THE :muenc: OF MAGNESwM, POTASSIUM, AND LIME on ma mm AND CHEMSCAL composmcw OF BEANS Thesis for flu Dogma of Ph. D. MICK-MEAN STATE COLLEGE Willard S. Frasar 1954 IHESlS 0-169 This is to certify that the thesis entitled THE INFLUENCE CF MAGNESIUM, PUPASSIUM AND LIME ON THE YIELD AND CHEMICAL COl‘IPwIII'ION OF BEANS presented by Willard Scott Fraser has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Doctor of mm degree in 591; Science <2th Major professor Date July 26; 19514 All PPLEMENTARY SUMATEREAL IN BACK OF BOOK RETURNING MATERIALS: NVIESI_) Place in book drop to LIBRARIES remove this checkout from y your record. FINES will be charged if book is returned after the date 1' stamped below. “29 '883 LL‘L~ Ln- —¢ .4 4...- -y—'-. - flpr Rikki: In: ....- tr fairly-El . .xuu... 5 I231. “ .5 ,‘ a! cIII Lu 8 t L» OWL fi.U "a he .N. l4 "ENCE OF MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND LIME ON THE YIEED AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BEANS By . 00'. Willard 8% Fraser \n—Il‘ AAA *- '1‘- "1 A THESIS .F cited to the School of Graduate Studs,“ at Michigan ltato 0911.3. or Agriculture and Applied Science "0 in partial fulfilment of the requiremente' ‘ ;“ for the degree or it" w «:3 .—“““‘x 'f‘i DOCTOR OF PHIIDSOPHY . \ iC§ . _;5. ‘f. Department or Soil.So1enoe 4.; ‘L\ kL-l‘ 1954 1‘13. .- i M t tut-.315 V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iTh. author wishes to express his sincere thanks 3“. Dr. Kirk Lenten, whose constant supervision and D gégailing interest made this work possible. Eb is also greatly indebted to Drs. R.L. Cook, :(igig Turk, 0.9. Steinbauer, R. L. Carolus and others‘ wifir helpful criticism and invaluable suggestions. ’ Q Grateful acknowledgement is also due to Dr. W.D. { a«£er his help with the statistical analysis. The writer appreciates the support of the Nova tie thartment of Agriculture and Marketing during (. V‘seggly stages of .the investigation. 14:&;_-_____- -~§ VITA Willard Scott Fraser candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy J. Dissertation: The Influence of Magnesium, Potassium ‘ and Lime on Yield and Chemical Compo- sition of Beans ’l. Outline of Studies Major subject: Soil Science Minor Subject: Chemistry, Mathematics Biographical Items Born, June 6, 1919, Union Centre, Nova Scotia Undergraduate Studies, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, 1958-40, McGill University, 1941-45. Graduate Studies, Michigan State College 1947-48 continued 1950-51 Zipperienoe: Assistant in Soils, Nova Scotia Agricultural College ‘ 1940-41, Canadian Army 1943-46, Assistant Chemist, .f%- Nova Scotia Agricultural College, 1946-50, supervisor of Agricultural Research, Calumet and Hecla Inc., 1952 to present V I ",..1'- Society of the Sigma Xi, American Chemical Society ps.the Soil Science Society of_America 111 ABSTRACT The work in this thesis was concerned with the effect of one rate of applied magnesium and two rates of applied potassium on the yield and chemical composition of bean plants grown on sixteen major soils of Nova Scotia. A more detailed study of one soil, the Woodville sandy loam, l, involved varied rates of magnesium and potassium and two kinds of limestone as they affected yield and composition cf bean plants. Mechanical analysis, pH, organic matter, total nitro- gen, exchange capacity and exchangeable bases were deter- , mined on the soils. The plants were analyzed for calcium, . magnesium, potassium and manganese. \ The soils ranged in texture from sandy loam to clay, -,E in pH from 4.8 to 6.4, in base exchange capacity from 4.6 to 18.7 millequivalents per 100 grams, in base saturation {rem 17.5 to 83.5 per cent and in total nitrogen from .01 ffgto .44 per cent. : In general, magnesium sulfate had little effect on tt-dry weight yield, however, it significantly increased the ; ,nggnvth on the Pelton soil and significantly decreased the :3 1 klnth on the Nappan soil. € ‘ .£.Applications of magnesium sulfate at 137 pounds per 6!». 1V acre significantly increased the magnesium content of the plants on the Cornwallis and Nappan series.at the 75 pound level of K20 and on the Falmouth Dyke and Kentville soils at the 300 pound level. Magnesium sulfate applied to the Woodville soil, consis- tently increased the magnesium content of the plants, lower- ed the pH of the soil from 5.6 to 5.5, and significantly increased the manganese content of the plants. Magnesium had no effect on either the pH or manganese content of the plants on the limed soil. The potassium and calcium contents or the plants were largely unaffected by magnesium fertilization. Potassium applications had very little effect on growth, significantly increased the potassium uptake except on the Canard soil, and decreased the magnesium and calcium con- % -tents of the plants. Potassium additions greatly increased the manganese con- centration of the plants grown on the unlimed'Woodville ’2. soil and significantly increased the cation content of the 7Til plants on the Woodville, wolfville, Nictaux, Middleton and ' uPelton soils. Both calcitic and dolomitic limestones significantly ‘increased the growth and calcium content, and markedly re- .:§need the manganese content of bean plants. Plants trea- g! .' _4 56 with calcium lime had slightly lower potassium contents ,1 . 7,: gofihese treated with dolomite. ,1 tit“ ié VF“ "I'HW‘A ‘a'vr - - v '-v- V' w _ \ Dolomite greatly increased the magnesium content of -1the plants while calcium lime had no effect. time increased the cation content of the plants about 50 per cent at low potassium levels and about 20 per cent at high potassium levels. Both lime and potassium appli- cations increased the cationic content as much as 76 per cent. Plants treated with high rates of potassium were either pale green in color or definitely chlorotic. These condi- 'tions were improved but usually not corrected by calcitic 5.11me and/or magnesium sulfate additions to the soils. grlants treated with dolomite were normal in appearance at ; all levels of applied potassium. ' “ Plants grown on the Kentville and Nappan soils showed evidence of manganese toxicity. TABIE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION..................................... 1 LITERATURE REVIEW................................ 5 METHODS AND MATERIAIS............................ 14 A. Plan of Experiment............................ 14 1. Experiment I............................... 15 2. Experiment II.............................. 17 B Description of Soils.......................... 19 1. Soils Developed on Glacial Till............ 19 2. Soils Developed on Marine Deposited Parent Material-.0.00IOOIOCIOOIICOOOIIOOOIO 22 5. Immature Marine 30113...................... 24 4. Residual Soil.............................. 25 5. Miscellaneous Soils........................ 25 C. methods of Analysis........................... 26 1. Soil Analysis.........:3i.................. 27 2. Plant Analysis............................. 28 Iv REsUmsANDDISCUSSIONSUODOOOOOO.IOOODDOIOOOOO... 51 . r i A. mmRImT I................................-. 31 1 1e “Alyssa of 3°118eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 31 2. Effect of magnesium and Potassium on Yields and Plant Appearance................ 55 5. Effect of Magnesium on Plant Composition... 42 4. Effect of Potassium on Plant Composition... 44 B. EXPERIMENT II...OI...I0.0000000IICIICOOOOICOOO 56 louEfI'ect‘OfVMaglleéiumooo..................... 58 new or CONTENTS (continued) rage "f‘ .. m”t or rota-'1WOOOIOOOOOOIVIOOOOOIOOI000...... 69 {6“ ’. m.°t of Lim..OOIOOOOOOIOOOOOOOOICOOOOOOIOCOIOQ 78 (Sin-bar W1. 9's “IMMIOOQOIOOOOOIOIOIOOIODOOIDOOOOOCOOOOOOI.‘...1’0 A \l , 'w y. ‘Hr . .- 1. ‘ I -5" .7 . g . ’e- to a e 1-" . .r-s . -. .- o GI" " | . 1 u“..’ ". . - noeepu e~ , Effa.‘l. , . -4:. .-. .. .;-..~.:;'. .. Li . ."Hvuc- I" " '- r V DUKE}. \ KRRD‘ .‘." Amt .‘.! n ' ion." : tih:l.~"-'i.- . . ... .. . . xA a....e-c-.e 5'3 v Q -r a " e at i. - - r " Effect 9? *t.- c u _ .'.- A- . *.3 ‘3 s ‘ ' leCOCiGT 'ua' J " .u' .‘i..'.‘.h-'-l". LA... gl'oeoflowoetfl £7 m£GC‘ O): 4.“ p-l-‘~.|“' :Tll > ‘ u. I". ' ' 14f- hirsute? 1:: ‘ renal: t I~ ‘ wanker, . Bean E’lnnz. ~~ t- .~ '4 ‘9 .rzv‘. ,- . ‘1th 3011...... --.- .' » . . -.I . -.p\... 5". ' ;$10n§ cc 'He P: : ’n . .“' . ' .z S ta Oren. GIL—E ?.:-ix‘.!.'.'.c .gi:;..-§..i r‘{peeessv--- .f...- ,.,_., .. .. ‘ ..-...... O! x‘SflafiitI “talk-i ;;&-? -3_ I.“.."‘.& "I viii LIST OF TABLES Number Page 1. Fertilizer Treatment Plan of Experiment II..... 18 2. Mechanical Analysis, pH, Base Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation, Exchangeable Bases, Nitrogen and Organic Matter Contents or various 80118000000000.0000...0.0.0.0...O... 52 5. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations to various Soils on the Average Growth of Bean Plants.......................... 56 4. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations on Various Soils on the Average Magnesium Content of Bean Plants............... 43 5. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applied to Various Soils on the Average Potassium Content or Bean Plants............o..o........o 47 6. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations to Various Soils on the Average Calélum Content or Bean PlantSeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 51 7. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applied to Various Soils on the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium Contents of Bean PlantBOI....'....IOOO‘COO.'....O...........O.O.. 55 8. Effect of various Soil Treatments on the Reaction of a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil........ 57 9. Effect of Magnesium Sulfate and Calcium Limestone Applications on the Growth of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy 10am SoilQOOOOOCOOCOOOIIOOO.'....OOCOOICOIOO... 59 10. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam $011.00....COIO....'....O...’.‘....OOIOICCOOICO 61 ;'*11. Influence of Magnesium Sulfate and Calcium ~ r-s? Idmestone on the Manganese Content of Bean : ' Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam $011.... 65 LIST OF TABIES (continued) \ Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applications on the Magnesium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam 3011............................... Effect of Potassium and limestone on the Manganese Content of Bean Plants Grown-on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil......... Effect of Potassium and limestone on the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Manganese Contents of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil....;.....' Effect of Potassium Chloride on the Cat- ion Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam 8011..................... Effect on Calcitic and Dolomitic limestone on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville ' Sandy loam Soil............................... Effect of Calcitic and Dolomitic Limestone at Three Levels of Potas— sium on the magnesium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam 8011.00.0000.'....OOOO‘OODOOIOOOOOOOOIOIOOOCOO Effect of Calcitic and Dolomitic Limee' stone on the Calcium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam $011.00....OI..‘....I....'....OOIOOOOOOIOOOOIO Effect of Limestone on the Cation Contents of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy IDs-m Soil...........‘........'....CCOOICUCIOI. Effect of‘Magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations to Various Soils on Growth of Bean PlantSOOOOOOOOOIQCOOCO0....ICOOOCOOOOOOCOIIOOO Analysis of Variance of the Growth of Bean ix Page 65 72 74 77 82 84 86 88 i99 PlantSCUOOOCO.'....OOOOC‘OOOOOIOO.IIIOCIOOOOOCO 10m LISP or TABLEfi (continued) Effect of magnesium and Potassium Appli- cations to Various soils on the magnes- ium Content of been Plants................... Analysis of Variance of the magnesium Content of bean Plants....................... Effect of Magnesium and Potassium App- lied to various Soils on the Potassium content 0: Bean PlantSCOIIIOOIOOIOOUOOOOOOOOO Analysis of Variance of the Potassium content 0: BeanPlantBOo...OOOOOIOIDOIIOIOOO. