THE IMPLICATION OF CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY (CEC) ASSESSMENT FOR SOIL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT

Organic matter is the main source of CEC in sandy soils. Because of the different methods for estimating CEC, it is important to know the intended use of the data. For soil classification purposes, soil CEC is often measured at a standard pH value (pH 7). Since the value of CEC is a dependent variable property of the soil, its value depends on the content of clay minerals, organic matter, fertilization and pH value. Keywords: cation exchange capacity, CEC, agriculture, soil, organic matter, clay (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.) INTRODUCTION Soil Cation Exchange Capacity is a very complex indicator that reflects a subset of soil physical and chemical properties of different individual values, and its interpretation can significantly improve agricultural production. For this reason, it is important to study and define the physical and chemical properties of soil, as well as the content of organic matter and clay, as the most important factors of cation exchange, not only to preserve the current state, but also to improve and improve the state of soil fertility. [...]it is of crucial importance to study and understand the interrelationships of clay, humus content and their influence on CEC, because soil fertility and its ability to resist degrading changes depends on these properties.