North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | Yes Ed ! Bruce also ! So one would have to ask ! How does the chemistry of the very High Magnesium soils ! 30 to 45 % Base saturation with a
( High PH 7 Plus ) that some deal with in the Midwest ? parallel the chemistry of High Bicarbonates ???
From My experience, I have dealt with Both in the same manner !!! Agreeing fully with mh in many ways and relating to Bill Wilson concerning his situation and the Morrow we deal with also.
The fact that soils containing 80 to 90 % Calcium and less than 10 % magnesium with 7 plus PH. or soils with 40 % Magnesium and 50 % calcium with 7 Plus PH or soils with High Bicarbonates like found in the Arid regions of the world that may be quite low in Calcium, magnesium and or K will also have a PH of 7 Plus.
Unless You can identify the chemistry that you are dealing with ???? You can not properly and correctly make random judgments concerning dealing with or evaluating the adjustment of said PH
Bill Wilson has had to Find his own way on His High PH Calcareous soils and does with anhydrous ammonia some what as I do with K applications on Calcareous soils for general crops in the Midwest !
MH has a quite different approach with Sulfur dealing with High Bicarbonates that is quite the same as to how we deal with high magnesium soils in Ohio and Indiana.
You have to Know your soils and Only you can know them best !!!
Deal with persons that Understand the relationship of soil Chemistry and how the Biological and physical properties affect your Profit
Quote from Ed's post above
Details
Soil alkalinity is associated with the presence of sodium carbonates (Na2CO3) in the soil, either as a result of natural mineralization of the soil particles or brought in by irrigation and/or floodwater. The sodium carbonate, when dissolved in water, dissociates into 2Na+ (two sodium cat-ions, i.e. ions with a positive electric charge) and CO3-- (a carbonate an-ion, i.e. an ion with a - double - negative electric charge).
The sodium-carbonate can react with water to produce carbon-dioxide (CO2), escaping as a gas, and sodium-hydroxide (Na+OH-), which is alkaline and gives high pH values (pH>10). To understand this reaction, we may consider the water (H2O) as being partly dissociated into H+ (hydrogen) and OH- (hydroxyl) ions. In pure, neutral water, the concentration of H+ and OH- ions equals 10-0.7 eq/l each (respectively 10-7 g/l and 17x10-7 g/l), a very small concentration.
The pH, being the negative log value of the H
Edited by soil-life 7/23/2009 08:12
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bicarbonates and idc
