Effect of liming in a lateritic soil and deliming in a black calcareous soil on manganese availability

Abstract

Laboratory studies and Neubauer's tests using wheat were corduc'ed to to study the effect of liming in tsteritic soil and deliming by the application of sulphur in medium black calcareous soil on the exchangeable manganese in the soils, dry matter production and uptake of Mn by the plants. Application to increasing quantities of CaCO. in fsteritic soil resulted in a progressive decreasef in exchangeable Mn with a corresponding increase in pH, the relation being somewhat linear. Combined application of lime and phosphate brought about an increase in exchangeable Mn. The results of Neubauer's lest showed a significant reduction in dry-matter production with decrease in uptake of Mn by wheat. The combined application of lime and phosphate has resulted in a significant increase in the uptake of Mn. Treatment with graded doses ofsjlphurin calcareous soil resulted in increasing the exchangeable Mn with corresponding depression of pH values. In general sulphur application has not effected the dry-matter production by wheat plants. There is a progressive increase in the uptake of Mn by plants grown in sulphur treated soils.