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applications to Various Soils on Calcium Content of Bean Plants............... Analysis of Variance of the Calcium Content of bean Plants....................... Analysis of Variance of the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium Con- tents of Bean Plants......................... Effect of Various Treatments Applied to a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil on the Growth of BeanPlantSOIOOOCOOOOOOOOOOIIDOIIOIOOIOOIIIUU Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Treatments 1 to 24 on the Growth of Bean Plants Grown on s Woodville Sandy Loam BoilOOICOOOOOOI..'.....'....IIIOOCIIOQCIIOOOO Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Lime on the Growth of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil............... Effect of Various Treatments applied to a Woodville Sandy Loam 5011 on the magnesium Content of Bean Plants....................... Analysis of Variance of the Effect of £re%tm%nts % to 24 on the Magnesium on on of can Plants Grown on a Woodville 8&ndy Loam 60110000000000.0000.-00.000.00.000 Page 102 104 105 107 108 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 LIST or TABLES (continued) Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Lime on the magnesium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam $011.00....OIOIICIIOIOCIOOOODOOOIQ.0.0.0.0... Effect of Various Treatments'Applied to a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants............. Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Treatments 1 to 24 Applied to a Wood- ville Sandy Loam Soil on the Potassium Content of bean Plants.........;............. Analysis of variance of the affect of Lime on the Potassium Content of been Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam 8011....0......COICIIIOCOI.’.-.‘....OOI.‘.... Effect of Various treatments Applied to a Woodville sandy Loam Soil, on the Calcium Content of been PlantS............... Analysis of Variance of the affect of Treatments 1 to 24 on the Calcimm content of Sean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil.................... Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Lime on the Calcium Content of Dean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam uOiICOOOOOO.'....ODOOOCDO0.0.5.0000...COCO... Effect of Various Treatments to a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil on the Manganese Content of Bean Plantstll00¢.OI...OOOOIOOIIOOOIOOIOOIOO. Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Treatments 1 to 24 on the Manganese Content of Bean Plants Grown on a wood- ville Sandy Loam Soil........................ 117 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 LIST or TABLES (continued) Page Analysis of Variance of the affect of Lime on the manganese Content of bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam soilIOOOOIOOICCOIOOI.IIOOOI...IOOOOOUOOI.0.0CO. 126 Effect of Various Treatments on the sum of the calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and manganese Contents of mean Plants - Grown on a Woodville sandy Loam soil........... 12? ‘ Analysis of variance of the Effect of Treatments 1 to 24 on the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and manganese Content of bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil........... 128 Analysis of Variance of the Effect of Lime, and Potassium on the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese Contents of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam 8011........... 129 IIST OF FIGURES Page Soil Map of Annapolis Valley (in pocket inside back cover)...................... Influence of Applications of Mag- nesium en the Magnesium Content of Bean Plants Grown on Different Soils...’.l....l..I.0...0...’.................. 45 Influence of Potassium on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants Grown on Various SoilS..........................48 Influence of Applications of Potassium on the Magnesium Con- tent of Bean Plants Grown on Different Soils...O...I.IOOOOIIOOOOOIIOOOIOOOOO 49 Influence of Applications of Pot- assium on the Calcium Content of Beans Plants Grown on Different Soils.......... 52 Influence of Potassium on the Sum of the Calcium, Magnesium and Potas— sium Contents of Bean Plants Grown on Various Soils............................... 55 Effect of Magnesium Sulfate at Three levels of Potassium Chloride on the Magnesium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Seil................. 66 Influence of Potassium Chloride Appli- cations to a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants........ 71 Effect of Potassium and limestone on the Cation (1.6. Ca, Mg, K, Mn) Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy loam $011.00.....00...0....OOOIOOOCOOOOOOOOOO.. 75 Effect of Magnesium Sulfate and Idmestone on the dry weight yield of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil........... 79 xiii ‘1‘- ‘ w... — -'.“.W‘w—W—T—fiw— LIST OF FIGURES (continued) Page Effect of Calcitic and Dolomitic limestones at Three Level: of a . ..l .l , Potassium on the Potassium Content 6! Bean Plants Grown on a Ieodville sud, m‘n 8°11...00....OOOOOIOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOC 85 e- .. .-‘.1..- 6. 8. XV LIST OF PLATES Page Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applications to a Cornwallis $011 on the Appearance of Bean Plants......,...,.... 58 Effect of Magnesium and Potassium Applications to a Fash soil on the Appearance of Bean Plants...................... 40 Manganese Toxicity in Bean Plants Growing on a Nappan Loam Soil.................. 41 Effect of Magnesium with Iow Potassium on the Appearance of Bean Plants Growing on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil......... 67 Effect of Magnesium, with High Pot- assium and No Idme, on the Appearance of Bean Plants Growing on a Woodville Smdy 10am $01leeee-eoeaeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeeeeeee 68 Effect of Calcitic Idmestone on the Growth of Bean Plants Growing on a Woodville Sandy Iloam Soileeeeeeeeeoeeeoeeeee... 80 Effect of Idme, with High Potassium, on the Appearance of Bean Plants Growing on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil......... 91 Effect of Magnesium, with High Potassium and Calcitic Idmestone, on the Appearance of Bean Plants Growing on a Woodville sandy Ioam $011.00....IOIOIOOOOOOOODCOIIOOOOIIO 92 INTRODUCTION The Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia is known as the largest continuous orchard belt in Canada. This area consists of the lowlands extending across the Northern parts of Annapolis, Kings and parts of Hants counties located in the northwestern section of the Province of Nova Scotia. While the Annapolis Valley is primarily noted for its acreage of fruit there has been a marked trend in recent years toward vegetable crop production and dairying. The soils of the area are ideally suited for such diversification. Many of them are light in texture and permit early planting. The climate of the Valley is more favorable for early crop production than in other parts of the province due to the relatively greater number of frost free days. Many of the soils of the Annapolis Valley are sandy in nature without large reserves of plant food. Under intensive cropping and fertilization practices various nutrient deficiency symptoms began to appear on a number of crops. Magnesium deficiency symptoms were identified on potato vines and it was found that this disorder could be corrected by an application of magnesium sulfate as a foliar spray. 0n the recommendation of the Nova Scotia per cent magnesium oxide. It was not known whether this was sufficient magnesium for the wide variety of soils and crops to which it was being applied. Many of the fertilizers used contained high percentages of potassium but little was known regarding the effect which such applications of potassium might have on the uptake of other nutrient elements particularly on those soils low in exchangeable bases. Since these podzol soils respond to applications of lime it seemed desireable to compare the effects of calcitic and dolomitic materials on other plant constituents and determine whether or not dolomitic sources of magnesium were as effective as the soluble forms. This study was initiated to determine the exchangeable bases in the soils of the major series in the Annapolis Valley and to study the influence of varying rates of potassium and kinds of lime at several different levels of magnesium sulfate on the uptake of other bases in the plant and on the occurence of nutrient deficiency symptoms. It was felt that this study would also help to determine whether or not the recommended applications of magnesium were suitable for all soil types. II LITERATURE REVIEW The literature is replete with references to the , interrelationships of the major cations which enter into the nutrition of plants. No attempt will be made to cover the entire field. Instead the highlights of the works which form a background to this investigation will be reviewed. Since 1840 when von Idebig (95) proposed his mineral theory of the nutrition of crops much attention has been given to ’ methods of determining the mineral needs of plants. Von Idebig suggested that it was only necessary to make plant analyses and return in the form of commercial fertilizers, f these nutrients removed from the soil. This simple concept, based on plant analysis alone, was soon shown to be erroneous by Iewes and Gilbert (41) who pointed out that some crops I require mineral nutrients applied to the soil over and above what was removed by the plant. Since then methods of determining nutrient element requirements have been developed to include a variety of methods but the chemical analysis of whole plants or parts of plants still remains as a widely accepted procedure. Many attempts have been made to relate concentration of plant nutrients present in the soil and the growth of the “ Efcrop. Since plant growth is dependent on so many factors no general solution can be expected. One of the earliest hypotheses was proposed by von Idebig (95) who expressed it as the law of the Minimum: the amount of plant growth is regulated by the factor present in minimum amount and rises or falls accordingly as this is increased or decreased in amount. The smoothness of the curves relating growth and nutrient supply as found by experiment suggested that they could be expressed by a mathematical equation. Mitscherlich (56) was among the first to do this. He affirms the limit- ing factor principle and states that the increase in any ~VV— Y “— crop produced by a unit increment of a deficient factor is 5 proportional to the decrement of that factor from the maxi- mum. L The Law of the Minimum suggested studies on the inter- action of nutrients. The literature contains many refer- ences to positive and negative interactions. A notable - development was introduced by Legatu and Maume (44) which they have termed Foliar Diagnosis. This method has been used successfully in this country by Thomas (80,81,82,83) and Thomas and Mack (84,85,86,87). Foliar Analysis involves selection of a leaf at a definite point on the plant as the material to be analyzed on deficient plants to be compared with a leaf from a healthy, high-yielding plant. Leaves are taken at the chosen points on three or more occasions and determinations made of three mineral nutrients. The ,, Iv .” . ’4 V v“ .14- sum of the three on a milligram equivalent basis for each sample is termed the "quantity" or intensity of nutrition ' and the percentages of each in the total the "quality" of > nutrition. The latter values for the various sampling times are plotted on a triangular diagram. Comparisons of the healthy with deficient plants often show up faulty I nutrition in a variety of crops. This method has not been widely accepted because the calculations are compli- cated and the information is primarily for interpretation rather than as an aid in the solution of practical problems in the field. The use of Foliar Analysis has been extended in a different form by Macy (52) and Ulrich (89) to deter- mine the "critical concentration" of the various elements 7* v‘ in plants. If the plants showed a concentration below these critical values they would be expected to respond to an application of that element. The concept of "Nutrient- L Element-Balance", as presented by Shear, Crane and Myers (68,69), simplified the ideas put forward by the Foliar Diagnosis School. These authors consider nutrient-element- balance as the relative balance and intensity of nutrient elements that provide for the optimum desireable growth. There may be different intensities of balance with I'optimum“ intensity being that intensity where environment becomes . the limiting factor. The relation between nutrient concentration within the «2. v: ‘ ‘t'and ield has been em hasized b Lunde ardh (51) and sag-.3?