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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Effect of soil pH on uptake of phosphorus, nitrogen, growth and yield of tobacco
 

Nuri O. Mukhtar.
 

Abstract:
 

For decreasing soil pH from 8.0 to less than 7.0, potted soil samples from the alkaline heavy clays of the Central Clay Plain of the Sudan were watered with acid solutions once before crop introduction. The concentrations of acid solutions used were 0.00% (pH 7.0), 0.05% (pH 1.5) and 0.10% (pH 1.2) as sulphuric acid in water. After 48 hours, tobacco seedlings were planted and irrigated by normal water till harvest. The pH values of the treated soils were lowered from 8.0 (soil pH) to 6.5 and 5.1 measured after six weeks from the application of the acid solutions for the 0.05% and 0.10% treated soils respectively, while the untreated soil remained at pH 8.0. The pH values gradually increased with time to reach 6.8 and 7.2 for 0.1 % and 0.05% acid treated soils respectively at 16 weeks. Tobacco plants grown in acid treated soil gave significantly taller plants, produced more cured leaf material and showed significant increase in both total N and total P uptake. Thirty mgN/kg (30 kgN/ha) added to an acidified soil could provide the tobaco plant with almost equal amounts of N provided by the 60 mgN/kg soil (60 kgN/ha) of a nonacidified soil.

Keywords:

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 3(2000) PP. 7-10