Abstract

Soil acidity levels directly affect the rate, kinds, and degree of chemical reactions which take place in soil. Crops respond to varying degrees to these chemical reactions. For the most part, these reactions affect the solubility of mineral elements in soil and the activity of the soil's biological processes. As a result, the availability of many plant nutrient elements is regulated by soil acidity. The level of availability of plant required nutrients can be adequate, deficient, or toxic to the plant, depending on the nutrient, soil acidity, and the crop. That is why measurement of soil acidity is regarded by many to be the single most important chemical test for use in determining how well plants are likely to grow in soil. Acidity in soil is best controlled by proper applications of agricultural limestone.

Publication Date

1992

Volume

13

Number

3

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Soil Science Commons

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