Cover plants have received extra attention due to their release of low molecular weight organic acids that form organic complexes with aluminum, calcium and magnesium. Besides neutralizing toxic aluminum, such compounds can increase the mobility in the soil profile of the dissolution products of lime applied on the soil surface. Objectives of this research were (a) to identify the low molecular weight organic acids found in different cover plant species and in soil solution, (b) to evaluate the effects of the residues, alone or together with surface lime application, in relation to acidity neutralization of subsoil layers in no-tillage systems, and (c) to verify the relation between organic acids of low molecular weight, released during the decomposition of plant residues, with the effect on soil acidity properties in the soil profile due to surface lime application. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in undisturbed Inceptisol (Haplumbrept) soil samples in columns, collected in a field experiment under no-tillage for five years. Nine treatments were applied: residue (10 Mg ha-1) of black oat (1), common vetch (2), oil seed radish (3), lime (13 Mg ha-1) (4), lime plus residue of black oat (5), of common vetch (6), of oil seed radish (7), and lime plus citric acid (0.91 Mg ha-1), (8) and no treatment (9), arranged in randomized blocks. The liquid chromatography method (HPLC) allowed an identification of the main low molecular weight organic acids in the plant residues. Trans-aconitic acid was the most important in black oat, malic acid in common vetch, and citric and malic acids in oil seed radish. It was not possible to detect organic acids in the percolate or soil solution. Plant residues had no effect on acidity neutralization in the deeper soil since the effects, alone or with lime application on the soil surface, were restricted to the soil surface layer (0-2.5 cm).
black oat; common vetch; oil seed radish; organic acids; chemical attributes; no-tillage
