March 29, 2022
Dickinson Research Extension Center Updates

Surface Applied Lime Impacts on
North Dakota No-till Soils

 


Chris Augustin – Director,
Dickinson Research Extension Center
701-456-1103
Chris.augustin@ndsu.edu

This project was initiated in Spring of 2021 to develop lime recommendations for acidic North Dakota No-till soils. Eight sites were south/west of the Missouri River. Three other sites were located near Williston, Minot, and Steele. Below is a synopsis of last year’s research. We are looking for collaborators in the 2022 growing season. If you have a soil acidity issue and would like to participate in this study, please contact Chris Augustin at 701-456-1103.
Introduction
     
Soils acidify from the use of ammonium-based fertilizers from mineralization. No-till soils are particularly susceptible to acidification from the lack of mixing subsurface alkaline products and the tendency to apply ammonium-based fertilizers at or near the soil surface. As a result, the zone of acidification is at the depth of fertilizer placement2,4.
pH controls soil solution chemical activity. Phosphorus (P) and aluminum (Al) are two elements that greatly impact crop production and are dependent on soil pH. Phosphorus is most readily plant available when the soil pH is approximately six to seven. When soil pH is less than 5.5, Al becomes soluble, binds to P, and renders P unavailable to plants. Additionally, Al can have a toxic effect to plants that stunt and deform root growth and reduces seed germination. Free Al in the soil solution hydrolyzes water which further acidifies the soil8. Soil pH less than 5.5 can reduce bacteria activity and increase nitrogen deficiencies6
Calcium-carbonate (lime) neutralizes acidity and is a common liming amendment11. Agriculture lime is not readily available in North Dakota. However, a waste product of the sugarbeet refining process (SBWL) is comprised of lime11. Lime requirement recommendations have not been developed for North Dakota11. Soil acidity is new a and growing issue to North Dakota soils. This project investigated the impacts of surface applied SBWL on acidic no-till soils in North Dakota.

Methodology
Eleven sites were established in April/May of 2022. Soil pH at the 0-3 in depth was less than 5.5. Collaborating producers planted and managed their crop. Experimental design was a randomized complete block design.
Plastic hoops with a 36 in diameter were placed in the field and spaced at least 10 ft away from adjacent hoops. Soils were collected within 1 ft outside of the hoop. Soil was sampled by a hand probe at the 0-3, 3-6, and 0-6 in depths. Sugarbeet waste lime treatments were hand applied within the hoop after initial soil sampling. Treatments were 0, 2, 4, 8, and 16 tons lime/ac. The SBWL contained 0.6 lbs nitrate/ton, 5.2 lbs P/ton, 0.9 lbs potassium/ton, 75.5 % calcium carbonate equivalence, and 14% moisture. The lime treatments of 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16 tons/ac were applied as 0, 2.6, 5.3, 10.6, and 21.2 tons SBWL/ac respectively.  
Post-harvest (October/November) soil samples were collected by a hand probe within the hoop at the 0-3, 3-6, and 0-6 in depths. Soils were analyzed for nitrate, Olsen P, potassium, calcium carbonate equivalent, pH, buffer pH, salinity, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, zinc, sodium, manganese, magnesium, aluminum. Soil analysis was completed by AGVISE Labs1. Comparison of means and regression analysis was conducted by Statistical Analysis Software9

Results

Sugarbeet waste lime treatments increased the soil pH of the 0-3 and 0-6 in depths. Lime applications of 4, 8, and 16 tons/ac increased the 3-6 in soil depth. The regression analysis procedure produced statistically significant polynomial regressions from all, except the 6.3 and 7.1 buffer pH soil environments (Table 1).
Sugarbeet waste lime treatments impacted salinity, P, Ca, Mn, Al, and calcium-carbonate-equivalent. However, SBWL treatments did not impact soil organic matter (p-value 0.955), nitrate (p-value 0.703), potassium (p-value 0.983), magnesium (p-value 0.799), zinc (p-value 0.888), sodium (p-value 0.698), and cation exchange capacity (p-value 0.995). The 4, 8, and 16 tons lime/ac treatments increased soil salinity.

Conclusions & Implications
·
       Surface applied SBWL could improve crop yields from by increasing the soil pH and by reducing Al and Mn.

·        The regression equations (Table 1) based on the initial buffer pH11 can be used to guide producers on lime recommendations. Soil buffer pH values of 6.1 or less and 7.2 or greater were not collected in this study.

·        All pH buffer tests were greater than 6.3 and indicates that the reserve acidity pool is relatively small11. Liming these soils to desirable pH levels (i.e. pH 6) could be required once a decade or more. Saskatchewan research suggests that similarly cropped, fertilized, and limed soils acidify in 18 years3.

·        Olsen P soil tests increased from SBWL applications. Sugarbeet waste lime in an acid soil environment might serve as P fertilizer.

·        Soil salinity increased from SBWL. However, all treatments were less than 0.5 mmhos/cm and likely would not negatively impact North Dakota crop yields5.

·        Calcium increased from SBWL applications. Manganese and soil extractable Al levels decreased from SBWL treatments. Lime increased the soil pH and likely rendered Mn and Al insoluble8.    

·        Two and 0 tons of lime/ac treatments both had 0.6% calcium-carbonate equivalence. This suggests that the 2 tons of lime/ac reacted with the soil in one growing season.
 
References

1.     AGVISE LABORATORIES. 2022. Northwood, ND.

2.     Blevins, R.L., G.W. Thomas, M.S. Smith, W.W. Frye, and P.L. Cornelius. 1983. Changes in soil properties after 10 years continuous non-tilled and conventionally tilled corn. Soil Tillage Res. 3:135-146.

3.     Curtin, D. and H. Ukrainetz. 1997. Acidification rate of lime soil in a semiarid environment. Can. J. Soil Sci. 77:415-420.

4.     Dick, W.A. 1983. Organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations and pH in soil profiles as affected by tillage intensity. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 47:102-107.

5.     Franzen, D., C. Gasch, C. Augustin, T. DeSutter, N. Kalwar, A. Wick. 2019. Managing saline soils in North Dakota SF1087. N.D.S.U. Extension, Fargo, ND.

6.     Graham, P.H. 1992. Stress tolerance in Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium, and nodulation under acidic adverse soil conditions. Canadian J. Microbiology. 38:475-484.

7.     Google LLC. 2019. Google Earth Pro. Verified Mar. 19, 2019. Google LLC. Mountain View, CA.

8.     Lindsay, W.L. 2001. Chemical equilibria in soils. p. 34-55, 78-85, 150-209. The Blackburn Press. Caldwell, NJ.

9.     SAS Institute Incorporated. 2019.. Statistical analysis software, Version 9.4. SAS Institute Incorporated. Cary, NC.

10. Sikora, F.J. 2006. A buffer that mimics the SMP buffer for determining lime requirement of soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70:474-486.

11. Sims, J.T. 1996. Lime requirement. p. 491-515. In SSSA book series:5 Methods of soil analysis part 3-chemical methods. Sparks, D.L. (eds.). Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Madison, WI.

12. Sims, A.L. and J.A. Lamb. 2010. Crop availability of sugar beet factory lime phosphorus [Online]. Available at https://www.sbreb.org/research/ (verified on Mar. 1, 2022). Sugarbeet Research & Education Board, Fargo, ND.
 
This research was sponsored by the North Dakota Wheat Commission, North Dakota Soybean Council, and the North Dakota Corn Council.
 
 




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