Acid Strip
- Experiment Code: R/RS/9
- Experiment Site: Rothamsted
- Objectives: Effects of soil acidity on soil properties under winter wheat
- Date Start: 1850
- Date End: Ongoing
- Key Contacts: Andy Gregory, (Principal Investigator), Margaret Glendining, (Data Manager),
Description
- This a narrow strip of land at the northern edge of Hoosfield, Rothamsted with a soil pH ranging from 3.7 to 7.8 (at 0-23cm depth) due to uneven applications of chalk in the 19th Century. Spring barley was grown continuously for over 100 years. It is now sown to winter wheat each year, given only 100 kg N ha-1.The wheat starts to die out about half way along the plot, when the pH is below 5.5. This area has been used to study the relationship between soil pH, and microbial ecology and nutrient dynamics.
Funding
- The e-RA database, including the published datasets generated from it, is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI) , which also includes the Long-Term Experiments, the Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network.
- The RLTE-NBRI is supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017); BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022); BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028)).
Keywords
- acid strip, long term experiments, phosphorous, soil ph
Datasets available
| Title (hover for a longer description) | Year of Publication | Identifier | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
Soil data | |||
| Acid Strip soil pH and phosphorus concentration 2010 | 2022 | https://doi.org/10.23637/rrs9-SOIL2010-01 |
01 |
- List all eRA datasets
- Additional data is available through e-RAdata. Please register for access
Site: Acid Strip - Rothamsted
- Experiment Site: Rothamsted
- Description: The acid strip is sited at the northern end of Hoosfield, Rothamsted . It been under arable management since before the 19th century. It had uneven applications of chalk in the 19th century at which time chalk was dug from 'bell-pits' on neighboring slopes and spread by hand to improve the fertility and workability of the originally acid soils. Spring barley was grown continuously for over 100 years. It is now sown to winter wheat each year. The acid strip has not received any amendment including chemical or organic fertilizer since then. By the 1950's, reserves of CaCO3 remaining from earlier applications had become exhausted by leaching, especially at further distances from the chalk pits. Here the soil became acidic. It is now sown to winter wheat each year and the wheat starts to die out about half way along the plot, when the pH is below 5.5.
- Management: 100 kg N ha-1 applied per year.
- Visit Permitted?: Yes
- Visiting Arrangments: By arrangement with Dr Andy Gregory, LTE Manager
- Elevation: 128 Metres
- Geolocation: 51.812944, -0.376107
Soil
- Type: Fao Classification: Chromic Luvisol
Soil survey of England & Wales soil series: Batcombe-Carstens mix with sandier inclusions Chromic luvisols soils were originally acidic, well-drained to moderately well-drained and developed in a relatively silty (loess-containing) superficial deposit overlaying, and mixed with, clay-with-flints. The topsoil is a flinty, silty clay loam (18–27% clay).
- Soil Properties
| Variable | Value | Reference Year | Is Estimated | Is Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil pH | () | 2008 | NO | NO |
Experiment Design
Use the arrows to navigate between periods
Description
- One strip (>200m) alongside the north end of Hoosfield Barley long-term field experiment
Design
- Period: 1850 - Now
Crops
| Crop | Years Grown |
|---|---|
| Winter Wheat |
Factors
Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.
| Level Name | Factor Name | Amount | Years | Frequency | Method | Chemical Form | Notes |
|---|
Measurements
| Variable | Unit | Collection Frequency |
Material | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil pH |
License
These media (images and videos) are
available under a Creative Commons
Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.
Images
Key References
2022
- - Darch, T., Blackwell, M. S. A., Hood, J., Lee, M. R. F., Storkey, J., Beaumont, D. A. and McGrath, S. P. (2022) "The effect of soil type on yield and macro- and micronutrient content of a wide range of pasture species. ", Rothamsted Research DOI: https://doi.org/10.23637/rothamsted.989q8
2013
- - Turner, B. L. and Blackwell, M. S. A. (2013) "Isolating the influence of pH on the amounts and forms of soil organic phosphorus", European Journal of Soil Science, 64, 249–259 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12026
2010
- - Rousk, J., Brookes, P. C. and Baath, E. (2010) "The microbial PLFA composition as affected by pH in an arable soil", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 516–520 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.026
- - Rousk, J., Baath, E., Brookes, P. C., Lauber, C. L., Lozupone, C., Caporaso, J. G., Knight, R. and Fierer, N. (2010) "Soil bacterial and fungal communities across a pH gradient in an arable soil", The ISME Journal, 4, 1340–1351 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.58
2009
- - Rousk, J., Brookes, P. C. and Baath, E. (2009) "Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75, 1589–1596 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02775-08
2008
- - Pietri, J. C. A. and Brookes, P. C. (2008) "Relationships between soil pH and microbial properties in a UK arable soil", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40, 1856–1861 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.03.020
