Keywords:

Controlled incubation

Biological activity

Soil reaction

High-Andean soils

Microbial respiration and soil acidity under liming and organomineral amendment

Respiración microbiana y acidez del suelo bajo encalado y enmienda orgánico mineral

Respiração microbiana e acidez do solo sob calagem e enmienda organomineral

Ana Francisca González-Pedraza

Cristian Andrés Vivas Valencia

Claudia Inés Aragón Mendoza

Juan Carlos Escalante

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264321

ISSN 2477-9407

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v43.n2.III

Crop production

Associate editor: Dr. Jorge Vilchez-Perozo

University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Pamplona,

Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia, ZIP. 543050.

Productive development executive Bancamia, Mocoa oce,

Putumayo department, Colombia; ZIP code 860001.

Agronomist in free practice, Tame, Department of Arauca,

Colombia. ZIP 814010.

Tecnológico de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. ZIP:

050036.

Received: 19-02-2026

Accepted: 26-03-2026

Published: 09-04-2026

Abstract

Soil acidity severely limits biological activity in high Andean

systems, where aluminum toxicity and low pH reduce agricultural

productivity and constrain microbial processes. In this context, the

eect of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), applied both individually and

in combination with a commercial organo-mineral amendment,

was evaluated on soil pH, exchangeable aluminum, and microbial

respiration in an acidic soil collected from an agricultural farm

located in the mountainous region of Pamplona (Norte de

Santander), through a 15 day controlled incubation conducted

between March and May 2021. A completely randomized design

with four treatments (control, 100 % CaCO

, 50 % CaCO

, and

50 % CaCO

+ amendment) and ve replicates per treatment was

used, measuring chemical variables and respiration at multiple

incubation times; statistical analyses included ANOVA, Spearman

correlations, and multiple linear regressions. Results showed that

CaCO

signicantly increased pH (up to +0.62 units at the full dose)

and reduced exchangeable aluminum only in this treatment, while

all amended treatments enhanced microbial respiration, particularly

during early stages, with a tendency toward a stronger response in

the organic combination. However, multivariate analysis revealed

that chemical variables did not independently explain respiratory

variability, highlighting the predominance of the integrated

treatment eect. It is concluded that liming, especially when

combined with organic amendments, corrects chemical acidity and

revitalizes microbial activity through systemic eects, with practical

implications for the sustainable management of high Andean soils.

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

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2-6 |

Resumen

La acidez del suelo limita de manera signicativa la actividad

biológica en sistemas alto andinos, donde la toxicidad por aluminio y

el bajo pH reducen el rendimiento agrícola y restringen los procesos

microbianos. En este contexto, se evaluó el efecto del carbonato de

calcio (CaCO₃), aplicado de forma individual y en combinación con

una enmienda orgánico mineral comercial, sobre el pH, el aluminio

intercambiable y la respiración microbiana en un suelo ácido

procedente de una nca agrícola ubicada en la zona montañosa de

Pamplona (Norte de Santander), mediante una incubación controlada

de 15 días realizada entre marzo y mayo de 2021. Se utilizó un

diseño completamente aleatorizado con cuatro tratamientos (control,

100 % CaCO

, 50 % CaCO

y 50 % CaCO

+ enmienda), cada uno

con cinco repeticiones, midiendo variables químicas y respiración

en distintos momentos; el análisis estadístico incluyó ANOVA,

correlaciones de Spearman y regresiones lineales múltiples. Los

resultados mostraron que el CaCO

incrementó signicativamente el

pH (hasta +0,62 unidades en la dosis completa) y redujo el aluminio

intercambiable únicamente en ese tratamiento, mientras que todos los

tratamientos con enmiendas aumentaron la respiración microbiana,

especialmente en las fases iniciales, con una tendencia a mayor

respuesta en la combinación orgánica. Sin embargo, el análisis

multivariado evidenció que las variables químicas no explicaron

de forma independiente la variabilidad respiratoria, lo que sugiere

el predominio del efecto integral del tratamiento. Se concluye que

el encalado, particularmente cuando se combina con enmiendas

orgánico mineral, corrige la acidez química y estimula la actividad

microbiana mediante efectos sistémicos, con implicaciones prácticas

para el manejo sostenible de suelos alto andinos.

Palabras clave: incubación controlada, actividad biológica, reacción

del suelo, suelos alto andinos.

