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Research article2004Peer reviewedOpen access

Combined n, p, K fertilization and liming maximizes crop productivity of acid loams in Lithuania

Jankauskas B, Otabbong E

Abstract

Crop response to fertilization and liming was investigated in field and pot trials on sandy loam Dystric Albeluvisols (pH 4.2 - 4.3). Treatments in the field trial were: 1, no fertilizer; 2, PK; 3, NK; 4, NP; 5, NPK; 6, lime; 7, lime + PK; 8, lime + NK; 9, lime + NP; 10, lime + NPK. In the pot trial, they were: 1, no fertilizer; 2, N; 3, P; 4, K; 5, NP; 6, NK; 7, PK; and 8, NPK applied to unlimed and limed soils. All treatments were in four replicates. Crops sensitive to soil acidity ( winter wheat, fodder beet, spring barley and clover-timothy ley) and the less acid-sensitive winter rye, potatoes, oats and lupin-oats mixture were sown in the field trial. In the pot trial, the acid-sensitive spring barley and red clover, and the less acid-sensitive oats, lupins and oats served as the test crops. Combined application of fertilizers ( NPK) increased yields of crops sensitive to soil acidity in plots receiving lime by 23%, and those of crops less sensitive to soil acidity by 18% in comparison to crops grown on unlimed soils. The results of pot experiments corroborated the field results. When N was applied alone, crop yields were always higher than those recorded for P or K treatments on both the unlimed and limed treatments. N application proved to be a prerequisite for high crop yields in the soils investigated. Thus, the efficiency of P and K fertilizers increased in the order NKBNPBNPK, with the effects being accentuated more in the limed than in the unlimed treatments. The results demonstrated the importance of multi-nutrient ( NPK) fertilization in combination with liming for enhancement of high crop productivity in the unlimed soil investigated. N applied alone in combination with liming produced relatively good yields; hence, where resources are limited for the purchase of P and K fertilizers, applying N and lime can be a viable option in the short term

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science
2004, Volume: 54, number: 2, pages: 60-66
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

      SLU Authors

    • Otabbong, Erasmus

      • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Agricultural Science

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710410024426

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/5265