Lime incorporation up to 40 cm deep increases root growth and crop yield in highly weathered tropical soils

Small Doses of Lime with Common Fertilizer Practices Improve Soil Characteristics and Foster the Sustainability of Maize Production

“…The effect of lime on base saturation on pseudogley soils in the present study resulted in larger increases; 12.2% and 5.9% of absolute increase at the 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths. The increase in base saturation with the application of 1.5 t•ha −1 of lime in the study of De Moraes et al [31] was higher than that of the present study. In the temperate conditions of the Balkan Peninsula, Kovačević and Rastija [33] reported increases of pH in H 2 O of 1.16 units (4.50 to 5.68) with the addition of 5 t•ha −1 of dolomite.…”

“…In the present study, the addition of lime improved the main soil chemical properties, with evident benefits up to 0.60 m depth. The study of the effects of lime incorporation into the 0-40 cm depth of highly weathered tropical soils increased soil pH in water, and base saturation values in both the 0-20 and the 20-40 cm layers, in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil [31]. Although lime has low solubility and mobility in soil, the results of the present study showed a rapid reaction to liming over a relatively short period as in Tiritan et al [32].…”

“…According to several authors who have conducted maize liming experiments recently [31,34,40], the greatest crop yield increases were found with higher rates of lime. However, these positive results should be weighed against the potential emissions of GHG after liming.…”