Resumo

A acidez do solo limita severamente a atividade biológica em

sistemas alto-andinos, onde a toxicidade por alumínio e o baixo

pH reduzem a produtividade agrícola e restringem os processos

microbianos. Nesse contexto, avaliou-se o efeito do carbonato de

cálcio (CaCO₃), aplicado de forma isolada e em combinação com

uma emenda organo-mineral comercial, sobre o pH, o alumínio

trocável e a respiração microbiana em um solo ácido proveniente

de uma propriedade agrícola localizada na região montanhosa

de Pamplona (Norte de Santander), por meio de uma incubação

controlada de 15 dias, realizada entre março e maio de 2021. Utilizou-

se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos

(controle, 100 % CaCO

, 50 % CaCO

e 50 % CaCO

+ emenda),

com cinco repetições por tratamento, medindo variáveis químicas

e respiração em diferentes momentos de incubação; as análises

estatísticas incluíram ANOVA, correlações de Spearman e regressões

lineares múltiplas. Os resultados mostraram que o CaCO

elevou

signicativamente o pH (até +0,62 unidades na dose completa) e

reduziu o alumínio trocável apenas nesse tratamento, enquanto todos

os tratamentos com emendas aumentaram a respiração microbiana,

especialmente nas fases iniciais, com tendência de maior resposta

na combinação orgânica. No entanto, a análise multivariada indicou

que as variáveis químicas não explicaram de forma independente

a variabilidade respiratória, evidenciando o predomínio do efeito

integrado do tratamento. Conclui-se que a calagem, especialmente

quando combinada com emendas orgânicas, corrige a acidez química

e revitaliza a atividade microbiana por meio de efeitos sistêmicos,

com implicações práticas para o manejo sustentável de solos alto-

andinos.

Palavras-chave: incubação controlada, atividade biológica, reação

do solo, solos alto-andinos.

Introduction

Soil acidity represents one of the major constraints on fertility and

biogeochemical functioning in tropical mountain agroecosystems. In

these environments, pH values below 5.5 promote the solubilization

of aluminum into toxic trivalent forms, which inhibit root growth,

restrict the uptake of essential nutrients, and disrupt microbial carbon

and nitrogen cycling (Ofoe et al., 2023).

In the Colombian Andean region, intense leaching driven by

high precipitation accelerates base cation losses and progressive

acidication, thereby increasing exchangeable aluminum saturation

in medium- to ne-textured soils, such as those predominant in

Pamplona (Norte de Santander). These conditions ultimately

compromise both agricultural productivity and soil biological vitality

(Cruz et al., 2022; Flórez and Ochoa, 2022; IGAC, 2015).

Under this scenario, liming with calcium carbonate is widely

recognized as a conventional corrective practice, capable of

neutralizing soil acidity through proton consumption and the

precipitation and/or complexation of toxic aluminum via well-

established chemical reactions (Bolan et al., 2003). However, its

eectiveness depends not only on application rate and reaction time,

but also on interactions with soil organic matter and the inherent

microbial community. Although numerous studies have evaluated

the chemical eects of liming, biological indicators such as basal

microbial respiration have received comparatively limited attention,

particularly in high Andean environments, where moderate levels of

organic matter may modulate soil responses in complex and not yet

fully understood ways (Malik et al., 2018).

Microbial respiration provides an integrative window into

heterotrophic activity and the mineralization of soil organic carbon,

regulated by factors such as pH, the availability of labile substrates,

and the taxonomic composition of the microbial community (Malik

et al., 2018). Organic amendments, by supplying readily degradable

carbon and additional buering capacity, may enhance these

eects, generating synergies with CaCO

that warrant systematic

investigation. However, a critical knowledge gap persists: few studies

integrate chemical dynamics (pH, Al

) and biological responses

under controlled incubation in representative Andean soils, leaving

unresolved how these combined management practices aect soil

functional dynamics in the short term.

In this context, the present study evaluated the eect of liming

alone and in combination with a commercial organo-mineral

amendment on soil pH, exchangeable aluminum, and microbial

respiration in a typical acidic soil from Pamplona, using a 15 day

incubation period designed to capture the initial reaction phase.

This approach aims to provide locally relevant evidence to optimize

remediation practices in high Andean systems, where chemical

adjustments have direct implications for soil microbial activity and

overall edaphic functioning.

