Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils
Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils
Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils Vetiver Grass For Rehabilitation of Acid Sulfate Soils
GLASSHOUSE FIELD
FIELDTRIALS
TRIALS--Stabilising
Stabilisingdrainage
drainagebanks
banks
GLASSHOUSE TRIAL
TRIAL
Soil pH, Al, Mn and Dry Matter Yield of a glasshouse trial Acidity and Aluminium levels of an acid sulfate soil near Babinda, North Queensland
AT PLANTING Location Depth Initial Oxidised Total Actual Total Potential Al Al / CEC
Dry Matter (cm) pH pH Acidity Acidity (meq/100g) (%)
Treatments pH modifying pH pH Al/CEC Al/CEC Mn Mn Yield (mole H+/T) (mole H+/T)
agents (%) (%) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (g/pot) Drain 0-5 4.0 3.5 36 272 2.4 21
5 - 15 4.0 3.6 33 256
Control Nil 3.9 4.0 61 58 1.6 2.0 29.0 Flat 0 - 10 4.0 3.5 33 312 2.9 20
1* S 2.1 2.0 92 90 24.0 24.0 0
+ Fertiliser 0 - 10 3.7 3.0 51 410 3.0 21
2* S 2.3 2.2 87 90 22.0 22.0 0 10 - 20 3.5 2.8 93 535 8.7 62
3* Nil 3.8 3.8 66 68 2.1 2.0 47.5
- Fertiliser 0 - 10 3.7 3.4 58 400 4.5 49
4* CaCO3 4.3 4.4 38 36 1.4 1.0 47.8 10 - 20 3.7 3.3 85 426 7.8 71
5* CaCO3 4.9 4.8 10 11 1.3 1.0 49.4
6* 5.4 5.5 2 2 1.0 1.0 46.5
CaCO3
7* 7.4 7.3 Trace Trace Trace Trace 49.3
CaCO3
8* 7.4 7.6 Trace Trace Trace Trace 46.9
CaCO3
AT HARVEST
A pot trial demonstrates the tolerance of Vetiver
grass to high soil acidity and Aluminium concentrations
* Treatments 1 - 8 received basal fertilisers (N = 184 kg / ha; P = 104 kg / ha and K = 144 kg / ha)
Vetiver
Vetiverdied
diedatatpH
pH==2.3,
2.3,AlAl/ /CEC
CEC% %==87 87
Vetiver established and grew satisfactorilyat
Vetiver established and grew satisfactorily atpH
pH==3.8,
3.8,Al
Al/ /CEC
CEC% %==68
68 Typical channel bank erosion of Erosion was caused by the lack of vegetation
Addition
Additionof ofbasal
basalfertiliser
fertilisertotocontrol
controltreatment
treatmentincreases
increasesyield
yieldby
by63%
63% acid sulfate soils (ASS) on this ASS site in north Queensland
Addition
Additionof oflime
limedid
didnot
notimprove
improveyield
yieldsignificantly
significantly
Critical
Criticallevel
levelofofAl
Al/ /CEC
CECfor forVetiver
Vetiveris
isbetween
between68%68%andand87%
87%
(compared with rice > 45%, maize & wheat
(compared with rice > 45%, maize & wheat = 30%) = 30%)
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The
The above
aboveresults
resultsindicate
indicatethat
thatVetiver
Vetivergrass,
grass,with
withits
itshigh
hightolerance
tolerancetotovery
verystrongly
stronglyacidic
acidic
pH’s
pH’sand
andhigh
highAl
Allevels,
levels,is
issuitable
suitablefor
forthe
thestabilisation
stabilisationand
andrehabilitation
rehabilitationof
ofacid
acidsulfate
sulfatesoils.
soils. Vetiver grass planted to stabilise the bank
of this drainage channel on ASS
Vetiver grass thriving eight months
after planting on the same site