Improving Selected Chemical Properties of a Paddy Soil in Sabah Amended with Calcium Silicate: A Laboratory Incubation Study

Ivy Quirinus Chong, Elisa Azura Azman (), Ji Feng Ng, Roslan Ismail, Azwan Awang, Nur Aainaa Hasbullah, Rosmah Murdad, Osumanu Haruna Ahmed (), Adiza Alhassan Musah, Md. Amirul Alam, Normah Awang Besar, Nor Elliza Tajidin and Mohamadu Boyie Jalloh ()
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Ivy Quirinus Chong: Crop Production Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia
Elisa Azura Azman: Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Ji Feng Ng: Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture Science and Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu 97008, Malaysia
Roslan Ismail: Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Azwan Awang: Crop Production Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia
Nur Aainaa Hasbullah: Crop Production Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia
Rosmah Murdad: Horticulture and Landscaping Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia
Osumanu Haruna Ahmed: Faculty of Agriculture, Sinaut Campus, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, Km 33 Jln Tutong Kampong Sinaut, Tutong TB1741, Brunei
Adiza Alhassan Musah: Department of Business Management and Law, Faculty of Business Management and Professional Studies, Management and Science University, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga Section 13, Shah Alam 40100, Malaysia
Md. Amirul Alam: Horticulture and Landscaping Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia
Normah Awang Besar: Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia
Nor Elliza Tajidin: Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Mohamadu Boyie Jalloh: Crop Production Programme, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Branch, Locked Bag No. 3, Sandakan 90509, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-13

Abstract: In Malaysia, the main constraints of rice yield and productivity are infertile soils and poor management practices because these soils are characterized by low pH, low nutrient availability, low organic matter, and high exchangeable Al and Fe ions, due to high rainfall and hot temperatures. Thus, an incubation study was conducted to determine the optimum amount of calcium silicate (HmbG brand) to improve the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable Al, available P, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of a paddy soil in Sabah, Malaysia. The Kelawat series ( Typic Dystrudept ) soil was incubated with calcium silicate at the application rates of 0 (T1), 1 (T2), 2 (T3), and 3 t ha −1 (T4) using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in triplicates for 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. The calcium silicate used significantly improved soil pH because of the release of SiO 4 4− and Ca 2+ ions, which neutralized and immobilized H + ions. Furthermore, the neutralizing effects of the amendment impeded Al hydrolysis by up to 57.4% and this resulted in an increase in the available P in the soil by 31.26% to 50.64%. The increased availability of P in the soil was also due to the high affinity of SiO 4 4− to desorb P from soil minerals and it is believed that SiO 4 4− can temporarily adsorb exchangeable base cations such as K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Na + . Moreover, applying calcium silicate at 3 t ha −1 improved soil CEC by up to 54.84% compared to that of untreated soils (T1) because of increased pH and the number of negatively charged sites. The most suitable application rate of the calcium silicate was found to be 3 t ha −1 (T4). These findings suggest that calcium silicate can improve soil productivity and agronomic efficiency in rice farming. Greenhouse and field trials are necessary to ascertain the effects of the recommended treatments of this incubation study on soil productivity, rice growth, and yield.

Keywords: adsorption; inceptisol; liming effect; silicon; wetland rice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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