“ , 7 P y - s Emmert (25). Their methods forecast the response of the plant to the addition of a nutritive element. A graphi- , cal representation of yield increments resulting from the I ' addition of a nutrient as a function of the nutrient con- , centration within the plant at the time of application forms the basis for forecasting the effect of the nutrient addi- tion. ’ ' In considering the available nutrients in soils, ‘ Spurway (75) stresses the importance of "level and balance" for maximum production. He points out that the same crop‘ L, yield may be produced under many conditions of unbalanced fertility, but he suggests fertilizing in such a way as to L both raise the level of the required nutrients and to bring i them into better physiological balance for the plant. During recent years many workers including Jenny and Ayres (:56) and Chu and Turk (16) have shown that the degree of base saturation of the soil colloids influences the growth and nutrition of plants. The exchangeability of an adsorbed ion was decreased and a reduced intake of that ion was observed with a reduction in percent satur- ’ ation of a particular base ion. The rate of ion uptake was also greatly affected by the nature of the complimentary cations in the exchange complex. While hereditary factors prevent wide fluctuations in the composition of a plant species, the mineral composition M19331” altered to some extent according to Bear and Prince (5), 451‘ :' but the sum of the calcium, magnesium and potassium contents expressed in equivalents, tends to be a constant. These investigators found that with repeated harvests of alfalfa the calcium and magnesium contents increased while the pot- assium content decreased. This cation equivalent constancy in plant composition was also observed by Hoagland (34) and ) Lucas, Scarseth and Sieling.; (50). The tendency for potas- sium to be absorbed in larger quantity than is required to fulfil its specific functions is greater than for calcium ( . or magnesium as was observed by Cooper and Wilson (19). These authors point out that this characteristic of potass- { ium was expected from its position in the electromotive series. Van Itallie (95) found that the sum of the cation- ic plant constituents, expressed on a millequivalent basis, showed only slight variation with treatment. Marshall (54) found no clear cut relationship between total cations and the treatments applied. He noted that when higher percentages of potassium or magnesium occured in the crops the total cationic content rose also. Marshall emphasized the fact that Van Itallie's statement that the cations replace one another in equivalent amounts is only a very crude approxi- mation. Nutrient element interrelationships or antagonisms have received considerable attention in recent years. According to Walsh and Clarke (96,97) and Walsh and Donahue (98) chlor- 7fyoiis of the foliage of tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco was induced by heavy applications of potassium to the soil. This chlorosis developed when the magnesium concentration in the leaves was 0.20 to 0.51 per cent. With increasing amounts of potassium in the nutrient medium there was a corresponding decrease in magnesium uptake. Carolus (14, 15) pointed out that a condition designated as "magnesium deficiency" on potatoes is not always associated with an extremely low magnesium content in the plant but may be a result of disproportionate absorption of other cations in relation to magnesium. Studies on the nutrition of McIntosh apple trees by Boynton (10), Boynton and Burnell (ll), Boynton, Cain and Van Geluwe (12) and Kidson, Askew and Chittenden (59) indicated that potassium fertilization increased the exchangeable potassium and decreased exchange- able magnesium in the surface soil under the tree resulting in magnesium deficiency from the competitive effect of potassium at the root surfaces or within the tree. Garner, Mclurtry, Bowling and Moss (29) found that the drydmatter of tobacco was usually low in magnesium when potassium was high. From the work of Southwick (74) a magnesium content of 0.25 per cent of the dry matter in apple leaves was indicated as the critical level for four varieties tested but when the potassium level was high, however, this amount was insufficient to prevent magnesium deficiency symptoms. A magnesium level of 0.40 per cent of the dry weight of apple leaves was established by Rigg (64) as the critical level for healthy trees. There was general agreement based on the work of Caro- lus (14) Eisenmenger and Kucinski (21,22) and Fudge (27) that applications of magnesium to the soil appeared to reduce the calcium concentration in the plant. The differences were often small and in most cases of no prac- tical importance except where the calcium level was abnor- mally low. For example Willard and Smith (101) reported from 13 to 52 per cent less calcium in various species grown on magnesium-fertilized plots, but only in timothy did the calcium concentration approach a level believed to be limiting for growth. Earlier workers placed consider- able emphasis on the ratio of calcium to magnesium in soils and plants. Loew and May (48) and Loew (47) were the first workers to stress this relationship and pointed out that magnesium in the soil in great excess over calcium is noxious to plant growth while a great excess of calcium over magnesium hinders the physiological action of the plant. Lipman (45), however, believed there was little or no evidence in support of the necessity for proper ratios of lime to magnesia in soils, which is specific for certain groups of plants. Moser (57) observed ng 3189 nificant correlation between the calcium to magnesium ratio and crop yields. The significant factor in determining 10 yields in his studies was the quantity of active calcium in the soil. Bear and Toth (4) concluded that optimum growth of alfalfa was obtained when the ratio of calcium to magne- sium in the soil was seven to one. The effect of lime and magnesium on the soil potassium and on the absorption of potassium by plants has been widely discussed without general agreement. Jenny and Ayres (36) pointed out that the exchangeable calcium had little effect on the uptake of potassium. Van Itallie (95) found that increasing the amount of exchangeable calcium in the soil did not appreciably influence the absorption of potassium by Italian rye grass. Wrenshall and Marcello (102) con- cluded from field experiments that lime had little or no effect on the utilization of potassium by plants. Evi- dence that lime applications significantly increases potas- sium in plants was presented by Albrecht and Schroeder (l) and Schroeder and Albrecht (67) in a series of studies on plant nutrition and the hydrogen ion. These investigators reported that the percentage of potassium, as well as the total amount absorbed by spinach and potato tops from colloidal clay cultures increased with increasing supply of exchangeable calcium and that rather than an "antagonistic" effect of the calcium on the potassium, there was apparently a'synergistic" effect, in that the calcium is associated with movement of potassium into the tops. It has been observed ‘ 11 by Loehwing (46), Bradfield and Peach (15), Bledsoe (7), Swanback and Le Compte (79), Stanford, Kelley and Pierre (76) Plummer (62) and Fonder (25) that lime repressed the uptake of potassium and that yields were increased. The repressive effect of one ion on another has been termed by Collander (17) as "ion antagonism" or "ion competition". This author found that ion antagonism in the plant was confined to closely allied cations (not between divalent and univalent. cations) and demonstrated that the uptake of potassium was rather independent of the calcium concentration in culture solution. Viet (94), on the other hand, presented data to show that the presence of either calcium or magnesium in the nutrient solution appreciably increased the absorption of potassium by barley roots. In an attempt to unravel the conflicting reports on the effect of lime and magnesia on potassium absorption, Peech and Bradfield (59) pointed out ( that additions of lime to soils containing neutral salts may , not affect, may decrease,or may increase the concentration of potassium in the soil solution, depending on the intitial degree of base saturation of the soil. They believe calcium } has little effect on the absorption of potassium at least at concentrations such as occur in soil solution. In the ab- sence of neutral salts, the addition of lime will invariably liberate absorbed potassium even when an insufficient amount is added to neutralize all the exchangeable hydrogen. Pierre and Bower (60) stated that this view was oversimplified and that calcium may increase potassium uptake when the concen- tration of the latter is high and the calcium-potassium ratio is relatively low, or when the concentrations of sodium and possibly other cations are high relative to potassium. When calcium is present in high concentrations it reduces potassium absorption. The decrease in potassium from high concentrations of other cations is not so pronounced as is the effect of potas- sium on the absorption of calcium and magnesium. It has been reported by Bower and Pierre (9), Drake and Scarseth (20), Eisenmenger and Kucinski (21), Hirst and Greaves (55), Knowles, Watkin and Cowie (40), Iorenz (49), Marshall (54), Tyson (88) and Weeks, Fergus and Karrakar (99) that applications of potas- sium resulted in a repressed absorption of calcium by the plant accompanied by a lower concentration of the element in most instances. Fraps, Fudge and Reynolds (26) observed that where no increase in yield occured the calcium concentration in some forage species had not been affected materially by the influence of potassium. Blaser, Stokes and Glasscock (5), Blaser, Volk and Stokes (6), Sheets and associates (70), and Vandecaveye and Baker (90) emphasized that there was no effect of potassium on calcium concentration in the plant. Russell (65) concluded that the plant tends to maintain its potassium content more stable than its magnesium content, and " L ' A its magnesium content more uniform that its calcium content, as the concentration around the plant roots varies. Cation absorption studies on tobacco in nutrient solu- tions by Swanback (78) have shown that manganese deficiency symptoms were greatest with high calcium and absent with low calcium. The effect of potassium was the reverse. Symp- toms of manganese deficiency were most pronounced with low potassium and not noticeable in plants with high potassium. The main factor, however, which controls the availability of manganese in the soil is pH. It has been emphasized by Funchess (28), Jacobson and Swanback (57), Johnson (58) and Codden and Grimmett (50) that in many cases the harmful effect of a low soil pH was the toxic concentration of avail- 'able manganese. According to McHargue (55), Mann (55), Emmert (25), Skinner (75), Schollenberger and Dreilbelbis (66). Sherman and Harmer (71) and Jacks and Scherbatoff (55) the solubility of manganese in the soil is reduced by applications of lime to raise the pH and the uptake in the plant is thereby greatly restricted. 