The influence of soil reaction upon the growth of the ramie plant

Abstract

The author carried out an experiment for the purpose of drawing some knowledge on the relation of soil reaction to the growth behavior of the ramie plant, with a variety "Saikeisaishin" as the material. 8 plots of every five pots were arranged, one of them being a control and the other being applied with either flower of sulphur or slaked lime to regulate the soil reactions. The results were as follows ; On acidic soils. the plant stems were short and slender, being small in number, and the average days for shooting as well as those for full development of fiber cells were prolonged, but the number of fiber cells were greater, the individual cell being round in section, fine and long. The stem yields were, however, very small. On alkaline soils, with pH beyond 8.0, the growth was worse than on the control soil, the yields decreased, and the fiber cells were thick, eliptical in section, and shoft. The plant growth was gernerally most vigorous at pH 6.0 or 7.0.