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

González-Pedraza et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e2643

3-6 |

Materials and methods

Study area and soil sampling

The experiment was conducted using soil collected from an

agricultural eld in the municipality of Pamplona (Norte de Santander,

Colombia), located at 2,200 m above sea level. The site is characterized

by a mean annual precipitation of 1,863 mm and an average temperature

of 11.3 °C, conditions typical of high Andean environments prone to

base cation leaching and soil acidication (Villamizar et al., 2024;

IGAC, 2015). Soil samples were collected prior to planting and the

routine application of agricultural lime, with the aim of capturing the

baseline chemical status of the soil under conventional management.

Samples were taken from a depth of 0–20 cm, comprising ve composite

samples formed from 10 individual subsamples systematically collected

on a 10 × 10 m grid within the plot (total area of 100 m

). Subsamples

were homogenized in the eld, sieved to < 2 mm in the laboratory, and

stored at 4 °C until analysis (maximum 48 h).

Experimental design and treatments

The experiment was established under a completely randomized

design with four treatments and ve replicates: T0 (unamended control),

T1 (100 % of the CaCO

dose), T2 (50 % of the CaCO

dose), and T3

(50 % of the CaCO

dose combined at a 1:1 ratio with a commercial

organo-mineral amendment).

The CaCO

dose was calculated based on initial exchangeable

aluminum, expressed as calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE = 100),

following McLean (1982). Conversion to kg.ha

-1

accounted for bulk

density, sampling depth (0–20 cm), and soil mass per hectare. Final

application rates corresponded approximately to 1.5 t.ha

-1

for T1 and

0.75 t.ha

-1

for T2 and T3, equivalent to 0.15 g and 0.075 g per 200 g of

soil, respectively.

The organo-mineral amendment consisted primarily of composted

poultry manure, polyhalite, phosphate rock, and sulfur sources, with an

organic carbon content of 10.9 %, CaO of 21.4 %, and a near-neutral

pH (6.98).

Each experimental unit consisted of 200 g of homogenized soil

adjusted to eld capacity and incubated for 15 days at 25 °C in airtight

containers. This period was selected to capture the early reaction phase

of liming, during which signicant changes in pH, exchangeable

aluminum, and respiratory activity occur under controlled conditions

(Giang et al., 2024; Massaccesi et al., 2024).

Soil physical and chemical analyses

Soil texture was determined using the hydrometer method;

gravimetric moisture content was measured by oven-drying at 105 °C

for 24 h; and bulk density was determined using the core (cylinder)

method (Gee and Bauder, 1986; Gardner, 1986; Blake and Hartge,

1986).

Soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured in a 1:2

(w/v) soil-to-water suspension using a pH meter and a conductivity

meter, respectively, with EC expressed in µS.cm

-1

. Exchangeable

aluminum was determined by extraction with 1 mol.L

-1

KCl followed

by titration (McLean, 1982).

Soil organic matter was estimated by loss-on-ignition at 450 °C,

and organic carbon was calculated using the factor 1.724 (Westman et

al., 2006; Pribyl, 2010). Chemical variables (pH, EC, and exchangeable

Al) were evaluated before and after incubation.

Determination of soil microbial respiration

Basal microbial respiration was determined during incubation

using the alkali trap method for CO

capture described by Alef and

Nannipieri (1995). Evolved CO

was trapped in 0.1 mol.L

-1

NaOH

and quantied by titration with standardized HCl following carbonate

precipitation. Results were expressed as µg C–CO

per 100 g of dry

soil. Measurements were taken at 24 h and at 6, 9, 11, and 15 days

of incubation to assess the temporal dynamics of microbial activity in

response to the treatments.

Statistical analysis

Chemical and biological variables were analyzed using analysis of

variance (ANOVA) under a completely randomized design, following

verication of normality (Shapiro–Wilk test) and homogeneity of

variances (Levene’s test). When signicant dierences were detected (p

≤ 0.05), Tukey’s honestly signicant dierence (HSD) test was applied.

Associations between chemical variables and microbial respiration

were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coecient (ρ),

considering p ≤ 0.05, due to the small sample size (n = 20) and the

absence of strict assumptions of normality and linearity. Subsequently,

multiple linear regression models were tted to determine whether the

observed associations persisted after controlling for treatment eects,

with collinearity evaluated using the Variance Ination Factor (VIF).

Statistical analyses were performed using R software (version 4.3.1) (R

Core Team, 2023).