14 III METHODS AND MATERIALS A. Plan of Experiment Two separate greenhouse pot experiments were conducted and for this purpose several hundred pounds of soil was col- lected from fourteen major soil series common to the Annap- olis Valley. The following series were included: Somerset, Pelton, Middleton, Nictaux, Fash, Morristown, Falmouth Dyke, Wolfville, Kentville, Canard Dyke, Cornwallis, Berwick, Woodville and North Mountain. Two other soil series not found in the area under study were also included. The Truro Association was included because it bears some resem- blance to the Woodville series in profile characteristics. rThe second association, referred to as Nappan, was included in the study for it is one of the most important and widely located soils of the Province. Each soil was selected from fields which had received no treatment for a period of about ten years and had been in hay continuously. The particular soil type selected was the one most widely distributed in the series. The required quantity of soil was taken from the surface or plow layer, passed through a 0.5 inch screen, and thorough- ly mixed. ‘ 15 A weighed amount of each soil, to which the required fertilizer treatment had been uniformly incorporated, was added to each pot. The weight of soil in each pot for each soil series was the same but the actual weight between series was different depending on the nature of the soil. Distilled water was periodically added to the surface of each pot of soil to provide optimum moisture. The pots were seeded to Round Pod Kidney wax beans. When the plants were thoroughly established the stand was reduced to three plants per pot. The plants were harvested, dried at 95°C for three hours, weighed, ground in a Wiley Hill to pass a 20 mesh screen, and analysed for total calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. All results were statis- tically analyzed and the differences required for significance - calculated in each case. Samples of the original soil were subjected to physical and chemical analysis. The analyses performed were particle size distribution, organic matter, total nitrogen, pH, exchange capacity, exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and man- ganeee. 1. Experiment I This experiment was conducted on sixteen soils in the greenhouse and laboratory of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Twelve half gallon, six inch diameter, parafin waxed l crockery pots were filled with each soil. The fertilizer treatments employed on each soil, in- volved two levels of potassium each with and without mag- nesium. The analyses of fertilizers were as follows: ~-----.__' . 5-10-5, 5-10-5-1.5, 5-10-20 and 5-10-20-1.5 and are abbre- viated for purposes of discussion, as 1K, 1K lMg, 4K and 4K lMg respectively. As usual the fertilizer analyses ' refer to the percentage of the oxide with the exception of nitrogen. Where a fourth constituent was included in the analysis it refers to the percentage of ago. The fertilizer treatments, the analysis of which are shown above, were applied in three replications at the rate of ’ 1500 pounds per two million pounds of soil. The constituents used in the fertilizer mixtures were derived from common commercial materials. Nitrogen was L ‘ obtained from ammonium nitrate (35.5%N), phosphoric acid from superphosphate (20% P205), potash from potassium chloride (60% K20) and magnesium oxide from magnesium sul- fate (26.6% M30) . The beans were seeded on December 14, 1948 and har- vested on February 10, 1949. The maturity of the plants at harvest time was such that a few pods had developed, however, only a very small jpgrcentage contained any seeds. The pods were weighed ;_fisqparately but since this weight did not provide any "4..-‘..' ‘-'.L. .‘ | v" M —.—~:—,V.__', additional information only the tissue yields were reported. 2. Experiment II This experiment was conducted in the greenhouse and laboratory at Michigan State College. The greenhouse study was conducted only on the Wood- ville series with the same variety of beans. Since the soil had to be transported from Nova Scotia small, one quart glazed pots were used in the experiment. The soil was obtained from the same lot that was used in Experiment I. One hundred and eight pots were filled with two and a quarter pounds of soil. This experiment involved 27 fertilizer treatments each replicated four times. The fertilizer plan is shown in Table l. The levels of nitrogen and phosphoric acid were constant throughout the experiment at 75 and 150 pounds per acre respectively. The fertilizer mixtures were formulated from reagent grade chemicals. Nitrogen was obtained from ammonium nitrate, phosphoric acid from calcium dihydrogen phosphate (monohydrate) to which had been added an equivalent amount of powdered gypsum, potash from potassium chloride, mag- nesium oxide from epsom salts, calcitic limestone from pre- cipitated calcium carbonate and dolomitic limestone prepared by mixing 42 per cent precipitated magnesium carbonate and 58 per cent calcium carbonate. m 0 com oma as n o as ‘ 0 can and as , n o on o ooH cos up n 0 on com com oma as o n on ooe oom end as o n am com com and as o n as 0 com oma as o 0 am oom omm cos as o n on cow 0mm omH as o n as com omm omH as o n ma 0 0mm oma as o a pa oom ooH onH as o n ea oos ooa oma me o n ma oom ooa omH as o n «a 0 cos oma ms 0 n as com com end as o o as ooe oom cos me o o as com com end me o 0 ca 0 oom oma as o o a com omm ona as o o w cow omm end as o o r oom omm oma as o o o o omm cos as o o a com ooa oma as o o v oos cod and as o o n cos ooa; and me o o m o ooH and ms 0 o H «\pH «\pH «\na «\sa «\a «\a ousuafim . 00.30.30 UH 04 Gowoaudz onownofldn Snowmen—3 hops—52 55 game: Sfiunuspom 0.32.3 moan oaflfiowon o «vfiofiao udafipdeha , an 85.0099 HH Sawflmxfl .mo 33m Egnafima NHNHRHE H flan. 19 Each pot was seeded with beans on April 17, 1951 and harvested on June 11, 1951. B. Description of Soils The soils used in this experiment all fall within the Podzol soil group. With an annual rainfall of about 40 inches the soils are strongly leached and very acid. The parent materials of the Annapolis Valley soils were deposited either by ice or water. Some of this till was moved consid- ‘rw-fi—Cr~—q""“_o erable distances, a large part of it, however, was moved com- paratively short distances and has been influenced by the underlying rock formations and those of the surrounding up- : lands. While there are some limestone formations adjacent t to the area the bedrock and parent materials contain little, if any, calcium carbonate. A classification and brief des- E cription of the soils as described by Harlow and Whiteside (52) I is given for each series. A soil survey map of the Annapolis valley is attached to this report. (Fig. l in pocket inside i I back cover). l. Soils Developed on Glacial Till Middleton Series. This heavy textured soil occupies the rolling to slightly hilly terraces and slopes along the base of the North Mountain escarpment and is derived mainly from Triassic sandstone and trap rock material. ‘ This soil has , r adhquate and in many cases excessive surface drainage. The "5.1.“. .. l—W'Wr‘- heavy nature of the soil tends to retard internal water move- ment although this condition is partly offset by its granular condition which is usually destroyed by excessive cultivation. The surface soil is grayish-brown while the B horizon is usually chocolate brown in color. Pelton Serieg. This series consists of heavy-textured soils found on the smoothly rolling slopes extending along the base of the North Mountain. Surface drainage is well established and in some cases excessive. The solum is more stone'free than the Middleton but it shows the influence of fine-grained sandstone or clayey—shale. The surface soil is light brown in color with a slightly granular structure. This is under- lain by reddish-brown material with a nutty structure. The substratum of unweathered and redder shale is known locally as "Ochre". These soils are considered among the most productive of the valley, and like the Middleton, are liable to damage by surface-erosion because of their fine texture and topographical position. . Kentville Series. These soils are medium to heavy textured and occupy the undulating to smoothly sloping topography. Drainage is only moderately good. Occasionally trap rocks are found throughout the surface soil. The A horizon is grayish-brown in color while the lower layers are heavier in texture and darker in color. Feverable conditions .~ jumduoe a friable surface soil. 20 21 Wolfville Series. This soil is medium to heavy in texture, occupies the rounded hills and smooth slopes, and is derived from till deposited over slate and shale. Surface drainage in most cases is good but internal drainage is often poor. The brown colored topsoil is fairly free from stones but usually contains angular and rounded fragments of slate, shale and gravel of igneous rocks. The B horizon is firm with a nutty and often a plate-like appearance. These soils are fairly productive where erosion is not a serious factor. .Somerset Series. The soils of the Somerset series are de- rived from sandy till and occupy the smooth, or nearly level topography. Two types have been mapped, sandy loam and sand. All types are usually well drained except when loc- ated in depressions. These soils are similar to the Wood- ville series and are generally found associated with them. Some gravel, consisting mainly of rounded quartz pebbles, is found throughout the profile. The parent material is brown- ish-red to reddish compact gravelly loam. Woodville Series. This series is light to medium textured derived mainly from sandstone material. The topography is undulating to gently rolling which provides adequate surface drainage. Owing to the porosity and coarseness of the B horizon internal drainage is good. These yellowish-brown soils are considered to be the most desirable orchard series of the region. They are also well adapted for vegetable .' :- 1.5‘1'lpl e r -‘f' ‘67" .. 22 Berwick Series. The Berwick series comprise medium-textured gravelly soils. They are developed from the slightly modi- fied till derived mainly from igneous and sedimentary rock material. Occuring along the lower slopes of the South Mountain the topography is undulating to gently rolling ter- races or ridges. The series consists mainly of sandy loam to loam types which are comparatively free from stone with the exception of small fragments of granite, quartzite and slate occuring throughout the profile. Morristown Series. The soils of this series are medium- textured which have been influenced by Devonian slate rock material. In many places the till is very thin and often resembles a residual soil. Occupying the more level ter- races at higher elevations adjacent to the gentle slopes of the South Mountain these soils are generally well drained, except in local depressions and where seepage from higher levels keeps the soil saturated for long periods. 2. Soils Developed on Marine Deposited Parent Material Occupying approximately 56.6 percent of the total Annapolis Valley area the soils developed on water-laid par- ent materials which comprise what might be termed the lighter-textured soils of the region. They are found along the floors of the Valley as marginal terraces bordering the glacial till soils. The group includes soils developed 25 from stratified glacial materials deposited by glacial rivers. The sandy nature of surface soils and parent materials makes this group lower in natural fertility than the other soils of the valley. Cornwallis Series. This series is the most extensive soil in the Valley and occupies large areas of the Valley floor. They are light textured soils developed on undulating to gent- ly rolling topography from sandy parent materials consisting of sandstone, trap, granite and other igneous materials. These soils are porous and therefore drainage is often excess- ive. While Cornwallis soils are mostly stone free, water- washed pebbles are found in varying proportions. Sands and sandy loans are the only types mapped. Surface layers tend to be grayish-brown to black while lower layers are yellowish- brown. These soils are well adapted to specialized truck crops that require a relatively short growing season. Nictaux Series. Being the second largest in extent, these soils are among the most important. They are light textured, having developed from unconsolidated material mainly derived from granite, gneiss and other metamorphic rocks deposited by post-glacial waters. They occur on both sides of the Annapolis river and are generally level to undulating with occasional gently rolling areas. The soils are coarse and porous and occasionally contain considerable gravel. Sub- soils are often heavier than surface soils and a hardpan is ~w——y—-—- a- o‘er— _‘ ,fi 24 commonly found. The sandy loam is the dominant type and is somewhat coarser throughout than the Cornwallis. These soils offer good possibility for growing early truck crops. Fash Series. These soils, formed from water-laid deposits, probably estuarine clay, occur largely in Annapolis County. The t0pography is nearly level to undulating. Surface drain- age is imperfect to fair. The granular structure and gravel content facilitates water movement in the surface soils how- ever sub-surface drainage is restricted. Most of the series is compact in nature which has been partly responsible for reduced leaching; consequently, Fash soils are probably the most fertile in the Valley. The Fash clay is the dominant type. Parent materials are high in bases and at depths of five feet free carbonates may be found. 