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RES: RES: [compost_tea] Re: Correction on Soil Analysis
Hi Lynton,
It is good that you have asked this question because then I
will have the chance to explain you that the soil does not
work like a chemical laboratory bench.
This has been the mistake of Soil scientists for decades.
Dr Albrecht have wrote a nice paper on that matter entitled :
"Insoluble yet Available" in which he explain how soil works.
Sometimes we see things happening in soil that just defies
logical and traditional chemical thinking because in soil things
just don't happen like in a lab bench inside of a glassware.
Many other factors are involved that have to be also taken into
consideration.
We know that applying gypsum will deplete calcium because this
is simply a fact. It has happened a thousand times even though
Gypsum is Calcium Sulphate. You measure calcium before, then
apply gypsum and after 2 or 3 years you measure again. You should be
able to get a figure lower than previous measurement.
When soil opens by the action of Gypsum, Calcium will just leach
by itself . It doesn't need to be bound to anything to leach the
soil. Actually cations Ca++ will go away by themselves depleting the
soil of calcium.
This is why we recommend having more than 60% of base saturation with
calcium
if you want to apply Gypsum.
By doing that you minimize this calcium depletion aspect of gypsum.
You can ask anyone of those eco-ag consultants. I learned that from Neal
Kinsey
that have learned that from Dr Albrecht himself.
Now I will give another example that soil chemistry is not a chemical
lab bench
chemistry.
There was a time in which Sugar Mills in Brazil were dumping what is
left from
sugar cane fermentation that unfortunately I do not know the English
terminology,
in the rivers. So government came up with a law that would prohibit them
of doing that.
It is a liquid very rich in Potash but has a very low pH close to 3.
Then they decided to dump it in the land but soil scientist say : "Ok.
You will have to
neutralize it first because being a low pH ( 3.0) you will lower soil
pH". A typical
Chemical Lab bench thinking. So they all did it. Who would dare to say
no to a
Soil Chemistry Professor ? They would add some lime to it before putting
in the field.
But one day, a " dummy" guy , that never went to school and who was in
charge of
dumping that stuff in the fields have did it straight without
neutralizing. He never
heard about neutralizing and was not aware of pH or anything. A simple
man.
When Sugar Mill directors found out the panic and went on to measure
soil pH.
What they have found was that the liquid that had a pH of 3.0 actually
increased soil
pH because they all forget about soil biology and this is why I am in
this list.
I know sufficient soil chemistry to the point I get nauseated by it
sometimes.
Soil Biology is beautiful and also has to be taken into account.
What happened probably in that case was that the liquid was full of
nutrients and
have increased soil biology and those organisms have started to exudate
all those
wonderful organic acids which have buffer capacity. Probably there was
an outburst
of bacteria ( residual sugars) and they have exudated compounds that
have raised the pH, maybe some of those acids have solubilized calcium,
who knows ?
We don't know. They have never bother studying that phenomena. Today
nobody
neutralizes it before adding to the soil because it poses no more threat
of lowering
soil pH.
Who discovered that fact ? A simple worker .
So your thinking is correct inside of a glass ware but not in a soil of
any kind.
Thanks for asking.
Jose
-----
> to the clay is the following : H+, Na+, K+, Ca++, Mg++
Jose,
I am not a chemist in the slightest degree, so please excuse my
ignorance here;
If gypsum is CaSO4, then I'm guessing that in order for it to tie up
something the Ca is displaced from the molecule
CaSO4 + Na -> NaSo4 + Ca
But of course the Na is not there by itself, so maybe
CaSO4 + NaCl -> NaSO4 + CaCl ???
With this, I don't see how gypsum can remove more Ca.
Or is it that gypsum can 'grab' extra stuff without losing Ca?
Thanks
Lynton
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