Correction of Acidity of a Brazilian Cerrado Oxisol with Limestone and Wood Ash on the Initial Growth of Cowpea

Abstract

Among Brazilian soils orders, there are some of it classified as acid soils, which need correction to guarantee crop productivity. Currently, limestone is the most used soil corrective and wood ash has been a sustainable alternative to this process. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of two correctives of soil acidity on an Oxisol collected in the Brazilian Cerrado area using limestone and wood ash and the effect of soil correction on initial growth of cowpea. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out: 1) with limestone, using base saturation levels (V%) of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80; and 2) wood ash, with doses of 0, 8, 16, 24 and 32 g ⋅ dm − 3 , both in five randomized blocks. At 40 days after sowing, it was verified that pH values were within the range considered ideal for soil (pH of 5 to 7), according to the increase of base saturation levels and wood ash doses, but limestone provided faster results. Initial growth of cowpea was positively influenced by soil correction with use of both correctives. Wood ash and limestone increased soil pH to adequate values and resulted in better initial crop development.