Abstract

CASTRO, Hugo E; GOMEZ, Manuel I.; MUNEVAR, Oscar E.  and  HERNANDEZ, Dilsa M.. Diagnostic and controlling acidity in acid sulphate soils by using incubation tests at the Upper Chicamocha basin, Boyaca. Agron. colomb. [online]. 2006, vol.24, n.1, pp.122-130. ISSN 0120-9965.

Acid sulphate soil (ASS) acidification is a complex process, mainly due to the chemical and biochemical reactionstakingplacewithinthesesoils,commonly leading to the solubility of aluminium, sulphur, iron and manganese, these being elements which in excess can severely restrict agricultural productivity in such land. This is the case with the Province of Tundama, Sugamuxi, located in the upper River Chicamocha valley, where around 3 000 ha are affected by these soils. Suitable diagnosis and control of acidity using basic amendments is not often considered in these soils; when it is taken into account for establishing crops, the generalised application of different doses of lime is commonly encountered without bearing in mind the state of acidity characteristic of modal areas being representative of ASS. The present study used laboratory incubation tests for determining lime requirements in chemically equivalent CaCO₃ (EQ CaCO₃) terms for each SSA modal profile, representative of ASS units, cartographically delimited in a semi-detailed ASS study carried out by GISSAT. The results show that the following requirements must be bornin mind when liming ASS: (1) diagnosing the condition of actual and pseudo-sulphate processes in ASS, (2) the neutralisation of exchange aluminium at less than 20% and pH greater than 4,5, 3) using highly reactive corrective agents and natural or industrial liming for nutritional purposes and 4) liming reaction time must not be les than 30 days after being applied.

Keywords : acid soil; lime requirements; pseudosulfhate soils.

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