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Sulfuric Acid Treatment of Calcareous Soils: Effects on Phosphorus Solubility, Inorganic Phosphorus Forms, and Plant Growth¹

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acid (H₂SO₄) application on three P-deficient calcareous Arizona soils. The acid was mixed with the soils in order to reduce their respective buffering capacities, as measured by the acid titratable basicity (ATB), by 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%. Two soils, Cave and Comoro, were cropped with tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) after treatment. Significant responses in dry matter yield and P uptake persisted through three successive growth periods. Treatment significantly increased water-soluble P and P-supplying-capacity of the soils. Increasing the H₂SO₄ rate reduced the H₂SO₄-P fraction, increased NH₄Cl-P and NH₄F-P, and to a lesser extent NaOH-P but had little effect on reductant soluble-P. Both extractable Al and Fe increased with increasing amounts of H₂SO₄ applied. Though difficulties may be encountered in field application, these results show that H₂SO₄, a waste product mainly from the copper smelting industry, has potential for improving P-deficient calcareous soils.

¹ Contribution from the Dept. of Soils, Water, and Engineering, the Univ. of Arizona, Tucson AZ 85721. Research was supported in part by a grant from the Arizona Mining Assoc. Arizona Agric. Exp. Station Journal 2575.

² Research Associate currently Associate Professor Dept. of Soils and Irrigation, American Univ. of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, and Professor respectively.

Received for publication April 5, 1978. Accepted for publication January 26, 1979.