Availability and plant uptake of nutrients following the application of paper pulp and lime to tropical acid soils

Availability and plant uptake of nutrients were evaluated in three tropical acid soils (Kandiudult) amended with paper pulp and lime under greenhouse conditions. Amendments were applied to attain target pH values of 5.5, 6.0. and 6.5. A control treatment (no paper pulp or lime added) was also included. Rye grass (Lolium perenne L.) as a test plant was grown for three successive cycles of 40 days each. Extractable nutrients and cumulative nutrient uptake were determined. The application of paper pulp or lime resulted in a significant increase in exchangeable Ca and K and a decrease in exchangeable Mg and extractable Fe, Mn, and Zn. Amendment of soils with paper pulp or lime increased plant uptake of Ca and Mg and decreased that of K, Mn, and Zn. Both amendments behaved similarly, but the effect of lime seemed generally greater than that of paper pulp. Paper pulp in tropical acid soils behaved as a liming agent rather than an organic amendment. Similar to lime, amendment of soils with paper pulp resulted in an increase in availability of Ca and Mg and in a decrease in availability of K, Mn, and Zn for plants. Soil extractions appeared to be appropriate for assessing the availability of Ca, Mn, and Zn. Soil pH and effective cation exchange capacity positively influenced the availability of Ca and negatively the availability of Mn and Zn. Thus, the precision of predicting nutrient availability in paper pulp amended tropical acid soils could be improved by including soil pH or effective cation exchange capacity in relevant regression equations.