Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Solo.2023;47:e0220053.
A proposal to clarify the use of Sum of Bases in the Brazilian Remineralizer Regulation and in Soil Science
Antonio Carlos de Azevedo 
, David Andrew Charles Manning
19/jan/2023
DOI: 10.36783/18069657rbcs20220053
Destaques
The term “Sum of Bases” has different meaning in Regulation and in Soil Science.
It is proposed the use of SBR for Sum of Bases as measured in rocks.
It is proposed the use of SBS for Sum of Bases as measured in soils.
SBR expresses an amount at least three orders of magnitude greater than SBS.
ABSTRACT
The term Sum of Bases has different meanings in Soil Science and the Remineralizer Regulations. This issue may cause misunderstandings in communication, particularly between the agricultural community and the mining community, becoming an obstacle to the advancement of the use of this soil amendment. In this scientific note we propose the use of subscript “R” (SBR), standing for Rock, in English, and Rocha, in Brazilian Portuguese, and “S” (SBS) standing for Soil in English and Solo in Brazilian Portuguese. In this way SBR will refer to the Sum of Bases as defined in the Remineralizer Regulation (), and SBS to the Sum of Bases as defined in Soil Science (SBS = Ca (mmolc dm-3) + Mg (mmolc dm-3) + K (mmolc dm-3) + Na (mmolc dm-3)). This approach avoids confusion and facilitates the correct use of laboratory data. We provide a working example, a conversion table and a formula to estimate the potential increase in SBS caused by SBR.
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