Pedosphere 36(5): 1036--1048, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a promising amendment for mitigating soil acidification and improving soil fertility |
Debo HE1,2,3, Zhixin DONG1,2, Bo ZHU1,2 |
1 Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China);
2 Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Process and Ecological Regulation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China);
3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Soil degradation and declining crop yields resulting from soil acidification have raised global concerns. The conventional application of lime to mitigate soil acidification has several drawbacks, including increased soil compaction and nutrient imbalance. Consequently, identifying sustainable alternatives to mitigate soil acidification is crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security. To evaluate the potential of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a substitute for lime and to elucidate the underlying interaction mechanisms, we conducted a pot experiment to compare the effects of CMC and lime in mitigating acidic soils. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to investigate the influence of CMC surface properties on soil exchangeable Al3+. The findings indicated that application of 2 g kg-1 CMC was more effective than lime in mitigating soil acidification, increasing soil pH by 0.45–1.12 units and enhancing acid-buffering capacity by 36.45%–68.85%. Additionally, CMC (2 g kg-1) outperformed lime in improving soil fertility, leading to a 35.31%–79.01% greater increase in soil organic matter than lime. The DFT calculations revealed that soil exchangeable Al3+ exhibited higher adsorption-dissociation energy than base cations (K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) on the CMC surface, facilitating the immobilization of Al3+ and mitigating soil acidification. These findings suggest that CMC is a more sustainable alternative to lime for mitigating soil acidification, offering greater potential for promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security. Furthermore, understanding the mechanism by which CMC influences soil exchangeable Al3+ can facilitate the development of more effective and sustainable soil amendments to mitigate acidification. |
| Key Words: acid-buffering capacity,density functional theory,liming strategy,soil amendment,soil exchangeable Al3+,sustainable agriculture |
| Citation: He D B, Dong Z X, Zhu B. 2026. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a promising amendment for mitigating soil acidification and improving soil fertility. Pedosphere. 36(5): 1036-1048. |
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