Temporal variation of soil acidity attributes in cocoa-growing areas

Soil acidity is one of the main constraints to agricultural production in tropical regions. The objective of this study was to assess the variability of chemical attributes related to soil acidity in two layers (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) across nineteen experimental areas where cocoa was cultivated following surface liming and gypsum application. After 87 months, no association was observed between soil acidification and soil buffering capacity indicators. Surface liming did not affect the acidity attributes within the 0–20 cm layer, suggesting that its impact was limited to upper soil layers. In contrast, gypsum amendment reduced Al3+ saturation in the 20–40 cm layer.