Nutrient Supply Capacity Determination for Acid Soils Planted with Vegetables Using the Double Pot Technique

Abstract

A double pot technique experiment was conducted to determine the nutrient supplying capacity of five acid soils planted with three vegetables such as cabbage (Brassica oleracea), maize (Zea mays) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The soils used in the study were taken from Kibangay, Bukidnon; Mapayag, Bukidnon; Kapatagan, Davao del Sur; Claveria, Misamis Oriental and Cabintan, Leyte representing the acid soils of southern Philippines planted to vegetables. Results of the nutrient omission trials showed that the three vegetables tested have varying responses to five different soils as affected by nutrient availability. In most soils, regardless of vegetable planted, nitrogen (N) availability was the most critical nutrient affecting vegetable production followed by phosphorus (P) in the case of Cabintan and potassium (K) for Mapayag, Kibangay, Kapatagan and Claveria, respectively. This valuable diagnostic tool offers a cheap and simple method of assessing the nutrient supplying capacity of the various soils tested.