5. Immature Marine Soils Falmouth and Canard Dykes. In the estuaries of the Annapolis, Cornwallis, Canard, Gaspereau and Avon Rivers are broad flats of marine soils that have been built up by tidal wave action. These flats have been protected from further inundation by dykes. Profile differentiation appears to be related more to mode of deposition than to weathering processes. The brown colored surface soil is underlain with bluish gray material. Drainage is ordinarily good except for variation in water table due to tidal fluctuations. Where good drain- age exists the salt content is not high. The potash, magnes- L. ‘ , n ‘ 25 ium and phosphoric acid contents are high in most of the dyke- lands and in many cases applications of limestone alone will make the soil productive. Most of these soils contain more than 50 per cent silt and about 54 per cent clay. Being level and stonefree they are desireable agricultural soils and are some of the most productive. | Two dyke soils were included in Experiment 1. The Canard-Dyke contains more clay than the Falmouth Dyke soil but other differences are very slight. 4. Residual Soil ‘— fvv North Mountain. This soil has not been officially described in soil survey literature but it constitutes an important soil on the high plateau extending along the north side of the i’“rr Annapolis Valley. This soil was derived mainly from trap ; rock and amygdaloid material.' The profile is well drained and shallow. It occurs on undulating topography and is of medium texture.v 5. Miscellaneous Soils The Truro and Nappan soil associations are described by Iicklund and Smith (100). Truro ggsociation. The Truro soils are largely sandy loams developed on red sandy loam till, derived from medium grained red Triassic sandstone, and occur on topography which varies 26 from level to rolling. The profile is normally well drained although many poorly drained areas occur on the more level terrain. The B horizon is orange-brown to orange-red which becames redder with depth. The parent materials are usually bright red. These soils are intensively farmed for potatoes, market gardening and small fruits. All soils of this series are very acid with pH 5 being rather common. Nappan Association. The Nappan soils are clay loams devel- oped in brownish-red and red clay till. While these soils ' occur on gently undulating to rolling topography, internal drainage is often imperfect. The surface soil is brownish- red in color and strongly acid. The B horizon is yellowish- brown and slightly mottled. At greater depths the horizons become more compact. The parent materials contain a large amount of micaceous flakes together with micaceous sandstones. C. Methods of Analysis The soils used in this experiment were analyzed both physically and chemically and the harvested plants were analyzed for certain basic constituents. The.basic proced- ures of each determination are briefly described. 1. 8011 Analysis Samples of airdry soil which passed through a 2 mm screen were used for analyses. The macro-methods of analyses des- 'efi\ J‘lllk 27 cribed by Peech, Alexander, Dean and Read (58) were used for all chemical determinations with the exception of total nitro- gen. : pg. The pH of a 1:1 soil-water suspension was determined using a Beckman pH meter with a glass electrode. Organic Matter. The organic matter was oxidized by the ad- dition of an excess amount of standardized potassium dichro- mate and sulfuric acid. The excess dichromate was back- titrated with standardized ferrous sulfate solution to the 5‘ barium diphenylaminesulfonate end point in the presence of phosphoric acid. Soil Extraction. Each soil was extracted with ammonium ace- tate. The filter cake was used to determine exchange capa- city and the extract was taken to dryness for determination of exchangeable cations. } Exchange Capacity. The exchange capacity was determined by direct distillation of the adsorbed ammonia after extraction with acidified sodium chloride. Exchangeable Calcium. Calcium was precipitated as the oxa- late and titrated with standard potassium permanganate solu- ‘ tion. Exchangeable Magnesium. Magnesium was precipitated from solution, following the removal of calcium, as the magnesium ammonium phosphate. This precipitate was dissolved in ex- cess standard acid and back titrated with base. Since man- - sanese is also precipitated quantitatively and simultaneously ' 1.: V ‘ 28 Vith magnesium it was necessary to apply the appropriate correction following the determination of manganese. Exchangeable Manganese. The solution remaining from the titration of magnesium and manganese phosphates was fil- tered and freed of organic matter. Manganese was oxidi- zed to permanganate by sodium periodate and determined colorimetrically in an Evelyn colorimeter. Exchangeable Potassium. After precautions were taken to remove all traces of ammonia from the soil extract, potas- sium was precipitated as potassium sodium cobaltinitrite and determined volumetrically with standard potassium permangan- ate. Total Bitrogen. The total nitrogen was determined by the Kjeldahl method as given by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (2). This method involves digestion of the soil in sulphuric acid to convert the nitrogen to ammonia which is then distilled into standard acid and titr- ated. Mechanical Analysis. The sand, silt and clay fractions of each soil were determined by the Bouyoucos (8) hydrometer 1 method. -2. Plant Analysis Because of the low yield of plant material from each replicate it was necessary to employ micro-methods of chemi- cal analyses described by Peach, Alexander, Dean and Reed (58) ‘ .. V-” WY —v 29 with the exception of part of the potassium determinations. Aching. All plant material was ashed following the proce- dure of Piper (61) which specifies that a temperature of 500°C be used until smoking has ceased then the temperature be raised to BOO-550°C and continued until the ash is gray- ish white in color. Preparation of Plant Ash. The ash was taken up in hydrochl- oric acid and a small portion of nitric acid, evaporated to dryness and the silica dehydrated for an hour at 110°C. The resulting residue was treated with hydrochloric acid and this solution diluted to volume. A portion of this solution was used for the determination of manganese. Another portion was evaporated to dryness and taken up and evaporated several times with nitric acid to remove the last traces of ammonia. Finally the residue was dissolved in and diluted to volume with tenth normal nitric acid. This solution was then suitable for potassium determination and for calcium and magnesium an- alyses following the separation of iron, aluminum, and phos- phate. These constituents were removed by precipitation in basic solution and centrifuging the gelatinous material in a cone shaped tube. The supernatant liquid was taken for cal- cium and magnesium analysis. Calcium. The method used for the determination of total calcium in plant material involved the same basic principles described under ”soil analysis“ (p.27) except that the pre- cipitation and titration of the calcium oxalate was carried __—’—\ 50 out in a 15 ml. cone-shaped and graduated centrifuge tube. The precipitate was washed by decantation and centrifugation. Maggesium. The solution remaining after calcium was separated was used for the determination of magnesium. The addition of 8-hydroxyquinoline precipitated the magnesium which was determined colorimetrically by comparison with known concen- trations of magnesium quinolate solutions in an Evelyn Colori- meter. As in the soil analysis, manganese is precipitated as the quinolate along with magnesium and the appropriate correction applied. Manganese. Manganese was oxidized to permanganate, in the presence of phosphoric acid, by sodium periodate and deter- mined colorimetrically in an Evelyn Colorimeter. Potassium. Two methods were employed in the determination of potassium. In Experiment 1 the method described by Peech, Alexander, Dean and Reed (58) was used. This method precip- itates potassium as the cobaltinitrite. By the addition of nitrose-R salt to the dissolved precipitate a characteristic color is produced which was compared in an Evelyn calorimeter with solutions of know concentrations. The color results from a reaction between cobalt in the potassium-sodium cobalt- initrite precipitate and nitroso-R salt. In Experiment II potassium was determined in the hydrochloric acid extracts of the plant ash by means of the Perkin-Elmer Flame Photometer, using lithium chloride as an internal standard. 31 IV RESUIES AND DISCUSSIONS A. EXPERIMENT 1 1. Analyses of Soils I i I The results of the physical and chemical soil analyses I are recorded in Table 2. A wide range of textural classes are represented, and according to Stobbe and Ieahey (77) [ they can be divided into five groups. The Pelton and Midd- ‘ leton soils were classed as clays; the Canard Dyke as a silty clay; the Fash and Falmouth Dyke as silty clay loams; the North Mountain, Morristown, Wolfville and Nappan as loans; and the Kentville, Somerset, Nictaux, Woddville, Truro, Cornwallis and Berwick as sandy loams. The chemical composition showed considerably variation. The pH varied from 4.8 to 6.4. A pH of 6 or over is unusual for a surface soil in this area and it would indicate that lime may have been applied. ' _TVfi"rvv—vvvw—v Base saturation varied from 17.5 to 83.3 per cent. The high values for the Pelton and Middleton soils also indicate that these soils are not characteristic of the area. Exchangeable calcium varied from 1.63 to 12.25, exchange- able magnesium from .66 to 3.11, and exchangeable potassium from 0.08 to 0.37 millequivalents per one hundred grams of .t; sail. Values for exchangeable magnesium were comparatively Y -5." ‘ ' fill»; - ‘ 32 H.» v.m mm. om.H mm. am.» no. w.Hm bH.0H m.m o.HH o.wn 0.0m xoawnom m.m w.v 0H. oo.o mm. no.H mo. w.mm mm.w m.m 0.5 o.Hm o.mb nHHHdinnoo N.H N.o mm. HH.n bn. mm.» #0. m.m¢ 0H.>H w.¢ ®.mn $.vm o.® thQ chando o.N o.m Va. ba.o mo. mm.H Hm. H.¢n Hm.m m.v 0.0H O.mn o.mm OHHHPpGoM o.n $.0H rm. o>.H mm. 0H.m mo. m.m¢ vb.wa v.m m.>H m.mn m.>¢ oaafipmaoz m.o m.b mm. om.N om. ¢n.m b0. n.mn on.vH H.m ®.¢m «.mm N.®H oxhn npfiofiHdm m.¢ m.> mm. ¢H.H HH. Hw.w mo. o.Hw vm.va m.m m.¢H m.m¢ o.nv abounaaaos m.» v.b mm. mn.H 0H. mm.v so. o.mm no.0m H.m m.nm m.mm o.Hm mush «.0 m.w mm. ow.o 0H. oa.m Ho. m.ao H>.m w.m m.HH ¢.nm m.¢o Nuipofiz m.n o.b «n. oH.n 0H. mm.ma do. n.nw nb.wH >.m ¢.nn m.mn m.om nepeamoas 0.} ¢.¢ Hm. b¢.H mm. HH.HH mo. ®.Hw mm.mH ¢.o ¢.nn m.®n m.mm condom >.n m.mH dd. wm.a om. vs.¢ mo. m.mn omnmfl o.m 0.0H m.o¢ m.n¢ sausage: apnea o.¢ H.v nH. mm.o Ha. we.» mo. m.mm mm.m H.m w.¢a 0.0m m.om peuaeaom mahmm pounds 2 mm. a do ma doapasssam mooa\.os ma adao uaam scam mason «0.8m candmno R .w ooa\.oa comm hpaosmuo R R R R momdm R owndflonm canuowqm£oxm comm mHHom mDon4> so mazmazoo muses: DHz.w Hm. no.0 as. mm.o no. m.bH >.m n.m H.m s.mm m.mm oases a s.a o.» mm. wo.o mm. o>.H do. o.mn >.> . m.e n.sH m.os «.ms nausea n.s o.e ma. no.0 an. ow.m mo. m.om Hm.