fertilized by standard crop rotation since 1912 with farm yard manure at the rate of 16 t ha-1 and (II) had not been fertilized with farm yard manure by sugar beet monoculture since 1929. After harvest of winter wheat and sugar beet, the samples of undisturbed structure were taken from 5 layers of both profiles: 0-8, 10-18, 20-28, 30-38, and 40-48 cm. The morphological analysis of the structure of the investigated chernozem revealed that the most visible differences between the soil structures of the two pedons occurred in their superficial layers. The 0-18 cm layer of the soil in the experiment I had an aggregate structure, whereas analogous layer of the soil in experiment II was much more compacted. Below about 30 cm from the ground level both pedons had very similar structure. For the soil in the experiment I an appropriate crop rotation and regular supplies of organic matter allowed for preservation of a favourable structure even in the upper layers - in contrast to the soil in the experiment II.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. WEBBER ◽  
DIANE CORNEAU ◽  
P. B. HOYT ◽  
M. NYBORG

Several laboratory methods for estimating lime requirements of acid soils were compared using 24 soils from Alberta and northeastern British Columbia and 15 from elsewhere in Canada. The Peech, Schofield, Woodruff and SMP (Shoemaker et al. 1971) buffer methods were equally well correlated with lime requirements for raising soil pH to 5.5 or 6, which in turn were highly correlated with the amounts of soluble and exchangeable Al and organic matter in the soils. The SMP buffer method is recommended for use as the diagnostic index of lime requirement to achieve pH 5.5 or 6 because of its speed and simplicity. A refinement is suggested for Alberta and northeastern B.C. soils on the basis that lime need not be added to achieve pH 5.5 but should be added to reduce Al below the toxic level for sensitive crops. The lime requirements to reduce Al in those soils were highly correlated with the amounts of 0.02 M CaCl2-soluble Al they contained and it is recommended that the 0.02 M CaCl2-soluble AI be used as the diagnostic index of lime requirement. Lime requirements related to SMP (pH) and 0.02 M CaCl2-soluble Al are presented.


1968 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Clark ◽  
W. E. Nichol

Heating in hydrogen peroxide, dilute oxalic acid, and dilute aluminum oxalate did not change the effective cation exchange capacity (CEC) or the pH-7 CEC of Wyoming bentonite and Alberni clay soil containing excess Al(OH)x. This indicated that treatment of soils with H2O2 to oxidize organic matter and the possible production of oxalates during oxidation did not change the CEC values of the inorganic fraction of soils even if some clay exchange sites were blocked by hydrous oxides of Al.With soils of pH less than approximately 5.4, oxidation of organic matter did not change the effective CECs although the pH-7 CEC values were decreased. Thus, organic matter in acid soils appeared to have little or no effective CEC. Because of this and the negligible effect of H2O2 oxidation on the CEC values of clays, the difference of the pH-7 CEC of soils before and after H2O2 oxidation provided a simple means of estimating the amount of organic pH-dependent CEC in acid soils.The amount of organically derived pH-dependent CEC was determined in a number of soils by means of peroxide oxidation. The technique provided a useful indication of the quantities of sesquioxide–organic matter complexes accumulated in medium- and fine-textured soils.


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