Microbial respiration and soil acidity under liming and organomineral amendment
Keywords:
controlled incubation, biological activity, soil reaction, high-Andean soils
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 effect 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 % CaCO3, 50 % CaCO3, and 50 % CaCO3 + amendment) and five 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 CaCO3 significantly 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 effect. It is concluded that liming, especially when combined with organic amendments, corrects chemical acidity and revitalizes microbial activity through systemic effects, with practical implications for the sustainable management of high Andean soils.
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References
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Westman, C. J., Hytönen, J., & Wall, A. (2006). Loss-on-ignition in the determination of pools of organic carbon in soils of forests and afforested arable fields. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 37(7), 1059–1075. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103620600586292
Becerra-Agudelo, E., López, J. E., Betancur-García, H., Carbal-Guerra, J., Torres-Hernández, M., & Saldarriaga, J. F. (2022). Assessment of the application of two amendments (lime and biochar) on the acidification and bioavailability of Ni in a Ni-contaminated agricultural soils of northern Colombia. Heliyon, 8(8), e10221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10221.
Blake, G. R., & Hartge, K. H. (1986). Bulk density. In A. Klute (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Physical and mineralogical methods (2nd ed., Agronomy Monograph No. 9, pp. 363-382). American Society of Agronomy-Soil Science
Bolan, N. S., Adriano, D. C., & Curtin, D. (2003). Soil acidification and liming interactions with nutrient and heavy metal transformation and bioavailability. Advances in Agronomy, 78, 215–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(02)78006-1.
Cruz V. D. V., Rodríguez Ospino, P. P., Castellanos González, L., & Césped Novoa, N. E. (2022). Validación de una tecnología en producción limpia de fresa a pequeña escala en la finca Sol Vida del municipio de Pamplona, Norte de Santander. Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.24054/cyta.v7i1.2769
Flórez M. D. A., & Ochoa, A. (2022). Diagnóstico de Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas y Ambientales en los sistemas productivos de papa y durazno de tres veredas del municipio de Chitagá, Norte de Santander. Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7(1), 19–27. https://doi.org/10.24054/cyta.v7i1.2776
Gardner, W. H. (1986). Water content. In A. Klute (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Physical and mineralogical methods (2nd ed., Agronomy Monograph No. 9). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America.
Gee, G. W., & Bauder, J. W. (1986). Particle-size analysis. In A. Klute (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Physical and mineralogical methods (2nd ed., pp. 383–411). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.1.2ed.c15
Giang, N. D. C., Dung, T. V., Dong, N. M., Phuong, N. M., & Long, V. V. (2024). Effects of organic substrate amendments on selected organic fractions and biochemical parameters under different soils. Scientifica, 2024, 9997751. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9997751
Guo, A., Ding, L., Tang, Z., Zhao, Z., & Duan, G. (2019). Microbial response to CaCO₃ application in an acid soil in southern China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 79, 321–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2018.12.007.
Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC). (2015). Suelos y tierras de Colombia (Tomo 1 y 2). Imprenta Nacional de Colombia. ISBN 978-958-8323-83-1.
Iticha, B., Fitzpatrick, R., Marschner, P., & Mosley, L. M. (2026). Synergistic effects of lime–organic amendment interactions in acidic soils. European Journal of Soil Science, 77(1), e70276. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70276.
Jiang, J., Wang, Y.-P., Yu, M., Cao, N., & Yan, J. (2018). Soil organic matter is important for acid buffering and reducing aluminum leaching from acidic forest soils. Chemical Geology, 501, 86-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.10.009
Li, K., Lu, H., Nkoh, J. N., Hong, Z., & Xu, R. (2022). Aluminum mobilization as influenced by soil organic matter during soil and mineral acidification: A constant pH study. Geoderma, 418, 115853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.115853
Madegwa, Y. M., & Uchida, Y. (2021). Liming improves the stability of soil microbial community structures against the application of digestate made from dairy wastes. Journal of Environmental Management, 297, 113356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113356.