Results and discussion

Soil physical and chemical properties

The evaluated soils exhibited favorable physical conditions in the

surface horizon (0–20 cm), with no evidence of compaction-related

constraints, and a clay loam texture classication. Moderate variability

was observed among samples, particularly in particle-size fractions,

reecting the natural heterogeneity of the study area. Chemically, the

soil was characterized by moderately acidic and relatively homogeneous

conditions, accompanied by low levels of electrical conductivity (Table

1). Organic carbon content was within the medium to high range for

agricultural soils under cold-climate conditions (Osorio, 2012), whereas

exchangeable aluminum reached concentrations considered potentially

restrictive for root development and microbial activity.

The physical properties of the surface horizon (0–20 cm) characterize

a soil typical of conventionally managed high Andean agroecosystems,

Table 1. Descriptive statistics of selected soil physical and chemical properties.

Parameters Clay (%) Sand (%) Silt (%) GM (%) BD (g.cm

-3

) pH (1:2) EC (µS.cm

-1

) OC (%) Exch. Al

(cmol(+).kg

-1

)

Mean 34.62 35.54 29.83 22.54 0.91 5.29 14.39 3.23 2.00

SD 3.29 10.40 7.61 2.87 0.06 0.23 3.09 1.08 0.75

Min 32.30 15.40 23.00 17.01 0.82 5.08 8.70 1.25 0.80

Max 40.75 44.70 43.85 24.62 0.98 5.93 21.50 4.08 3.60

Textural

class

Clay loam

GM: Gravimetric moisture (%); BD: Bulk density (g cm

-3

); EC = Electrical conductivity; OC: Organic carbon (%); Exch. Al³⁺: Exchangeable aluminum; SD: Standard deviation; n = 5.

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264321 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.

4-6 |

than T0, T2, and T3, which did not dier from each other. Temporally,

all treatments showed signicant increases in EC following incubation.

Full liming with CaCO

(T1) was the only treatment that

simultaneously modied both pH and exchangeable Al

signicantly

over the evaluated period.

The signicant increase in pH observed in the CaCO

treatments

is consistent with the synthesis presented by Bolan et al. (2003),

who demonstrated that the application of liming materials induces

progressive chemical transformations that reduce exchangeable

acidity and alter aluminum speciation in the soil.

In the present study, the magnitude of the pH increase was clearly

dose-dependent, which is consistent with the ndings of Mahmud

and Chong (2022), who emphasize that liming eciency depends not

only on the application rate but also on the time available for carbonate

reactions in the soil. These authors highlight that the incubation period

is critical for achieving a new stable chemical equilibrium, as the

reaction of CaCO

is not instantaneous but rather progressive.

The reduction in exchangeable Al

observed in the full lime

treatment is consistent with the mechanism described by Bolan et al.

(2003), whereby increasing pH promotes the precipitation of aluminum

as less soluble hydroxides and reduces its activity in the exchange

complex. However, the less pronounced response in treatments with

partial or combined doses suggests that the 15 day period corresponds

to an early phase of the neutralization process. In this regard, it has

been documented that liming dynamics are progressive and time-

dependent; therefore, the reduction in exchangeable aluminum may

continue over longer incubation periods as dissolution reactions of

the liming material proceed and soil chemical properties gradually

stabilize (Wenyika et al., 2025).

Regarding the combination of CaCO

and organic amendments,

Giang et al. (2024) demonstrated that the incorporation of organic

substrates modies soil organic fractions and biochemical parameters

during controlled incubations, inuencing mineralization processes

and the chemical dynamics of the system.

These results support the interpretation that the organic fraction

may contribute to the formation of complexes with Al

, thereby

reducing its mobility and activity in the soil solution, while also

enhancing soil buering capacity (Li et al., 2022).

In this regard, organic matter has been shown to play a fundamental

role in buering soil acidity and reducing aluminum leaching in

acidic soils. However, these eects tend to manifest more gradually

compared to direct chemical liming, due to the progressive nature

of organic matter decomposition and the gradual release of reactive

compounds (Jiang et al., 2018).

with values indicating the absence of physical limitations for root

growth and gaseous diusion (Osorio, 2012).

The initial soil chemical conditions indicate an environment

that is functionally restrictive for microbial respiration, as microbial

metabolic activity operates under physiological stress. Low pH reduces

enzymatic stability, limits microbial diversity, and decreases carbon use

eciency (Rosinger et al., 2025).

Consequently, a greater proportion of the available carbon is

released as CO

rather than incorporated into biomass, explaining

a potentially active yet metabolically inecient respiratory process

(Malik et al., 2018).

The presence of exchangeable Al

further intensies these

limitations by impairing enzymatic activity and exerting selective

pressure on microbial communities, favoring groups more tolerant of

acidic stress (Ofoe et al., 2023).

