What Is a High Cec Value?
Organic matter has a very high CEC ranging from 250 to 400 meq/100 g (Moore 1998). Because a higher CEC usually indicates more clay and organic matter is present in the soil, high CEC soils generally have greater water holding capacity than low CEC soils.

.

Moreover, is a high CEC good?

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.

Likewise, what is a good cation exchange capacity number? Typical CEC Values in Soils

Table 1. Cation exchange capacities at pH 7.0 of different soil types, textures and soil organic matter.
Clay Type
Kaolinite 3-15
Illite 15-40
Montmorillonite 80-100

Similarly, it is asked, what is a good CEC in soil?

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.

Percent Saturation.

Nutrient Calcium (Ca++ )
Nutrient Quantity (meq) 67
Nutrient Saturation 67%
Base Saturation Sum of nutrient saturation of Ca, Mg, and K 67 + 15 + 3 = 85%

Which soil has the highest cation exchange capacity?

Clay has a great capacity to attract and hold cations because of its chemical structure. However, CEC varies according to the type of clay. It is highest in montmorillonite clay, found in chocolate soils and black puggy alluvials.

Related Question Answers

How is CEC measured?

Defining Cation Exchange Capacity
The higher the CEC, the higher the negative charge and the more cations that can be held. CEC is measured in millequivalents per 100 grams of soil (meq/100g). A meq is the number of ions which total a specific quantity of electrical charges.

What is the unit of CEC?

Cation-exchange capacity is defined as the amount of positive charge that can be exchanged per mass of soil, usually measured in cmolc/kg. Some texts use the older, equivalent units me/100g or meq/100g. CEC is typically higher near the soil surface, where organic matter content is highest, and declines with depth.
Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova

Lead Health, Wellness & Medical Journalist

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.