Table 2.
Mean soil measurements by depth.
| Soil factor | Mean 0.0–7.6 cm | Mean 7.6–15.2 cm | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coarse particulate organic matter (g/kg soil) | 0.44 | 0.26 | <0.0001 |
| Fine particulate organic matter (g/kg soil) | 0.60 | 0.61 | - |
| Organic nitrogen (g/kg soil) | 0.21 | 0.17 | <0.0001 |
| Organic carbon (g/kg soil) | 2.02 | 1.67 | - |
| Carbon (g/kg soil) | 9.78 | 9.60 | - |
| Large macroaggregates (% soil wt) | 15.28 | 16.53 | - |
| Small macroaggregates (% soil wt) | 38.01 | 38.47 | - |
| Micro aggregates (% soil wt) | 23.90 | 24.92 | - |
| Total water saturation (C/kg soil) | 77.18 | 79.92 | - |
| pH (unitless) | 7.02 | 6.68 | - |
| Buffer pH∗ (unitless) | 7.09 | 7.02 | - |
| Electrical conductivity (dS/m) | 0.39 | 0.35 | <0.05 |
| Soil organic matter (%) | 3.30 | 2.83 | <0.0001 |
| Nitrate [NO3] (mg/kg soil) | 19.22 | 11.75 | <0.05 |
| Potassium [K] (mg/kg soil) | 672.26 | 544.10 | <0.05 |
| Sulfur [S] (mg/kg) | 14.18 | 12.87 | <0.05 |
| Zinc [Zn] (mg/kg soil) | 3.14 | 2.16 | <0.05 |
| Calcium [Ca] (mg/kg soil) | 3129.54 | 3117.73 | - |
| Magnesium [Mg] (mg/kg soil) | 384.36 | 387.46 | - |
| Sodium [Na] (mg/kg soil) | 18.48 | 24.54 | - |
| Cation exchange capacity (cmol/kg) | 21.33 | 21.50 | - |
| Mehlich-3 phosphorus (mg/kg) | 105.68 | 82.53 | - |
| Total fatty acid (nmol/g soil) | 112.15 | 70.85 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids fungi:bacteria (ratio) | 0.30 | 0.22 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids bacteria (nmol/g soil) | 56.59 | 37.29 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids actinomycetes (nmol/g soil) | 7.35 | 4.34 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids cyclopropyl (nmol/g soil) | 10.28 | 7.62 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids bacteria:cyclopropyl (ratio) | 5.59 | 4.97 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids eukaryotes (nmol/g soil) | 3.62 | 2.33 | <0.0001 |
| Fatty acids arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [AMF] (nmol/g soil) | 7.60 | 6.16 | <0.05 |
| Fatty acids saprophtes:fungi (ratio) | 14.62 | 7.04 | <0.0001 |
| Sand (%) | 19.70 | 20.01 | - |
| Clay (%) | 28.11 | 30.40 | - |
| Silt (%) | 50.37 | 48.10 | - |
∗Buffer pH is used to determine the lime rate. A buffering solution of lime that is 0.6 effective Ca carbonate equivalent is added to each sample. To determine lime recommendation, pH is compared to buffer pH. If the difference is large, it suggests that the soil pH is easily changed.