Soil pH Measurement with Reactive Paper Test Agrociencia Uruguay - Volumen 19 2:68-74 - julio/diciembre 2015 The pH test papers (strips) may be useful for measuring soil pH. The pH values for

Abstract

The pH test papers (strips) may be useful for measuring soil pH. The pH values for 51 samples were measured. The objective was evaluate the precision and accuracy of these measures. We compared three methods to measure the pH (soil:water 1:2.5): electrode (pH_electrodo); paper test strips either immediately after inmersion (pH_T), or two hours after inmersion (pH_T_RL). Millipore® pH paper strips graduated per unit of pH were used. Electrical conductivity (EC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) were analyzed in each sample. The pH_electrodo values were taken as reference. The pH_T and pH_T_RL values had an acceptable relationship with pH_electrode values, with R² of 0.50 and 0.48, respectively. These methods, however, underestimated the average pH_electrodo values in 0.44 and 0.21 pH units, respectively. When the value of pH_electrodo was estimated by organic carbon, pH_T or pH_T_RL showed acceptable fits were obtained and the average differences between pH_electrodo and estimated pH_electrodo were -0.02 and 0.24 units, respectively. Therefore, would be no differences when assigning soils to acidity classes if pH were measured by pH_T_RL methods or estimated by pH_T or pH_T_RL and organic carbon. The pH measured by strip can be used as value to classify soil acidity if previously a calibration based on SOC contents and pH measurements by electrode was made.