A method with few inherent errors was developed for the determination of cation-exchange capacity of calcareous soils. In this method calcium was used as index cation and the excess salt removal step was omitted. In addition to this a direct way is proposed for the determination of exchangeable calcium plus magnesium in these soils. The CEC values obtained by the proposed method, were compared with the CEC values obtained by the method of isotopic dilution, using 133Ba, and also with the method of Bower et al. and that of ammonium acetate. The percent base saturation of the samples was calculated when 1 N solution of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and NH4C1, adjusted to pH 7.0, were used as leaching solutions. Additional variables in this calculation were the number of leachings and also the correction or not for dissolved carbonates and bicarbonates.
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E. P. Papanicolaou (1976) studied this question.