Paper Details

PJB-2022-243

Alleviating soil acidity, Al³⁺ and/or Fe²⁺ toxicity for sustainable rice production on acid sulfate soils

Alia Farhana Jamaludin, Shamshudin Jusop, Qurban Ali Panhwar, Mohd Firdaus Mohd Anuar and Umme Aminun Naher
Abstract

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It is believed that acid sulfate soils can be used for rice cultivation after undergoing a proper reclamation program. A field trial was therefore conducted on an acid sulfate soil in Malaysia to determine the effects of applying ground magnesium limestone (GML) with or without bio-fertilizer addition on the changes in soil chemical properties as well as the growth and yield of rice. Rice seedlings of MR219 variety were transplanted into each of the experimental plots. The treatments were GML (0, 2 and 4 t ha^-1) in combination with bio-fertilizer (0 and 0.25 t ha^-1). The initial soil pH (before treatment) was 3.78, while the exchangeable Al and extractable Fe were high, with values of 2.82 cmol_c kg^-1 and 211.01 mg kg^-1, respectively. As such, the untreated soil condition was unsuitable for rice cultivation. This was evidenced by the scanning electron microscopic study, which showed clearly serious rice root injury due to the presence of high concentration of Al³⁺ and Fe²⁺ in the untreated soil. Application of GML at 2 t ha^-1 in combination with 0.25 t bio-fertilizer ha^-1 increased soil pH to 5.25 from 3.78 (control plot). The treatment resulted in the reduction of Al³⁺ and Fe²⁺ concentration in the soil to the minimal level that eventually increased rice grain yield from 2.12 (control plot) to 3.99 t ha^-1. The increase in rice yield was due mainly to the significant enhancement of the soil fertility when GML was applied together with a bio-fertilizer, fortified with N₂-fixing bacteria and micronutrients. Thus, the combination of GML and bio-fertilizer is considered as an effective, sound and appropriate agro-tech to sustain rice production on acid sulfate soils found in Malaysia

To Cite this article: Jamaludin, A.F., S. Jusop, Q.A. Panhwar, M.F.M. Anuar and U.A. Naher. 2026. Alleviating soil acidity, Al3+ and/or Fe2+ toxicity for sustainable rice production on acid sulfate soils. Pak. J. Bot., 58(2): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2026-2(8)  
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