G. Kirchhof et al., LIME-SLOTTING TECHNIQUE TO AMELIORATE SUBSOIL ACIDITY IN A CLAY SOIL .1. EFFECTS ON SOIL-PH AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, Australian Journal of Soil Research, 33(3), 1995, pp. 425-441
In soils with subsoil acidity, root growth of plants sensitive to acid
ity is restricted to surface layers resulting in reduced water and nut
rient uptake and low yields of crops. In the present study, the use of
the lime-slotting technique, with slots 0.15 m wide and 0.8 m deep, f
or providing long-term improvements of the adverse soil chemical and p
hysical characteristics of an acid, clay soil was investigated. Lime-s
lotting using a rotary slotter resulted in a uniform increase in soil
pH to the full depth of the slot (0.8 m), indicating a thorough mixing
of the lime with the small soil fragments produced by slotting, as th
ey are thrown up into the rotor shroud and redeposited in the slot. In
contrast, ripping to 1.0 m depth and delve ploughing to 0.8 m depth o
nly changed the soil pH close to the soil surface. The saturated hydra
ulic conductivity, total porosity and air-filled porosity at a potenti
al of - 10 kPa measured on soil cores was significantly (P < 0.05) inc
reased within the slot, compared to the undisturbed soil. Values of un
saturated hydraulic conductivities K(theta) and diffusivities D(theta)
, calcualted from the saturated conductivity and water potential-water
content relationships, also showed increases in the slot, at high wat
er contents. Although a polishing of sections of the slot wall due to
rubbing of the rotors was observed in the field, the saturated conduct
ivities of the cores taken across the slot walls did not show signific
ant (P < 0.05) differences compared with the undisturbed soil adjacent
to the slot. The extent of protection of the loosened soil in the slo
ts from recompaction during subsequent farm trafficking was evaluated
in a vineyard. Soil strength measurement showed distinct differences b
etween field plots which were non-ameliorated, lime-slotted or deep ri
pped. Soil strength was estimated using penetrometer cone index measur
ements, which were made when the soils were at similar water contents.
Zones of high soil strength observed in the non-ameliorated soils, we
re reduced in the ripped and slotted soil. However, the upper part of
the ripped soil had soil strengths higher than the lower part, indicat
ing repacking under trafficking. In contrast in the slotted soil, the
slotted area had low soil strength to depth, indicating greater protec
tion of the loosened soil during trafficking. This could be due to bri
dging of the tractor wheels and implements across the slot on to the s
tronger undisturbed soil on either side. Thus, lime-slotting is an eff
ective technique for long-term amelioration of the adverse physical an
d chemical properties of dense clay soils with subsoil acidity. This s
hould encourage root growth to depth within the slots, and use of the
water stored in the subsoil.