Lec: 14

Liming of acid soil

31 July 2017

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 1

Liming of acid soils

Refers the incorporation of lime in soil as an

amendment to correct the soil acidity

Liming materials converted into calcium

bicarbonate in the presence of CO2
Further replaces H+ from soil colloids
CaO + H2O+ 2CO2 Ca (HCO3)2
Ca (OH)2 + 2 CO2 Ca (HCO3)2
CaCO3 + H2O + CO2 Ca(HCO3)2

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 2

Neutralization Mechanism

H+ Ca+
Soil
H+
+ Ca(OH)2
Soil
Ca+
+ H2O

H+ Ca+
Soil
H+
+ Ca(HCO)3
Soil
Ca+
+ 2H2O + 2CO2

H+ Ca+
Soil
H+
+ CaCO3
Soil
Ca+
+ 2H2O + 2CO2

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 3

Merits of liming

Neutralizes soil pH (Increases the pH)

Reduces Al, Fe and Mn toxicity
Increases base saturation
Enhances availability of P and Mo
Boost microbial activity
Augments atmospheric N fixation
Facilitates N mineralization

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 4

Liming materials
Materials that are added to the acid soils towards the
neutralization of soil pH

Limestone and dolomite Industrial wastes

Carbonates, oxides and Steel mill slag
hydroxides of calcium Blast furnace slag
and magnesium Lime sludge from paper
(agricultural lime) mills
Calcitic, dolomitic and Pressmud
stromatolitic lime stones Cement wastes
(carbonates) Precipitated calcium
Marl carbonate
Oyster shells Fly ash

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 5

Efficiency of liming materials
Ability of liming material to neutralize acidic
condition
Expressed : Calcium carbonate equivalent
Calcium carbonate
Standard
Efficiency - 100%

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 6

Efficiency of liming materials

Liming materials Efficiency (%)

Calcium oxide (CaO) 179
Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 136
Dolomite 108
Calcite/Limestone (CaCO3) 100
Basic slag (CaSiO3) 86

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 7

Lime requirement (LR)
Definition: The amount of liming material that
must be added to raise the pH to some
prescribed value
LR determination
Shoemaker et al., 1961
Soil equilibrated with buffer pH
Raise or decrease soil pH
From this lime requirement calculated by
referring the reference table
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 8
Factors affecting lime requirement

1) Change in pH required
2) Buffering capacity of soils
3) Fineness of liming material
4) Texture of soil
5) Organic matter

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 9

Factors affecting lime requirement
Change in pH required

Low pH
Higher / stronger the acidity
Higher the Lime requirement

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 10

Factors affecting lime requirement
Buffering capacity of soils

Higher buffering capacity

High exchangeable ions
Higher LR
Indirectly related with clay and organic matter

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 11

Factors affecting lime requirement
Fineness of liming material

Fine liming materials

More surface area reaction surface more
Solubilize easily : react quick
Ease and uniform application
Resulting in low lime requirement
Ideal size: < 60 mesh sieve

Coarse liming materials : vice versa

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 12

Factors affecting lime requirement

Soil Texture

Fine textured soils clay soils

Higher clay
More CEC
Lime requirement: more

Coarse textured soils : vice versa

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 13

Factors affecting lime requirement

Organic matter

High organic matter

Higher CEC

Higher the liming materials

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 14

Selection of Crops
Crops pH range
Cereals
Maize, sorghum, wheat, barley 6.0-7.5
Millets 5.0-6.5
Rice 4.0-6.0
Oats 5.0-7.7
Legumes
Field beans, soybean, pea, lentil 5.5-7.0
Groundnut 5.3-6.6
Others
Sugarcane 6.0-7.5
Potato 5.0-5.5
Tea 4.0-6.0
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 15
Acid sulphate soils
Extremely acidic soils with a pH of less than 3.5
Referred as cat- clays

High sulphates in the upper 50 cm

Owing to H2SO4 and Fe and Al sulphates
Derived from marine sediments
High in pyrites
Poor in bases

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 16

Chemistry of acid sulphate soils
Under drained condition

Aerobic condition
Sulphur (S) oxidized to sulphates (SO42-)
SO42- produce sulphuric acid (dissolving in water)
Acidic and harmful nature

2S + 3 O2 + 2 H2 O H2 SO4 (Oxidation process)

Soil pH : < 3

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 17

Acid sulphate soils
Submerged condition

Anaerobic condition

Sulphates (SO42-) reduced to sulphides (S2)

Non-acidic and non-harmful nature

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 18

 By
K. Manikandan
Assistant Professor

available @ https/sites.google.com.drkanimanikandan

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 19