SOIL NUTRIENT MOBILITY IN RESPONSE TO IRRIGATION WITH CARBON-DIOXIDE ENRICHED WATER

In our experiments, carbonated water (CW) modified the equilibria in s oil. Application of CW decreased the soil pH about 1.5 units one hour after irrigation ended. Minimal, though well defined, differences in s oil pH were observed between the two carbonated treatments. The same r elationship between the treatments was not found in pH levels of the l eachate. This seems strictly related to the temporal and spatial chang es in the carbon dioxide (CO2) acidifying effect caused by chemical an d biological factors as water descended the soil column. The temporary reduction in soil pH in the CW treatment induced the highest nutrient mobility for most of the elements.