Mahmud, M. S., & Chong, K. P. (2022). Effects of liming on soil properties and its roles in increasing the productivity and profitability of the oil palm industry in Malaysia. Agriculture, 12(3), 322. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030322
Malik, A. A., Puissant, J., Buckeridge, K. M., Goodall, T., Jehmlich, N., Chowdhury, S., Gweon, H. S., Peyton, J. M., Mason, K. E., van Agtmaal, M., Blaud, A., Clark, I. M., Whitaker, J., Pywell, R. F., Ostle, N., Gleixner, G., & Griffiths, R. I. (2018). Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes. Nature Communications, 9, 3591. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1.
Massaccesi, L., Nogués, I., Mazzurco Miritana, V., Passatore, L., Zacchini, M., Pietrini, F., Carloni, S., Marabottini, R., Moscatelli, M. C., & Marinari, S. (2024). Short-term effects of biochar and compost on soil microbial community, C and N cycling, and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) yield in a Mediterranean environment. Applied Soil Ecology, 199, 105411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105411
McLean, E. O. (1982). Soil pH and lime requirement. In A. L. Page (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties (2nd ed., pp. 199–224). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c12
Mitsuta, A., Lourenço, K. S., Gonçalves de Oliveira, B., de Assis Costa, O. Y. N., Cantarella, H., & Kuramae, E. E. (2025). Soil pH determines the shift of key microbial energy metabolic pathways associated with soil nutrient cycle. Applied Soil Ecology, 208, 105992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105992.
Ofoe, R., Thomas, R. H., Asiedu, S. K., Wang-Pruski, G., Fofana, B., & Abbey, L. (2023). Aluminum in plant: Benefits, toxicity and tolerance mechanisms. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1085998. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1085998
Osorio, N. W. (2012). Como interpretar los resultados del análisis de fertilidad del suelo. Boletín del Manejo Integral del Suelo y la Nutrición Vegetal. 1(6). https://www.bioedafologia.com/sites/default/files/documentos/pdf/1%206%20Como%20interpretar%20analisis%20de%20suelos%20%20Walter%20Osorio_0.pdf
Pribyl, D. W. (2010). A critical review of the conventional SOC to SOM conversion factor. Geoderma, 156(3-4), 75-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.02.003
R Core Team. (2023). R: A language and environment for statistical computing (Version 4.3.1) [Software]. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.r-project.org/
Rosinger, C., Bodner, G., Forer, V., Sandén, H., Weninger, T., Zeiser, A., Mentler, A., & Keiblinger, K. M. (2025). Changes in microbial physiology and carbon-use efficiency upon improving soil habitat conditions in conservation farming systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 377, 109246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109246.
Villamizar Q. C., Cancino Escalante, G. O., & Cancino, S. E. (2024). Los aspectos biofísicos de la provincia de Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia. Universidad de Pamplona. https://doi.org/10.24054/seu.78
Wenyika, P., Enesi, R. O., Gorim, L. Y., & Dyck, M. (2025). Effects of liming on soil physical and chemical properties in Europe and North America: A review. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 8(3), e70175. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70175
Westman, C. J., Hytönen, J., & Wall, A. (2006). Loss-on-ignition in the determination of pools of organic carbon in soils of forests and afforested arable fields. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 37(7), 1059–1075. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103620600586292
Published
2026-04-09
How to Cite
González-Pedraza, A., Vivas , C., Aragón , C., & Escalante, J. (2026). Microbial respiration and soil acidity under liming and organomineral amendment. Revista De La Facultad De Agronomía De La Universidad Del Zulia, 43(2), e264321. Retrieved from https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/45446
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Section
Crop Production
Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Francisca González-Pedraza, Cristian Andrés Vivas Valencia, Claudia Inés Aragón Mendoza, Juan Carlos Escalante
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
