Preliminary indications on the effect of continuous cane cultivation on the chemical and physical properties of Mauritius soils
| MSI99P0458 | |
| Wong You Cheong, Y. Chan, P. Y. | |
| Preliminary indications on the effect of continuous cane cultivation on the chemical and physical properties of Mauritius soils | |
| Periodical article | |
| 1977 | |
| Revue agric. sucr. Ile Maurice | |
| 56: 70-77 | |
| En | |
| En Fr | |
| Changes in physical and chemical properties of the main soils of Mauritius following long term cultivation of sugarcane were studied. Owing to difficulties in obtaining comparable uncropped soils, the number of soils studied was small but some general indications were obtained from the results. The main changes in chemical properties were : a decrease in soil pH, organic matter content, exchangeable Ca and per cent base saturation; correspondingly, exchangeable Al levels increased, probably as a result of the decrease in soil pH. Loss of organic matter was high in soils occurring under dry conditions. The organic matter content of the soils occurring inwet areas (B1 and F2) did not change much with cultivation. Clay contents of soils P1 and L2 increased, while those of soils M2 and B1 decreased, with cropping. However, there was a decrease in aggregate stability of the soils at all the depths examined with cropping. No overall trend in changes in bulk density or porosity was observed. Available water holoding capacity tended to decrease with cultivation in soils P1, L2 and M2 and increased in soil F2. | |
| SOILS SUGARCANE SOIL PROPERTIES | |
| MAURITIUS | |
| Sugarcane: Soils and plant nutrition | |
| Soils | |
| 1992-02-24 | |
| En | |
| Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute | |
| LIB | |
| CAT | |
| CHEM |