Lack of Response of Some Food Crops to the Application of Synthetic Soil Conditioners to A Clay Soil in Lajas Valley

Abstract

Data are presented here from a field experiment where Krilium 6 and 9, Aerotil, and Goodrite (dry powder of the first three and flakes of the fourth) were applied to the uppermost 6 inches of a Santa Isabel clay soil at the Lajas Valley, each at rates of 900, 1,800, and 3,600 pounds to the acre. Three crops: Tomatoes, white beans, and sweetpotatoes, were grown in the sequence following the establishment of the treatment differentials. None of the crops showed any response to the soil-conditioning chemicals. The stability of the soil aggregates of Santa Isabel clay, which is naturally high, was not affected by the treatment. The data presented show also that the water movement and retention and other soil physical properties remain unaffected by treatment. The lack of response is discussed and compared with other problem soils where crop responses have been measured.