> w.m o.sH m.Hn m.sm oaaapsooa mahmn sounds. z w d doapdnspsm.mooa\. as me hdao pflam scam mason do.Nfl candwao R 00H .03 swam hpfioamdo R R R R neudm R oqunoxm . cansowmdnoum omen ”cognapneev m Hmmqa 34 high on the Falmouth and Canard Dykes which have been flooded with sea-water on various occasions in the past. On these two soils the ratio of calcium to magnesium was about one, while on most other soils it varied between three and seven. According to a report published by Rutgers University (63), the ratio of exchangeable calcium to exchangeable magnesium in soil is often as much as ten or fifteen to one and can be varied considerably with little or no observable effect on the well-being of crops that grow on it. The exchangeable manganese varied between 0.01 and 0.05 millequivalents for twelve of the soils. The Morristown, Falmouth Dyke, Nappan and Kentville series had manganese con- tents of 0.06, 0.07, 0.09 and 0.21 millequivalents per one hundred grams reapectively. These amounts of exchangeable manganese are rather high and if the easily reducible frac- tion described by Ieeper (43) was added to the exchangeable it is conceivable that concentrations bordering on or reaching toxicity for some crops might be reached. The organic matter contents of the Berwick, Wolfville and North Mountain series were considerably higher than for other soil types. 35 2. Effect of Magnesium and Potassium on Yield and Plant Appearance The yield (dry weight) of bean plants is presented in Table 20 (Appendix).: An examination of the average yields in Table 3 shows that there was a wide range of productivity among the various soils. Extremely low yields were obtain- ed on the rather sandy Somerset and Nictaux series while comparatively high yields were obtained on the heavier soils of the Nappan and Middleton series. Between these extremes there was little variation. An analysis of variance of the dry weight yield data, appearing in Table 21 (Appendix), shows that the difference in soils was the only significant factor affecting yields. Application of magnesium had no overall significant effect on the dry weight yields. There was some evidence, however, of an interaction between soil type and magnesium response but it was not significant at the five per cent level. When the ratio of calcium to magnesium in the soil was less than three to one, applications of magnesium, at the lower level of potassium, depressed the dry weight yields in five out of six cases. Magnesium applications depressed dry weight yields on the Falmouth.Dyke, Kentville, Canard Dyke, Cornwallis and Nappan series but only on the Nappan ‘- A number of tables which are not necessary to the development of the thesis are placed in an appendix. The information they contain is summarized in other tables in the main body of the manuscript. TABLE 3 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLICATIONS TO VARIOUS SOILS ON THE AVERAGE GROWTH OF BEAN PLANTS _= _—= __ Dr Wt; Yield ofgggan Plantggper Pot __ Soils 75 1b7A 75 1b/A K20 300 lb7A soc 1b/A‘K50 K20 22.5 lb/A Mg0 K20 22.5 lb/A MgO g. g. g. g. Somerset 1.84 1.67 2.15 2.05 North Mountain 2.79 2.45 2.78 2.66 Pelton 1.99 2.88 2.50 2.50 Middleton 2.70 3.10 2.92 2.37 Nictaux 2.19 2.01 1.87 2.75 Fash 2.75 2.94 2.53 3.41 Morristown 2.85 2.87 2.53 2.82 Falmouth.Dyke 2.70 2.24 2.43 2.40 Wolfville 2.69 3.32 2.92 2.37 Kentville 2.40 2.21 3.08 1.64 Canard Dyke 2.07 1.36 1.61 1.75 Cornwallis 2.48 2.38 2.96 2.14 Berwick 2.34 2.69 2.38 2.22 Woodville 2.41 2.04 1.93 1.94 Happen 4.23 3.12 3.47 3.82 Truro 2.33 2.50 1.85 1.91 Mean of all 2.53 2.49 2.49 2.42 Soils IuS.D.(P.05) Treatment means for each soil..............0.87 IuS.D.(P.05) Treatment means for all soils..............0.22 37 soil did the depression reach significance. These soils being rather high in exchangeable magnesium compared to calcium, are not likely to benefit from magnesium ferti- lization for most crOps. When the calcium to magnesium ratio in the soil was greater than three to one the yield was increased on six of the remaining ten soils. The Pelton soil, which showed the highest calcium to magnesium ratio, showed a significant response to soil applications of magnesium at the lower potassium level. The Middleton, Fash, Morristown, Wolfville and Berwick series showed yield increases somewhat less than the value required for signifi- cance. While certain trends were indicated increases or decreases were so erratic that a correlation with the calcium to magnesium ratio was slightly short of statistical signi- ficance. The higher applications of potassium did not produce significantly higher yields than those obtained by the lower rate. This was true both for averages and for individual soils. While magnesium and potassium applications to the 16 soils under study did not affect yields, these nutrients did affect plant appearance. The plants grown on those soils of low base saturation showed chlorosis at the high -level of potassium. Mottling was most pronounced with the Cornwallis series as shown in Plate 1. The chlorotic plants were very low in both calcium and magnesium and the symptoms Plate 1. Effect of magnesium and potassium appli- cations to a Cornwallis soil on the appear- ance of bean plants. Left to right: 5-10-5, 5-10-5-1.5, 5-10-20. and 5-10-20-1.5 each at 1500 lb/A, éb‘ 39 exhibited may be the result of a deficiency of both elements. As pointed out by Wallace (91), Skinner (73) and Cook and Millar (18), magnesium deficiency usually develops on the lower leaves while calcium develOps on the upper leaves so the symptoms may be more the result of calcium than of magnesium deficiency. Plate 2 showns the results obtained with Fash soil. The symptoms shown on the plants from treatment 4K were probably more the result of magnesium deficiency since the lower leaves were affected. There was some tendency tow- ard abscission of the affected bean leaves. The Truro, Wood- ville, Somerset and North Mountain soils produced plants simi- lar to those shown in Plate 2. The high level of potassium in the Morristown, Falmouth Dyke, Canard Dyke, Berwick, Wolf- ville, Kentville and Nappan soils resulted only in a slight loss of green color in the plants as compared to the lower rate of application. Magnesium.su1fate applications, par- ticularly at the low level of potassium, had a tendency to intensify the green color of the plants. The Nappan and Kentville soils produced plants some- what abnormal as shown in Plate 3 (p. 41). This chlorosis occured on all plants on both soils and was therefore not re- lated to treatment. The symptoms resemble manganese defi- ciency but since the soils are unusually high in available manganese the condition is probably manganese toxicity. Wallace (91) points out that in the case of either manganese toxicity or deficiency, symptoms are often alike and that 4O Plate 2. Effect of magnesium and potassium appli- cations to a Fash soil on the appearance of been plants. Left to right: 5-10-5, 5-10-5-l.5, 5-10-20, and 5-10-20-1.5 each at 1500 1b/A. Plate 3. manganese toxicity in been plants growing on a Nappan loam soil. 41 42 manganese toxcity may often be accompanied by iron deficiency. 3. Effect of Magnesium on Plant Composition The percentage of magnesium in the bean plants are pre- sented in Table 22 (Appendix). Eggnesium Content. The average magnesium content of the bean plants is presented in Table 4 and an analysis of variance of the data in Table 23 (Appendix). On most of the soils the magnesium content of the plants was increased by an application of 137 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate. However, on the Cornwallis and Nappan series applications of magnesium at the low level of potas- sium resulted in a significant uptake of magnesium in the plants, while at the high level of potassium applications of magnesium increased the magnesium content of the plants only on the Falmouth Dyke and Kentville soils. While these soils were low in magnesium some other soils were equally deficient and yet failed to reapond to magnesium treatment. The dif- ferences between the treatment means for all soils, although significant, were not large. It must be concluded, there- fore, that the rather small application of magnesium did not greatly increase the magnesium content. An examination of Fig. 2 (p.45) shows that the percent- age change in magnesium content resulting from magnesium applications became smaller as the magnesium content of the TABDE 4 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLICATIONS TO VARIOUS SOILS ON THE AVERAGE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Average Ma esium Content of Bean Plants Soils 75 lb/A 75 1b A K2 b A 2 K20 22.5 lb/A Mg l22.5 1b/A MgO '_ % 76 % 95 Somerset .170 .239 .161 .151 North Mountain .292 .329 .209 .239 Pelton .362 .367 .312 .363 Middleton .564 .504 .429 .392 Nictaux .124 .165 .079 .131 Fash .335 .413 .217 .217 Morristovn .379 .399 .259 .263 Falmouth.Dyke .679 .601 .436 .566 Wolfville .370 .266 .327 .352 Kentville .252 .311 .159 .285 Canard Dyke .636 .602 .559 .549 Cornwallis .134 .240 .113 .106 Bervick .303 .249 .150 .206 Woodville .216 .246 .147 .201 Nappan .226 .341 .181 .226 Truro .152 .225 .139 .161 Mean of all Soils .325 .344 .242 .276 13.3.13. (P005) Treatmnt means for OECh 8011.............. .081 I»S.D.(P.05) Treatment means for all aoils...............020 44 plants increased. Between the range 0.1 to 0.3 per cent magnesium in the plant, increases in magnesium uptake were observed while above this range decreases were frequent. This accounted for the significant interaction between soils and magnesium in the analysis of variance data in Table 23 (Appendix). The average increase in the magnesium content of the plants resulting from magnesium applications tended to be higher with the high level of potassium. Considering the sixteen soils as a group, the average increase was nearly double the increase shown for the 75 pounds per acre potas- sium application. Magnesium had no effect on either the potassium or the calcium content of the bean plants as shown by the very low F values presented in Tables 25 and 27 (Appendix respect- ively.) 4. Effect of Potassium on Plant Composition Potassium applications had a pronounced influence on all plant constituents studied. The effects of added pot- tassium on the potassium, magnesium and calcium contents and the sum of the cations are discussed separately. Potassium Content. The potassium content of the bean plants is presented in Table 24 (Appendix) and the average of the three replications of each treatment in Table 5 (p.47). 45 mHfiom ucoaomwwm no cacao mucwflm cwom mo pcepcoo Enamocwwa 02p :0 Esrmocwwa mo mcofiumoraddm mo cocosHmcH .m .wfim o m cpwcmo CepoHUCez copaom nmwmrsucswmfispom cadawz pemaoEom mfiaawzcaoo .fisw%sa .32333583203 numoz Timing— oSQoooF 03.5. 728 .....z 0H. _\ \s\\ \ \.I|'I‘\ I \ o |!|e\\ Om we \ J \s % .||0:ZI1\ W :61. |0|. 6n.rm \\\..| O \\ m. \\ TL \ m an... LU¢.9 \ S s m. x w. s x \ . . \ . I"' m. x mza as was aaa 2H ac sacs \ s me one ma no use: L 9‘ ow. 46 In general, large significant increases in the uptake of potassium were observed as the rate of application was raised from 75 to 300 pounds per acre of K20. The large F value shown in Table 25 (Appendix) substantiated this conclusion. The potassium content of the plants grown on each soil is shown graphically in Fig.3 (p.48). These values varied from one to a little over four per cent. The interaction between soils and potassium was highly significant and might be expect- ed from the variation in the content of exchangeable potassium. Magnesium Content. The influence of applications of potassium to the soil on the magnesium content of bean plants is shown graphically in Fig. 4 (p.49). With the exception of the Wolfville soil, the magnesium content was sharply depressed when the potassium application was raised from 75 to 300 pounds per acre of K20. Where the exchangeable magnesium content of the soil was low and the wlptake into the plant was correspondingly low the depression in the magnesium.uptake due to potassium application exceed- ed 40 per cent on some soils. At higher levels of exchange- able magnesium the effect of potassium was considerably small- er. This effect of potassium on magnesium is in agreement with.results reported in the literature and is highly signi- ficant. _Ca1cium Content. The calcium content of the bean plant is shown in Table 26 (Appendix) and the average calcium content TABLE 5 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLIED TO VARIOUS SOILS ON THE AVERAGE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Average Potassium Content of Bean Plants Soils 75 lb/A 75 1b/A720 sop lb/A 500 lb/A K20 K20 22.5 1b/A Mgd K20 22.5 1b/A MgO 76 % % % Somerset 2.92 2.74 3.92 4.37 North MOuntain 2.11 2.32 2.86 3.00 Pelton 2.83 2.51 3.34 3.78 Middleton 1.47 1.96 2.78 2.89 Nictaux 2.91 3.06 4.27 4.10 Fash 1.25 1.09 2.85 2.16 Morristown 1.95 1.76 3.26 2.66 Falmouth Dyke 2.52 2.23 3.08 3.46 Wolfville 2.23 2.08 3.16 3.36 Kentville 2.01 2.25 2.77 2.93 Canard Dyke 3.12 3.57 3.65 3.78 Cornwallis 2.05 2.10 2.87 ‘3.36 Berwick 1.99 1.58 3.21 3.42 Woodville 1.69 1.84 3.83 3.48 Nappan 1.93 1.98 2.65 2.81 Truro 2.47 2.37 3.41 2.69 Mean of all Soils 2.22 2.21 3.22 3.27 InS.D.