ABSTRACT
The plant nutrient benefits of land applied whey have more recently been demonstrated on calcareous soils in the 7.6 to 8.8 pH range under irrigation in an arid climate. Trace element concentrations of Al, Fe, B, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Cr are essentially that of whole milk and are too dilute to be of plant nutrient value at reasonable whey application rates. Normal soils are those soils that do not contain sufficient soluble salts or a sufficiently high exchangeable sodium percentage or sodium adsorption ratio to limit plant growth of salt or high pH sensitive plants. Improvements in soil structure make soils easier to manage and less susceptible to erosion. As aggregation increases, more large pores (macropores) are formed throughout soil profiles. Physical property changes occurring at and below the soil surface, though not well characterized to date, must be known to apply whey safely to soils for long periods of time.
