EFFECT OF LIMING ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

A study was conducted in the farm of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University, Dinajpur during November 2006 to March 2007 to evaluate the effects of liming on chemical properties of wheat field soils and yield of wheat. The soil was sandy loam having pH 4.85, organic matter 0.96%, total N 0.06%, available P 43.36 pg g soil’, K 0.18 meq 100 g soil’, available Ca 1.21 meq 100 g soil’, Mg 0.39 meq 100 g soil” and S 2.72 ug g soil’. There were eight lime treatments viz.T;: Control, T2 : 0.5 t lime ha’! , 13: 1.0t lime ha’, T4: 1.5 t lime ha’, Ts; : 2.0 t lime ha’!, Tg : 2.5 t lime ha”, T7: 3.0 t lime ha’! and Tg : 3.5 t lime ha’. Dolochun was used as the liming material. The design of the experiment was Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Every plot received 130.0 kg N, 5.5 kg P, 54.0 kg K, 33.0 kg S, 3.6 kg Zn and 0.6 kg B ha” from urea, TSP, MoP, gypsum, zinc sulphate (monohydrate) and boric acid, respectively. Yield and yield components of wheat were recorded at harvest and the grain and straw were analyzed for P, S, Ca and Mg contents. The post harvest soils were analyzed for pH, available P, Ca and Mg. The application of different rates of lime to soil progressively increased pH and availability of P, Ca and Mg in soils. The pH of the post harvest soils were positively correlated with available Ca and Mg status of soils. The grain yields of wheat were positively correlated with soil pH, available P, Ca and Mg contents of soils. Tiller number plant’, spikelets spike”, grains spike", grain and straw yields were significantly affected by liming. The treatment Ts (2.0 t lime ha’) produced grain yield of 4659 kg ha’!, which was statistically identical to those found in Ts, T7 and Ts treatments but higher |to those in T), Tz, T3 & Ty treatments. Liming significantly increased S and Mg sone emmattons of wheat grain but the concentrations of P and Ca remained unaffected. Total uptake of P, S, Ca and Mg were significantly increased due to application of lime which was mainly associated with increased wheat yields. The results of this experiment showed that liming is necessary for wheat cultivation in the Ranishankail soil series of Dinajpur. The application of 2.0 t lime ha appears to be optimum for desired soil pH for wheat (>pH 6.0), increased availability of nutrients and ultimately increased wheat yield. Further research may be carried out on the effects of liming on crops in different cropping patterns in farmer’s fields for a definite conclusion.