Chapter 11
Soil pH and Salinity
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Objectives
• Describe soil pH and its development
• Describe how pH affects plant growth
• Tell how to lime or acidify soil
• Describe saline and sodic soils
• Describe methods to treat saline and
sodic soils
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Terms to Know
• Acid soil • Dolomitic limestone
• Agricultural lime • Fluid lime
• Alkaline soil • Gypsum
• Basic soil • Hydrated lime
• Buffer test • Marl
• Buffering • Physical guarantee
• Burned lime • Saline soil
• Calcareous soils
• Calcitic limestone
• Calcium carbonate
equivalent
• Chemical guarantee
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Terms to Know
• Saline-sodic soil
• Sodic soils
• Sodium adsorption ratio
• Soil reaction soluble salt
• Total neutralizing power
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Soil pH
Figure 11-1
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Development of Soil pH
Figure 11-3
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Development of Soil pH
• Causes of acidity
Figure 11-4
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Development of Soil pH
• Causes of acidity
Figure 11-5
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Effects of pH on Plants
Figure 11-6
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Effects of pH on Plants
• Effect of pH on nutrient availability
– (See Figure 11-7)
• pH and element toxicity
• pH and soil organisms
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Soil pH
Figure 11-7
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Liming Soil
• Benefits of liming
• Liming materials
• How lime works (See Figures 11-9, 11-10)
• How much lime to apply
• Effect of cation exchange capacity on liming
(See Figures 11-11, 11-12, 11-13)
• Neutralizing power of lime (See Figure 11-14)
• Lime fineness (See Figure 11-15)
• Lime application
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-9
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-10
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-11
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-12
Figure 11-13
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-14
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Liming Soil
Figure 11-15
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Acidifying Soil
Figure 11-17
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Soil Salinity
Figure 11-18
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Soil Salinity
• Saline soils (See Figures 11-19, 11-20, 11-21)
• Sodic soils (See Figure 11-23)
• Saline-sodic soils
• Reclaiming salted soils
• Managing salted soils (See Figures 11-24,11-25)
• Salted water disposal
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Saline Soils
Figure 11-19
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Saline Soils
Figure 11-20
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Saline Soils
Figure 11-21
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Sodic Soils
Figure 11-23
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Managing Salted Soils
Figure 11-24
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Managing Salted Soils
Figure 11-25
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Summary
• Soil pH
– Alkaline-pH between 7.0 and 10.0
– Acid soil-pH between 4.0 and 7.0
• Acid soils affect plant growth by lowering the availability
of phosphorus and other nutrients
– Acid soils treated with lime
• Alkaline soils render several micronutrients unavailable
and create problems associated with salted soils
– Saline soils treated by flooding
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