The movement of cations in an Oxisol (alic, Red-Yellow Latosol) was studied. Samples were collected within the first 5 cm of the topsoil from two types of plant cover (grass and secundary forest), and placed in plastic pots over samples of an Oxic horizon from the same soil. To the superficial samples, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Sulphate, or the mixture of both were applied, incubated, followed by seven applications of distilled water, at the rate of one pore-volume a week. The leachate was collected every week and was analysed for soluble calcium, magnesium, potassium and sulphate. Evaluations of exchangeable calcium, magnesium and potassium, and of the potential acidity in pH 7.0 were performed in the soil. It was observed that the sulphate promoted a loss of potassium and magnesium, while the calcium carbonate minimized the loss. It was concluded that the use of calcium sulphate to correct calcium deficiency in acid subsoils has to be followed by the application of carbonate.
calcium sulphate; calcium carbonate; leaching; gypsum; liming
