Physical and Chemical Properties of Basaltic Soils Replanted with Coffee in Gia Lai Province
Abstract
Coffee is one of the main crops cultivated on basaltic soils in Gia Lai province. However, the development of coffee is facing with various problems, for example the age of coffee trees, soils degradation, etc. Analyses of physical and chemical properties of basaltic soils under coffee replantation showed that the soils have high clay content in deeper layers. At the first (0-20cm) and second layer (21-50cm) of the soil the average bulk density value was 0.84 g/cm3 and 0.89 g/cm3, respectively. The density characteristic was in the range of 2,19-2,69 at the first examined layer and keeps constant value into deeper horizons. The total porosity was 66.53% and 64.55% in the first and second horizon of the soil, respectively. The pH value was around 4.3 to 5.54. The organic matter content and total nitrogen achieved moderate to high values. Total phosphorus and available phosphorus contents showed high level in the first horizon but low levels (poor) in the second layer. The total potassium and available potassium were low. The concentrations of Ca++, Mg++ exchange were relatively poor. At the pHKCl values between 4.69- ≥ 4.72 in the both horizons, the mobile aluminum concentration was not found in the examined soils layers.