Variation in soil pH, exchangeable aluminum, and electrical

conductivity during soil incubation

At the beginning of the incubation period, signicant dierences

among treatments were detected (p < 0.05). The control (T0) exhibited

the highest pH value, whereas treatments receiving amendments (T1,

T2, and T3) showed no statistically signicant dierences among

them, indicating homogeneous initial conditions within this group.

After 15 days of incubation, statistically signicant dierences

among treatments persisted (p < 0.05). Treatment T1 exhibited the

highest pH, followed by T2, whereas T3 showed intermediate values,

not diering signicantly from either T2 or the control. In contrast,

T0 consistently presented the lowest pH values.

In the temporal comparison, soil pH increased signicantly in

the amended treatments. The increase was +0.62 units in T1 (5.20

to 5.82), +0.36 in T2 (5.16 to 5.52), and +0.28 in T3 (5.15 to 5.43).

These results demonstrate a dose-dependent eect of CaCO

, with

full liming producing the greatest reduction in soil acidity over the

evaluated period. In contrast, the control exhibited a signicant

decrease in pH (−0.30 units), indicating a trend toward increased

acidity in the absence of amendment.

Regarding exchangeable Al

, no signicant dierences (p > 0.05)

were detected among treatments either at the beginning or after 15

days of soil incubation. However, in the temporal comparison within

each treatment, only T1 exhibited a signicant decrease in Al³⁺

(from 2.64 to 1.76 cmol(+).kg

-1

), whereas T0, T2, and T3 showed no

signicant changes.

Electrical conductivity (EC), in turn, did not show signicant

dierences among treatments at the beginning of the experiment.

However, after 15 days, T1 exhibited signicantly lower EC values

Table 2. Eect of amendment treatments on soil pH, exchangeable aluminum, and electrical conductivity at the beginning and after 15

days of incubation.

Treatment

(initial, 1:2)

(15 days, 1:2)

Exch. Al

(Initial, cmol(+).kg

-1

)

Exch. Al

(15 days, cmol(+).kg

-1

)

(Initial, µS.cm

-1

)

(15 days, µS.cm

-1

)

0 5.64±0.08aA 5.34±0.01cB 1.60±0.36aA 1.68±0.15aA 13.98±0.88aA 49.28±2.26aB

1 5.20±0.04bA 5.82±0.06aB 2.64±0.16aA 1.76±0.16aB 15.64±1.88aA 24.16±2.00bB

2 5.16±0.03bA 5.52±0.02bB 2.16±0.41aA 1.68±0.23aA 13.58±0.86aA 49.64±4.39aB

3 5.15±0.03bA 5.43±0.02bcB 1.60±0.13aA 1.60±0.22aA 14.34±1.86aA 47.28±4.81aB

Values correspond to mean ± standard error (n = 5). Dierent lowercase letters indicate signicant dierences among treatments within the same sampling time (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05), whereas dierent

uppercase letters indicate signicant changes between sampling times within each treatment (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05). Exch. Al3+: exchangeable aluminum; EC: electrical conductivity; T0 = Control; T1

= 100 % de CaCO3; T2 = 50 % de CaCO3; T3 = 50 % CaCO3 + 50 % commercial organo-mineral amendment. Source: Authors.

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González-Pedraza et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264321

5-6 |

On the other hand, the signicant increase in electrical

conductivity following incubation is consistent with the ndings of

Becerra-Agudelo et al. (2022), who report that the application of

alkaline amendments alters the distribution of chemical species in

the soil and may lead to temporary increases in ion concentrations

in solution, associated with the geochemical re-equilibration of the

system.

The results of the present study conrm that the eciency of

liming in reducing exchangeable aluminum depends simultaneously

on the applied dose and the incubation time. The evaluated period

(15 days) allowed for the detection of a signicant initial chemical

response; however, longer incubation periods may promote more

complete aluminum neutralization and the establishment of a more

stable chemical equilibrium. This is consistent with recent reports

indicating that the eects of liming on aluminum neutralization and

soil chemical stabilization are gradual and time-dependent processes

(Wenyika et al., 2025).

Soil microbial respiration in response to amendment

application

Figure 1 shows that cumulative microbial respiration at 24 h of

incubation diered signicantly among treatments. Amendment

treatments (T1, T2, and T3) exhibited signicantly higher values than

the control (T0). Among them, T1 showed the highest cumulative

respiration, whereas T2 and T3 displayed intermediate values, with

no signicant dierences between them.

