Encalado de establecimiento y mantenimiento de la alfalfa en suelos ácidos

Abstract

Results of a trial, made in the period 1985-1988, to study establishment and maintenance rates of lime to cultivate lucerne on acid soils are shown. The trial was located at Mabegondo (Abegondo, A Coruña, Spain) on acid soils with a pH in water of 5.4 in the top layer. Five rates were used at establishment: 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 t/ha of ground limestone. In the second year the plots were split into two subplots and the same rates were spread in one of the subplots. The response to liming was high until the rate of 5 t/ha of lime at establishment. Yield increase at higher rates was small. Liming in the second year had a positive effect on yield only on the plot that received 2.5 t/ha of lime at establishment. An exponential curve was fitted to the yields of the whole period, as a function of establishment rates. This allowed to have also a response curve on kg of dry matter per kg of lime, also as a function of establishment rates.