Effects of clay amendment on adsorption and desorption of copper in water repellent soils

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Contents Vol 43(3)

doi:10.1071/SR04088

Effects of clay amendment on adsorption and desorption of copper in water repellent soils

X. Xiong ^A, F. Stagnitti ^B ^H, G. Allinson ^B, N. Turoczy ^B, P. Li ^A, M. LeBlanc ^B, M. A. Cann ^C, S. H. Doerr ^D, T. S. Steenhuis ^E, J.-Y. Parlange ^E, G. de Rooij ^F, C. J. Ritsema ^G, L. W. Dekker ^G

^A Department of Pollution Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, P.R. China.
^B School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, Vic. 3280, Australia.
^C Primary Industries and Resources, Struan, Naracoorte, SA 5271, Australia.
^D Department of Geography, University of Wales, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
^E Environmental and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
^F Wageningen University, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Sub-Dept. Water Resources. Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
^G Alterra-Green World Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
^H Corresponding frank.stagnitti@deakin.edu.au





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Soil Research 43(3) 397–402 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SR04088
Submitted: 25 June 2004 Accepted: 24 December 2004 Published online: 25 May 2005

Abstract

Copper is an important micronutrient and trace amounts are essential for crop growth. However, high concentrations of copper will produce toxic effects. Australia is increasingly developing production of crops in water repellent soils. Clay amendment, a common amelioration techniques used in Australia, has demonstrated agronomic benefits in increased crop or pasture production. The sorption and desorption of copper and the effect of clay treatment on copper behaviour in a water repellent soil collected from an experimental farm in South Australia is studied. We found that the water repellent soils amended with clay have an increased adsorption capacity of copper. Also the clay-amended soils had an increased ratio of specific sorption to total sorption of copper. The implications of this study to the sustainable agro-environmental management of water repellent soils is discussed.

Keywords: copper, sorption, desorption, water repellent soils, clay amendment.