Biomass production model for lime amended acid raña-soils

Abstract

Field trials were carried out over a pe­riod of two years, aimed at correcting the acidity of a Typic Palexerult in raña for­mations in the northern mesa of León province (Spain). Gypsum, dolomite, limestone and sugar foam waste were em­ployed as liming materials to correct soil acidity, incorporating 6000 kg of CaCO3 equivalent per ha^-1, and crop trials were carried out using a local variety of rye. In addition to carrying out a general analy­sis, soluble and easily exchanged forms of A1 were identified (Al-CaCl2), as was A1 extracted using KC1 and BaCl2. Multiple linear regression models for total biomass production show that in the first year, variance (R² = 0.82) was largely ex­plained by the parameters Al-CaCl2, pH and CECE. However, in the second year of crop trials, production was most closely correlated with the variables Al-KCl and base saturation percentage (R² = 0.80).