(P.05) Treatment means for each soil............. .574 L.S.D.(P.05) Treatment means for all soils............. .143 48 meom mSOwhw> CO CBOLC mpcwam Emma M0 pcmucoo ESammmpOm GLH CO ESmewpom ho ooCQSHMCH .0 .mwm maha uemaesom oasae Swepcsoa eHHe>usem seamez xowaaem :oueancez ULowO SUPOZ exam — x:8Moez _ sophom1—532&me PeHHmeaozraHHmtcaobrsonraaoz_efiaevpooa— mmem O quequog wnxsssqoa queg Jag 49 mawom uceaemwhm co C3090 mucmam seem mo useucoo Esfimocwms 02p Co Ezemmmpom no mCprmOHHQQ< mo oocosfimcH .¢ .wfim exam awwucsoz Cam: 0 accuoaovas copaem nuaoz news xofispem uemaosom mHHHmsshoo ma _ nusofi&wa‘—efiar$maogmzop3raaoé oHHwbp:0r_ zednmz _eHH¢vcoo;_ oawae — xaqufiz JOOH. 4com. .d a a O 9 u a Q OOn.Tm 0 n4 8 TL W a . B 021w S T.- n w .85. ‘ I"- ~ wza ma use mH mpceaumeap mo cue: \ ~ we: as one as mpcaepsofi no ewes I ~ ~ . o8. OI! ~ 50 in Table 6. According to the analysis of variance data in Table 27 (Appendix) potassium applications had a highly signi- ficant effect on the calcium content of the plants. From the magnitude of the F values for potassium in Tables 23 and 27 (Appendix) it is clear that potassium depressed the magnesium content more than the calcium. As shown in Fig. 5 (p.52) the calcium content of the bean plants was depressed from 0 to 35 per cent on twelve of the sixteen soils when the potassium application was raised from 75 to 300 pounds per acre. 0n the Pelton, Canard Dyke, Middle- ton and Wolfville soils, the high rate of potassium resul- ted in increases in the concentration of plant calcium of l, l, 7 and 18 per cent respectively. Only in the case of the Wolfville soil was the increase significant. The calcium content of the plants varied from a low of 0.75 per cent on the Kentville soil to a high of 3.33 per cent for the Pelton soil while the average of all soils was 1.66 per cent. Sum of the Cations. The sums of the calcium, magnesium and potassium contents of the bean plants, expressed in mille- quivalents per one hundred grams of soil, are presented in Table 7 (p.53) and the analysis of variance of these data is shown in Table 28 (Appendix). It appeared that the sum of the calcium, magnesium and potassium contents of the plants was slightly affected by EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLICATIONS TO VARIOUS TABLE 6 SOILS ON THE AVERAGE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS T Average Calcium Content ongean Plants __- :- Soils 75 lb7A 5 Ib/AK20 300 lb7A 300 137A K20 K20 22.5 1b/A ng K20 22.5 1b/A MgO % % 9’6 % Somerset 2.25 2.66 1.60 1.59 North Mountain 1.75 1.86 1.50 1.28 Pelton A 3.45 3.11 3.16 3.46 Middleton 2.77 2.37 2.88 2.61 Nictaux 2.19 2.19 1.86 2.15 Fash 1.94 1.74 1.53 1.61 Morristown 1.73 2.05 1.63 1.60 Falmouth Dyke .89 .86 .67 .79 Wolfville 2.02 1.52 1.82 2.34 Kentville .87 .74 .56 .90 Canard Dyke 1.55 1.19 1.15 1.41 Cornwallis 1.24 .94 .76 .71 Berwick 2.76 2.01 1.99 1.44 Woodville 1.92 1.87 1.53 1.84 Nappan 1.08 1.21 1.15 1.13 Truro .87 .97 .67 .60 Mean of all Soils 1.82 1.71 1.53 1.59 L.S.D.(P.05) Treatment means for each soil.............0.483 L.S.D.(P.05) Treatment means for all soils.............0.12l bl n6 r3 mafiom pceaemmwa co csoam mpcmflm :mom no ucouaoo Esfioawo ecu co Ezwmmwpom mo mscapmowaoa< mo cocoSHmcH .m .mwm :Hw macs oxma eth cobaem pompoEom xsmpoaz QBOQmHaaoz Swaoz one so mHHHa saoo nusoEHmm 132.832.23.15 .0: :58 case 7.3? o gamma , Emu. 5:34:81 \ I, \\ {-'-Q s . s s \s ._ s o H A \ s \b’ s \ ~ A o \ ’ m H “I‘ t § 7” .\\\q I N . :0. \e. , ~ ~ II \ 5 ~ I It \\ I, N ~ s < ’ Q 4 o . fi 0 m . ~ ~ ~ ~ . . m.m . o 5 ms: me new 5:. .8 :32 lulu s s. E: 3: use 3: no 832 ll ~ . o.n s mntotsg {810g queg Jag 03 TABLE 7 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLIED TO VARIOUS SOILS ON THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS - Sum of the Ca, Mg and K Contents of Bean Plants Soils 75 lb/A 75 lb/A K20 300 1b/A 300 Lb7A K20 Soil K20 22.5 1b/A Mgd K20 22.5 1b/A MgO Mean Millquivalents per 100 grams Dry Wt. Somerset 202 223 194 204 206 North Mountain 165 179 165 161 167 Pelton 276 250 270 300 274 Middleton 224 211 '251 238 231 Nictaux 194 201 209 223 207 Fash 157 149 168 154 157 Morristown 168 180 187 170 176 Falmouth Dyke 167 150 148 175 160 Wolfville 189 151 199 232 193 Kentville 116 121 112 144 123 Canard Dyke 200 201 199 214 203 Cornwallis 126 117 121 130 123 Berwick 214 163 194 177 187 Woodville 157 161 187 198 176 Nappan 122 140 140 148 137 'Truro 119 129 132 112 123 Mean of all Soils 175 170 180 186 Mean of K levels for all soils 172.5 183 L.S.D.(P.05) Between treatments for each soil.................55.1 L.S.D.(P.05) Between treatments for all soils.................13.7 L.S.D.(P005) 8011 means for all treatmentS....................27.5 L.S.D.(P.05) Mean of high and low potassium levels for all 80118.0...0.0.0.0....OOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOQOOOO0...... 9.7 54 potassium fertilization. The means of the cation contents of the plants from the high and low potassium treatments for all soils were 172 and 183 millequivalents per one hundred grams respectively. The difference between these two values, although significant, was not large. The effect of potassium on the sum of the cation contents of the plants, expressed in millequivalents, for each soil is shown in Fig. 6. The data in this figure show that the higher level of potassium application increased the mille- quivalents of cations in the plants on 12 of the 16 soils. In the Woodville, Wolfville, Nictaux, Middleton and Pelton series the increase was significant from a statistical point of view. The cation content of the plants varied from a low of 123 millequivalents per one hundred grams for the Truro, Cornwallis and Kentville series to a high of 274 for the Pelton soil. The "cation equivalent constancy" theory published by Van Itallie (93) and Bear and Prince (3), states that the total cation content of plants, expressed in milligram equivalents, tends to be a constant. In this experiment the sum of the three major cations in the bean plants, expressed in millequivalents, showed significant but small variation due to potassium applications. Such a conclusion is in agreement with Marshall (54) who found that the replace- ment of one cation for another in equivalent amounts is only a crude approximation and that slight increases in the total are exhibited in several instances as the base level rises. mafiow mzowam> no caoac mucwam seem no museucoo Enammmuom 02m Enamecwmz .Ezwoawo esp mo ESm eSp co Ezwmmmpom do mommsfimcH .w .mrm 03%Q . souflom pomaeEom xzmucwz asOpmHaaoz mHHH>hHo§ Lu:cEHmm cmddmz mrHHmscaoo _ z— exam — -—cfimucsoz — nopewbcfii Chum o Newsamm gummkr maaw»©oog nmmm _ camps —oaaewucom OOH owfl omH \ wza Xv can xv musespmoap go Smog \ maa 2H was 2H mucospsmap no secs (3 8 '2001/°em u} squetg useg JO quequog uogqsg O {O N 55 B. EXPERIMENT II The effect of various soil treatments on the reaction of a Woodville sandy loam soil is presented in Table 8. The only marked effect on pH was due to lime applications at the rate of three tons per acre where the average pH was 6.87 compared to 5.35 where no lime was applied. Mag- nesium sulfate treatments may have slightly lowered the soil pH. As the magnesium sulfate applications increased from 0 to 200, 400 and 800 pounds per acre at the one hun- dred pounds per acre level of potassium the soil pH values were 5.60, 5.40, 5.25 and 5.30 respectively. As these levels of magnesium were repeated at the 250 and 500 pounds per acre rates of potassium a similar downward trend in pH was observed. With limestone as a blanket application magnesium applications did not have any effect on the pH of the soil. Magnesium sulfate, being an acidic salt, might be expected to lower the pH of a soil in somewhat the same manner as calcium sulfate. The dry weight yield data for the entire experiment are shown in Table 29 (Appendix). The analysis of variance of these data is shown in Tables 30 and 31 (Appendix). The magnesium analyses are presented in Table 32 (Appendix) and the analysis of variance of these data is shown in Tables 33 and 34 (Appendix). Potassium analyses for the experiment TABLE 8 EFFECT OF VARIOUS SOIL TREATMENTS ON THE REACTION OF A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL D'l Treatment 5 * Treatment Calcitic Dolomitic Potassium Magnesium Number Limestone Limestone Chloride Sulfate Reaction T/A T/A lb/A lb/A pH 1 0 0 100 O 5.60 2 0 0 100 200 5.40 3 0 0 100 400 5.25 4 0 0 100 800 5.30 5 0 0 250 0 5.47 6 0 0 250 200 5.35 '7 O O 250 400 5. 3O 8 0 0 250 800 5.25 9 0 0 500 0 5.35 10 0 0 500 200 5.39 11 0 0 500 400 5.29 12 0 0 500 800 5.20 13 3 0 100 0 6.85 14 3 0 100 200 6.90 15 3 0 100 400 6.90 16 3 O 100 800 6 . 94 17 3 O 250 0 6.91 18 3 0 250 200 6.83 19 3 0 250 400 6.89 20 3 0 250 800 6.90 21 3 O 500 0 6. 88 22 3 0 500 200 7.00 23 3 0 500 400 6.90 24 3 0 500 800 6.72 25 0 3 100 0 6.82 26 0 3 250 0 6.83 27 0 3 500 O 6.78 auNitrogen and phosphoric acid were constant at 75 and 150 pounds per acre respectively. 58 are recorded in Table 35 (Appendix) and the analysis of variance of these data is shown in Tables 36 and 37 (Appen- dix). The calcium contents for all treatments are presen- ted in Table 38 (Appendix) while the analysis of variance of these data is shown in Tables 39 and 40 (Appendix). The percentages of manganese, corresponding to each treatment, are shown in Table 41 (Appendix) and the analysis of vari- ance of these data is shown in Tables 42 and 43 (Appendix). The total cation contents of the bean plants, as calculated from the data in Tables 32, 35, 38 and 41 (Appendix), are recorded in Table 44 (Appendix) while the analysis of vari- ance of these data is recorded in Tables 45 and 46 (Appendix). Further discussion of Experiment II can be logically carried out under three separate headings, namely, the effect of magnesium, the effect of potassium, and the effect of lime. 1. Effect of Magnesium The effect of magnesium applications to the soil on the dry weight yield, the potassium, manganese and magnesium con- tents and the appearance of bean plants will be discussed in this section. Yield. The effect of 6, 200, 400 and 800 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate applied to a Woodville sandy loam soil on the dry weight yield of bean plants is shown in Table 9. 59 TABLE 9 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM SULFATE AND CALCIUM LIMESTONE APPLICATIONS ON THE GROWTH OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Average of three levels of potassium) Dry Wt. of Bean Plants Per Pot Calcium Magnesium Sulfate 1bZE' Limestone' Limestone 0 200 400 800 Mean T/A g. g. g. g. g. 0 3.54 3.51 3.71 3.73 3.62 3 4.29 3.96 4.24 4.33 4.21 Magnesium.mean 3.92 3.73 3.98 4.03 IuS.D.(P.05) Between.magnesium means for all levels of limestonOOO.'....OOOOOCCOOOOOCCOOO...0.....0.19 L.S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels of mgn°81um..........0.0.0.....'....OOOCCOOCOOCI4 L.S.D.