1Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, University of Agriculture
2 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine Tirana
*Corresponding author e-mail: liri-miho@hotmail.com
Abstract:
CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity), as reported by nearly all soil testing laboratories, is a calculated value that represent an estimation of the soil ability to retain, and exchange cation elements. It is measured in cmolc/kg or also in millequivalents per 100 grams of soil (meq/100g). Reported values for CEC include an estimation of acidity (expressed as hydrogen, H), as reflected in the buffer pH measurement and extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) by the Mehlich III extracting procedure. The total CEC is the sum of milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil (meq/100g) of the following cations: H, Ca, Mg, and K. The nutrients must be dissolved so they can be able to be absorbed by the nutrients. Some important elements with a positive electrical charge in their plant-available form include potassium (K+), ammonium (NH4+), magnesium (Mg++), calcium (Ca++), zinc (Zn+), manganese (Mn++), iron (Fe++), copper (Cu+) and hydrogen (H+). While hydrogen is not a nutrient, it affects the degree of acidity (pH) of the soil, so it is also important. Larger CEC values indicate that a soil has a greater capacity to hold cations. Therefore, it requires higher rates of fertilizer or lime to change a high CEC soil. A high CEC soil requires a higher soil cation level, or soil test, to provide adequate crop nutrition. Low CEC soils hold fewer nutrients, and will likely be subject to leaching of mobile “anion” nutrients. These soils may benefit from split applications of several nutrients. The particular CEC of a soil is neither good nor bad, but knowing it is a valuable management tool. This study is refered to the valuation of all this parameters on the soils the village of Borizane (between the two cement factories and Titan, in Fushe-Kruja), and how it can be improved by the addition of the fertilizers changing the soil conditions of the soil, which can bring a significant role of the physiological and metabolic functions in plant nutrition.
Keywords: soil; calcium; magnesium; micronutrients.