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Topic: DETERMINATIION OF THE EFFECTIVE CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY

Table 1.1 Titre values


Ca Mg Ca+ Mg
Final titre /ml 1.00 0.50 1.50
Initial titre /ml 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vol. used 1.00 0.50 1.50
The value for Magnesium (Mg) was obtained by subtracting that of Calcium (Ca) from
the total sum of Ca+ Mg.

Calculation Parameters:
ConcEDTA= 0.02me /ml
VEDTA =?
VCa = 10ml
ConcCA =?

ConcEDTA x VEDTA= ConcCa x VCa


Conc. Ca= 0.02me/mlx VEDTA
10ml
=0.002me/ml x VEDTA
1ml of extracts contains 0.002me of Ca2+, thus 100ml of the total extracts obtained from
shaking of 10g of soil will contain 0.002VEDTA x 100me
= 0.2me (VEDTA)
If 10 g produced 0.2me (VEDTA) of Ca2+
Then 100g soil =0.2me (VEDTA) x 100 of Ca2+
10me
= 2me (VEDTA)/ 100g of soil or 2(VEDTA) Cmol/kg of soil
Substituting the value for the VEDTA for Ca and Mg
Ca =2 x 1.00ml
=2.00
Mg =2 x 0.50ml
=1
Table 1.2 Exchangeable Cation (Cmol/kg)
Soil Ca Mg K Na Al H CEC
B3 2.00 1.00 0.06 0.04 0.38 0.42 3.90
The sum of the individual exchangeable cation values gives the CEC.

COMMENTS.
Table 1.31
Depth/cm CEC Ca Mg Mn K Na
18-23 4.56 .35 .31 .001 .65 .31
23-46 5.14 .44 .26 .001 .05 .28

1
Adu S.V., 1992, Soils of the Kumasi Region Ghana, pp74-78.
The quantity of cations expressed in milliequivalents per 100g of oven dry soil is termed
the cation exchange capacity (CEC)2. It is one of the important soil chemical properties
and is closely related soil fertility and acidity. It is also one of the major distinguishing
features between soil and other plant rooting media3
Our soil is fetched from a depth of 20cm to 30cm in the Kumasi series. Comparing the
values of the CECs of Ca and Mg from table 1.2 obtained from our laboratory exercise
and table 1.3 draw by Adu S.V. 1992, we observe a marked increase in their CEC. But the
total CEC is 3.90 which is lower than the range that he recorded was the CEC for the
soils in the Kumasi Series “cation exchange capacity is moderately high (4-12 me /100g
soil)”4. The increase of the CECs of Ca and Mg over time could be attributed to:
1. the leaching and accumulation of Ca and Mg and other plant nutrients from upper
layers that is from 0cm-20cm above our sample into the soil in our depth causing
an increase in the concentration of these nutrients and a higher value of CEC for
these ions.
2. The use of aluminium hydroxide in the exercise to provide a high pH (basic
environment) for the reaction between Ca, Mg and the EDTA.
According to Tisdale S.L. et al. 1985, cation exchange is dependent on the pH of the soil
and the extracting solutions used for its determination; CEC value increases as pH
increases from pH 3-4 to an alkaline range of 8-9.5 This contrast is stated by Adu S.V.
1992 who stated categorically in his publication that the measurement of the CEC was
done using neutral ammonium acetate solution6.
Also the well drained nature of the soil in the Kumasi series coupled with the parent
material of the soil which is residual clay derived from decomposed granite,7 it confounds
the possibility of leaching and adsorption of the Ca and Mg ions from the first layer onto
the high cation exchange capacity clay particles in our depth(20-30cm) which is just
below the first 20cm.

With this in mind, we can advise who cultivate on Kumasi series soils to apply organic
fertilizers like compost, green manure and farm yard manure to their soils and
occasionally Ca and Mg containing fertilizers so that while the inorganic replenishes the
Ca and Mg content in the upper layer, the organic holds these ions in the soil micellar
surface to prevent the nutrients from being leached into the lower horizons this will
happen because organic matter is known to have a high CEC8.
However, they should be warned against applying too much of either or both of the
fertilizers because it can make the soil toxic with too much plant nutrients and the plants
will eventually die

2
Foth, H. D., 1978, Fundamentals of soil Science, pp 191-195
3
Tisdale S.L. et al, 1985, soil fertility and fertilizers, pp 95-107
4
Adu S.V., 1992, Soils of the Kumasi Region Ghana, pp 74-78
5
Tisdale S.L. et al, 1985, soil fertility and fertilizers, pp 95-107
6
Adu S.V., 1992, Soils of the Kumasi Region Ghana, pp 74-78
7
Ibid
8
Morrill L.G. et al, 1982, Organic Compounds in the soil, pp 78

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