Acid Soil Reclamation with Nano Liming Materials and Response on Growth and Yield of Greengram (Vigna radiata L.)

The effectiveness of agricultural limestone also depends on the neutralizing value, physical properties and particle size. The rate of reaction of liming materials with acid soils depends upon its fineness because finer materials increase the surface contact with the soil. If the liming materials are coarse, the rate of reaction will be slight. The amount of finer fraction of liming materials will be required much less as compared to coarser fractions of the material to achieve a certain pH. In order to improve the liming efficiencies, nanotechnology may hold a promise as in exploits atom by atom manipulation and size reduction. Extensive studies have been done to exploit ‘top-down approach’ wherein the particles are subjected to intense grinding to reach the desirable size of 1-100 nm. In order to stabilize the particles, surfactants have been used. The yields of greengram (Vigna radiata L.) can be improved by nano-forms of liming materials. Such improvements are primarily attributed to the liming efficiency as a result of enhanced solubility and faster exchange of ions in the clay complex.