Effects of Sugar Foam Liming on the Water-Retention Properties of Soil

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 1299 - 1308
• Main Authors: Perez-de-los-Reyes, C, Amoros Ortiz-Villajos, JA, Garcia Navarro, FJ, Bravo Martin-Consuegra, S, Jimenez Ballesta, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 31.05.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: A horizons; Available water-retention capacity; B horizons; drying; field capacity; foams; liming; Retention; soil acidity; soil amendments; Soil sciences; soil water characteristic curve; sugar waste; sugars; Ultisols; vegetation; vineyard soils; wilting point; Spain; ANE, Spain
• ISSN: 1532-2416; 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2015.1033541

The influence of sugar foam amendment on the moisture-retention properties of three profiles of an acidic vineyard soil in Retuerta del Bullaque (Ciudad Real, Spain) has been studied. The values obtained for the surface horizons of modified soils and the original soil (under natural vegetation) were compared, as were those for the surface and subsurface horizons of the liming profiles. The water-retention curves (drying curve) were determined in triplicate on the sieved soil with Richards plates and the field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP), and available water-retention capacity (AWRC) were calculated. In the original soil FC, PWP, and AWRC values were greater than the average values for the amended soils (36.5 percent, 15.1 percent, and 21.5 percent versus 23.5 percent, 10.35 percent, and 13.1 percent, respectively). Comparison of the surface horizons and the subsurface horizons of the three profiles showed that the values for the AWRC were greater in the former (13.1 percent, 12.5 percent, and 14 percent for P1, P2, and P3, respectively) than in the latter (11.9 percent, 9 percent, and 8.6 percent for P1, P2, and P3, respectively), although FC and PWP were lower in A horizons than in B horizons.