Soil pH, Ca and Mg Stability and pH Association with Temperature and Groundwater Silicon

Timo Töysä*¹ and Osmo Hänninen²

Received: November 16, 2017;   Published: December 04, 2017

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000564

Full Text PDF

To view the Full Article   Peer-reviewed Article PDF

Abstract

Objective: It is generally known that pH, Ca and Mg have changed remarkably during 1961-90, but their inter-areal variation seems not have been fully discussed nor explained. Parameters of cropland have been earlier associated with CHD mortality. Silicon (Si) and temperature (Temp) have been earlier assessed with human CHD mortality. In this study we have assessed soil values of 21 Rural Centers (RC) from the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, [(60’s) (70’s), (80’s)] with respective mean annual temperatures from 1981-2010 and mean groundwater (gw) Si content.

Results: Combined regression by pH(60’s) and pH(70’s) explained pH(80) by 96.8 % (p < 0.001). Ca. (60’s) and Ca.(70’s) explained respectively Ca.(80’s) by 99.3 % (p < 0.001) and Mg.(60’s) and Mg.(70’s) explained respectively Mg.(80’s) by 92.3 % (p < 0.001). Combined regression by Temp and Si explained pH (80’s) by 86.5 % (p < 0.001). Respectively combined regression by Temp and pH (80’s) explained gw Si by 77.5 % (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Groundwater silicon is associated with the soil matrix factor (sources of groundwater silicon/silicon colloids?), which seems with temperature to explain inter-areal pH variation and obviously is associated with relative local stability of cropland Ca and Mg (and soil fertility). Maybe now is the time to increase Si trials in agriculture.

Abbreviations: RC : Rural Centers; FMI: Finnish Meteorological Institute; ETS: Effective Temperature Sum

Abstract| Introduction| Materials and Methods| Results| Discussion| Conclusion| References|