Chemical attributes of a cerrado oxisol under no-tillage as affected by lime application methods and doses

Lime incorporation is not desirable in no-tillage systems. Lime is therefore applied on the soil surface, concentrating the product on the first few centimeters of the profile. We evaluated the aftereffects of dolomitic limestone (2.0, 4.9 and 7.8 t ha(-1)) application, either on surface or incorporated, on the deeper layers of a Typic Haplustox from the Brazilian Cerrado. Soil samples were collected at six, 18 and 30 months after liming at depths of 05, 5-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm. After six months the pH, base saturation (BS), and Ca and Mg concentration increased after surface liming, while both Al concentration and potential acidity (H + Al) were reduced only down to 5 cm. These effects extended down to 10 cm when evaluated at 18 and 30 months after liming. Lime incorporation decreased the soil acidity to a depth of up to 20 cm six months after the application. Surface or incorporated liming did not influence the soil acidity in the subsoil (20 - 40 cm). Base saturation at 020 cm depth was lower than the estimated BS, even 30 months after liming. Manganese and Fe concentration decreased at 10 cm depth after surface liming and decreased at 20 cm after lime incorporation as a consequence of the pH increase. Still, the concentration of these micronutrients remained above the limit considered critical for plants.