Liquid micronized CaCO3: an alternative to correct the pH of an acidic soil and improve pineapple development

Resumen

Objective: to determine the effect of liquid micronized CaCO₃ on soil pH and pineapple vegetative development in acidic soils at Isla, Veracruz.

Design/Methodology/Approach: randomized blocks with four replications and four treatments: Non-liming control (T1), 2.0 t ha^-1 of dolomite (T2), 10.0 (T3) and 20.0 (T4) L ha^-1  of liquid CaCO₃. The soil pH was measured, before liming and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after sowing, at depths of 0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm, and the biomass was determined at the 60, 90 and 120 dds. Analysis of variance and the 5% Fisher test were performed to separate means.

Results: up to 90 dds, with dolomite, optimal pH values were reached for pineapple, significantly higher than those of CaCO₃ in both doses. At 120 dds, with 20 L ha^-1 CaCO₃ the pH was higher than 5.0, similar to that of dolomite and higher than those of the low dose of CaCO₃ and the control. At the last date, with 20 L ha^-1 of CaCO₃ 1,346 g plant^-1 biomass were produced, an amount similar to dolomite and the low dose of CaCO₃ and significantly higher than that of the control.

Findings/Conclusions: up to 120 dds, with 20 L ha^-1 of liquid CaCO₃, the optimum pH for pineapple was reached in the three strata, the values were similar to those of dolomite and higher than those of the low dose of CaCO₃ and the control. CaCO₃ (20 L ha^-1) and dolomite (2 t ha^-1) produced 33.1 and 20.9% more biomass than the control.