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CEC ExplainedCEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) CEC is a calculated value that is an estimate of the soils ability to attract, retain, and exchange cation elements. In order for a plant to absorb nutrients, the nutrients must be dissolved. When nutrients are dissolved, they are in a form called "ions". This simply means that they have electrical charges. Larger CEC values indicate that a soil has a greater capacity to hold cations (cation is a positive charged ion). Therefore, it requires higher rates of fertilizer or lime to change a high CEC soil. When a high CEC soil has good test levels, it offers a large nutrient reserve. However, when it is poor, it can take a large amount of fertilizer or lime to correct that soil test. 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. |