At 6 days, the same pattern was maintained. T1 exhibited the

highest CO

accumulation, diering signicantly from T0, which

showed the lowest values. Treatments T2 and T3 occupied an

intermediate position and did not dier signicantly from each other,

although both exceeded the control.

At 9, 11, and 15 days of incubation, signicant dierences among

treatments persisted. T1 consistently exhibited the highest cumulative

microbial respiration across all evaluated time points. Treatments

T2 and T3 continued to show intermediate responses and remained

statistically similar to each other, whereas T0 presented the lowest

values throughout the entire experimental period.

The results of the present study are consistent with those reported

by Guo et al. (2019), who observed that CaCO

application in acidic

soils increased pH and stimulated microbial activity. This increase has

been attributed to the reduction of Al

toxicity and the improvement

of chemical conditions regulating microbial metabolism.

In acidic soils, elevated concentrations of exchangeable Al

can

constrain microbial biomass; consequently, liming creates conditions

that are potentially more favorable for biological activity (Mitsuta et

al., 2025).

However, correlation analysis indicated that the association

between nal pH and respiration was signicant only for initial

respiration (ρ = 0.644; p = 0.002), whereas cumulative respiration and

respiration at 15 days showed no statistically signicant relationships

with the evaluated chemical variables. Likewise, exchangeable Al

showed no signicant correlations with respiratory activity (p > 0.05).

These results suggest that, although pH may modulate microbial

responses during the early stages of incubation, it does not persist

as an independent predictor of respiratory dynamics over time. This

nding is consistent with studies indicating that pH control over

microbial carbon processes is context-dependent and mediated by

interactions with other edaphic factors (Malik et al., 2018).

Multiple linear modeling reinforced this interpretation. After

controlling for treatment eects, the associations between pH and

respiration were no longer signicant, whereas treatment accounted

for a substantial proportion of the observed variability (R

= 0.529;

p = 0.018 in the reduced model). Consequently, the respiratory

response appears to be primarily driven by the integrated eect of the

applied management practices rather than by the evaluated chemical

variables considered in isolation.

In this context, the greater respiratory increase observed in

treatments combining lime with organo-mineral amendments may

be attributed to complex interactions among the availability of labile

carbon, shifts in microbial community structure, and physicochemical

modications of the soil system. Iticha et al. (2026) demonstrated

that the interaction between lime and organo-mineral amendments

increases the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO

) and dissolved

inorganic carbon, promoting calcite dissolution and accelerating

acidity neutralization. This suggests the existence of feedbacks

between biological activity and geochemical processes.

Additionally, previous studies have shown that liming can modify

the structure and functional stability of the microbial community

(Madegwa and Uchida, 2021). In this regard, the increase in

cumulative respiration observed in the present study may reect not

only an immediate chemical eect, but also a functional reorganization

of the soil microbiome induced by the treatment.

Conclusions

Liming with CaCO

signicantly increased soil pH, reaching

increments of up to 0.62 units at the full dose, whereas the control

treatment exhibited a decrease of 0.30 units, indicating a dose-

dependent eect during the incubation period.

The reduction in exchangeable Al

was signicant only in the

treatment with 100 % CaCO

, where it decreased from 2.64 to 1.76

cmol(+).kg

-1

, with no signicant changes observed in the partial or

combined dose treatments.

Amendment treatments promoted higher microbial respiration

compared to the control throughout the incubation period, with the

highest values associated with the full CaCO

dose.

Overall, multivariate analysis indicated that chemical variables

did not independently explain microbial respiration variability,

whereas treatment accounted for a signicant proportion of the

variation (R

= 0.529; p = 0.018).

Figure 1. Cumulative microbial respiration (µg C-CO

.100 g

-1

soil) over 15 days of incubation in response to amendment

application. Lines represent mean cumulative microbial

respiration values for each treatment, and bars indicate the

standard error of the mean (± SE; n = 5). Dierent letters

indicate signicant dierences among treatments within

each incubation time (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05). T0 = Control; T1 =

100 % de CaCO

; T2 = 50% de CaCO

; T3 = 50 % CaCO

+ 50 % commercial organo-mineral amendment. Source:

Authors.

0,00

100,00

200,00

300,00

400,00

500,00

600,00

700,00

24 h 6 days 9 days 11 days 15 days

ug C-CO

per 100 g of soil

Incubation time

T0 T1 T2 T3

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264321 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.

6-6 |

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