Stress Responses of Crops and Management Approaches in Acid Soil Environments | Chapter 2 | Agricultural Sciences: Techniques and Innovations Vol. 5

 

Acidic soils (pH <5.5) are prevalent in humid subtropical and tropical regions, primarily due to leaching from heavy rainfall. These soils often contain harmful elements like manganese and aluminium, negatively impacting plant growth. Different crops react differently to low pH; rice thrives in such conditions, while wheat and maize show slight tolerance. Legumes struggle more with aluminium toxicity, inhibiting nitrogen fixation and reducing biomass. Effective management strategies, including liming and organic amendments, can enhance nutrient availability. However, acidic soils often have low water-holding capacity, causing drought stress, affecting overall crop health and yields. Management strategies for acid soils are essential in enhancing crop productivity. Lime application increases soil pH and nutrient availability, ideally conducted in fall or early spring after soil testing. Incorporating organic matter like compost improves soil structure and buffers soil pH. Utilising ammonium-based fertilisers and phosphate solubilisers aids in nutrient management. To detoxify aluminium and manganese, resistant crop varieties and soil amendments (liming materials) can be used. Climate change negatively impacts soil health through altered rainfall and temperature, leading to heightened soil acidity. Heavy rainfall leaches nutrients and exacerbates soil structure issues. Adopting adaptive management practices, such as the application of liming materials, organic amendments, and the adoption of suitable crop rotation, is crucial for maintaining soil health. Thus, this chapter highlights the challenges, crop responses, and management approaches of acid soil for sustaining crop production.

 

Author(s) Details

Subhajit Dutta
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan-731236, West Bengal, India.

 

Manik Chandra Kundu
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan-731236, West Bengal, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v5/6411