Liming and ionic speciation of an Oxisol under no-till system

Abstract

The chemical speciation of the soil solution is an important tool for evaluating nutrient availability and aluminum phytotoxicity. The effect of liming in the composition of the soil solution under the no-till (NT) system is still not well known. We evaluated the chemical speciation of Al and nutrients in the soil solution (water extract 1:1), five years after liming at the moment of the establishment of NT in a native pasture, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná State, Brazil. Dolomitic lime was applied at a rate of 4.5 t ha-1 (either incorporated or surface-applied), or split in three annual rates of 1.5 t ha-1. Soil samples from a dystrophic clayey Rhodic Hapludox were collected at the 0 - 0.05; 0.05 - 0.1; 0.1 - 0.2; 0.2 - 0.4; 0.4 - 0.6; and 0.6 - 0.8 m layers, in May, 2003. Aluminum was mainly complexed to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and fluoride, while the free form Al3+ was present in fewer amounts even under acidic conditions. Calcium and magnesium were found as free forms (Ca2+, Mg2+) and complexed by organic anions. Phosphorus was found as free forms (HPO42-, H 2PO4-) and complexed with aluminum (ionic pair Al-HxPO4x) up to 0.1 m. Complexation of Al by DOC was not influenced by surface-applied or incorporated liming. Liming did not change Ca and Mg speciation in the soil solution under NT system. The presence of free forms HPO42- and H2PO4-, however, was influenced by liming, because of the increase in cation associated forms.