(P.05) Between all treatments.....................0.27 60 An application of 200 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate, in the presence of calcium limestone, produced a yield of bean plants significantly lower than either of the 0, 400, or 800 pound rates. In fact the yield of the plants treated with 400 and 800 pounds per acre of magnesium sul- fate was not significantly greater than the yield from cor- responding treatments without magnesium. It appears, there- fora that so far as the Woodville soil is concerned increases in yield due to magnesium applications can be expected to be very slight or absent altogether either in the presence or absence of lime. Potassium. The effect of magnesium sulfate on the potass- ium content of bean plants is recorded in Table 10. It will be observed that an application of magnesium sulfate at 200 pounds per acre increased the potassium content of bean plants beyond the 0, 400 or 800 pound treatments. The same increase was observed at three different levels of potassium. There was no significant difference between the percent potassium of plants receiving the 0, 400 and 800 pound applications. The difference in the potassium contents of the plants treated with 200 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate and the other magnesium levels was significant at the 5 but not at the 1 per cent point. It is difficult to conclude that an appli- cation of 200 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate will in- crease the potassium content of bean plants since the 400 61 TABLE 10 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLICATIONS ON THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Average of the Calcium lime and no lime treatments) Potassium Content of Bean Plants Potassium Magnesium Sulfate lb/A;_Potassium Chloride O 200 400 800 Mean 1b/A ' 7% % % % % 100 2.28 ‘ 2.51 2.19 2.47 2.36 250 2.90 3.12 2.95 2.92 2.97 500 3.88 4.07 3.95 3.87 3.94 Magnesium mean 3.02 3.23 3.03 3.09 L.S.D.(P.05) Between magnesium means for all levels or pcta881um........00.......‘....COCOCCCCOO.16 L.S.D.(P.05) Between potassium.means for all levels - or mameaium................‘....O...‘0....0014 L.S.D.(P.05) Between all treatments.....................0.27 62 and 800 pound treatments resulted in no change. This con- clusion is substantiated by the absence of a high order of significance. It would seem that further work is necessary to clarify the effect of magnesium on potassium content of bean plants. Some crops however, show marked increase in potassium content from magnesium applications to the soil. Lawes and Gilbert (41) reported that, in a 20 years average, mag- nesium.sulfate furnished a cereal crop with more than a 50 percent increase in potassium content over plants from similar plots receiving no magnesium. Manganese. The influence of magnesium sulfate application to a Woodville sandy loam soil on the manganese content of bean plants is recorded in Table 11. Without limestone the manganese content of the plants was increased from 0.059 per cent at the zero application of magnesium sulfate to 0.077 per cent at an application of 800 pounds per acre. This positive correlation between magnesium and manganese might be partly explained by the fact that the soil pH was decreased from 5.47 to 5.25 by increasing the rate of magnesium sulfate from 0 to 800 pounds per acre. With an application of three tons per acre of limestone additions of magnesium to the soil had no significant effect on the manganese content. 63 TABLE 11 INFLUENCE OF MAGNESIUM SULFATE AND CALCIUM LJMESTONE ON THE MANGANESE CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Average of three levels of potassium) Manganese Content of Bean Plants Calcium MagneéIum Sulfafe 1b/A Limestone Limestone 0 200' 400 800 Mean T/A % 7% % % % 0 0.059 0.072 0.061 0.077 0.067 3 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.014 0.012 Magnesium.mean 0.035 0.042 0.037 0.045 IuS.D.(P.05) Between magnesium means for all levels or limest0n6..............................0.005 I»S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels or magnesj-‘mOOOOOCOCOOOOCOOOCCOOOOOOOOOO0.0.004 InS.D.(P.05) Between all treatments....................0.008 64 Magnesium. The effect of magnesium sulfate applications on the magnesium content of bean plants is recorded in Table 12 and a graphic presentation of these data is shown in Fig. 7 (p.66). Except in one case the magnesium content of the plants was increased with each addition of magnesium sulfate app- lied to the soil. This was generally the case at each of the three levels of potassium employed. The mean mag- nesium content of the plants resulting from an application of 800 pounds of magnesium sulfate was not significantly greater than the mean from the 400 pound treatment, The difference between the means for the other levels of mag- nesium were significant in all cases. Plant Appearance. The effect of magnesium on the appear- ance of bean plants is shown in Plates 4 and 5 (pp.67 and 68). It will be observed that at the lower levels of mag- :nesiunithe plants in general, and the lower leaves in parti- cnilar, were pale green in color or chlorotic. This condi- 1:ion.improved at the higher magnesium levels. At the 100 IXfilnd per acre level of potassium chloride, in the absence of’ lime, the abnormal coloring was gradually improved but rust entirely corrected by increasing the rate of magnesium sualfate application while at the 590 pound level of potas- sixun, chlorosis was still evident even at the highest rate 01"magnesium. This yellowing of the leaves probably was trna result of depressed absorption of calcium and magnesium. bi) TABLE 12 EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM APPLICATIONS ON THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Mean of the calcium lime and no lime treatments) Mggnesium Content of Bean Plants Potassium Mggnesium Sulfate lb/A Potassium Chloride T 200 400 800 Mean Ib/A ' % % 76 76 9% 100 0.216 0.233 0.266 0.286 0.250 250 0.193 0.234 0.264 0.267 0.240 500 0.183 0.227 0.225 0.254 0.222 Magnesium mean 0.197 0.231 0.252 0.269 IuS.D.(P.O5) Between magnesium means at all levels or pcta881um..O.............O..........O0.0.019 I»S.D.(P.05) Between potassium means at all levels or magnesium..............................0.017 IuS.D.(P.05) Between all treatments....................0.033 66 HHom Eooq hrzmm oHHH>cooa 8 co 2302c mucmam seem mo pcopcoo Eswmocmmz esp co omfiaoano Edwwmmuom mo mHo>oq 06225 no mummfism Sawmosmma mo ucommm .5 .wfim <\DH opmmasm ESHmonmz bbm ope Oom \\\ \OA A22 \\AD. \\\ . 0‘ . 0......COCC....CCOCC..°. 0.... Elisa cam 82 A w aha. OON. 0mm. 0 L0 01 wnlseufisn {Geog queg Jag L_ Plate 4. Effect of magnesium with low potassium on the appearance of been plants growing on a Woodville sandy loam soil. Left to right: o, 200, 400 and 800 lb/A Mg804. 7520. All pots received 100 lb/A K01, 75 111/11 N, 150 lb/A 2205 and no lime. 67 68 Plate 5. Effect of magnesium, with high potassium and no lime, on the appearance of been plants growing on a Woouvilie sandy loam soil. Left to right: 0, 200, 400 and 800 lb/A M3504. 71120. All pots received 500 lb/A K01. 75 1b/A N. 150 lb/A P205 and no lime. 69 On this acid soil secondary effects of low pH such as toxi- city from manganese might have contributed to the chlorosis when lime was not applied. Evidence of manganese toxicity was referred to in Experiment 1 (p.39). Toxicity effects of manganese on acid soils were also observed by Wallace, Hewitt and Nicholas (92), Hale and Heintze (31) and others. An application of 137 pounds of magnesium sulfate, such as is carried in 1500 pounds of a fertilizer containing 1.5 per cent MgO, was probably inadequate for the Woodville and similar soils for the production of normal appearing plants. At high levels of potassium even 800 pounds of magnesium sulfate was inadequate in the absence of lime. 2. Effect of Potassium The effect of potassium on the composition and appear- ance of bean plants will be discussed under five headings, namely, magnesium, potassium, manganese, sum of the cations, and plant appearance. Potassium had no significant effect on either the dry weight yield or calcium content of bean plants. While the overall effect of potassium on the six- teen soils studied in Experiment I was to depress the calcium content, no significant effect was noted for the Woodville soil in either Experiment I or II. Magnesium. The magnesium content of bean plants as affected by potassium applications to a Woodville sandy loam soil is 70 shown in Table 12 (p.65) and Fig. 7 (p.66). The higher rates of potassium rather consistantly reduced the magnes- ium content of the plant by as much as 15 per cent. These data are in agreement with the work of Carolus (l4) and others. Under these same potassium levels magnesium up- take was depressed about the same extent at each of the four levels of magnesium sulfate with the exception of the 200 pound rate where the depression was very slight. The average magnesium contents of plants receiving 100, 250 and 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride were 0.250, 0.240 and 0.222 per cent respectively. Since the difference required for significante was 0.017 per cent the decrease in the concentration of plant magnesium was significant. Potassium. The effect of soil applications of potassium chloride on the potassium content of bean plants is shown in Table 10 (p.61) and Fig. 8. The potassium contents of plants receiving 100, 250 and 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride were 2.36, 2.97 and 3.94 per cent respectively. With a difference of 0.14 per cent required for significance the increased 'uptake of potassium was highly significant. The potassium contents were largely unaffected by the rates of magnesium sulfate employed. Manganese. The manganese content of bean plants as affected by potassium applications to a Woodville sandy loam soil is shown in Table 13 (p.72). Per Cent Total Potassium 71 100 250 500 Potassium Chloride lb/A Fig. 8. Influence of Potassium Chloride Applications to a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants [/2 TABLE 13 EFFECT OF POTASSIUM AND LIMESTONE ON THE MANGANESE CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY ‘ LOAM SOIL Manganese Content ongean Plants Kind and rate Potassium Chloride lb/A Limestone of limestone 100 250 500 Mean 76 % 76 % None 0.049 0.051 0.068 0.059 Calcitic e T/A 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 :Dolomitie 5 T/A 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 Potassium mean 0.024 0.028 0.030 IuS.D.(P.05) Between potassium means for all kinds of limestone..............................0.003 1L.S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels . Of potassium..............................0.003 LeSeDe(P005) Between all treatmentSee0.000000000000000000005 73 In the absence of applied limestone the manganese con- tent of the plants was increased by raising the potassium level in the soil. With an application of 100 pounds per acre of potassium chloride the manganese content of the plants was 0.049 per cent while at a potassium level of 500 pounds per acre the manganese content was increased to 0.068 per cent. This may have been due to release of man- ganese from the exchange complex as the potassium application to the soil increased. In the presence of either calcitic or dolomitic limestone, potassium had no effect on the content of manganese in the plant. With a difference of 0.003 per cent being required for statistical significance it can be concluded that potassium applications to an unlimed Woodville sandy loam soil appreciably increased the manganese uptake of been plants. Sum of the Cations. The effect of potassium chloride applications to a Woodville sandy loam soil on the sum of the millequivalents of potassium, calcium, magnesium.and man- ganese in.bean plants is shown in Table 14 and Fig. 9 (p.75). The sums of the cations in the plants treated with 100, £350 and 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride were 184.8, 1192.5 and 219.5 millequivalents reapectively. An examination of'ng. 9 (p.75) shows that a similar trend was apparent in teach of the limed and unlimed series.. However, there was 110 difference in total cation content of bean plants rechiving TABLE 14 EFFECT OF POTASSIUM AND LIMESTONE ON THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND MANGHNESE CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Sum of the ca, Mg, K and Mn Contents of Bean Plants Kinds and rate Potassium ChIEride 1b/A Limestone of Idmestone 100 250 500 Mean Millequivalents_per 100 grams None 157.2 161.9 195.0 164.7 Calcitic 5 T/A 199.5 197.6 225.0 206.6 Dolomitic 5 T/A 217.8 218.0 240.6 225.5 Potassium.mean 184.8 192.5 219.5 P.05‘P.01 L.S.D. Between limestone means for all levels or pota831um.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00.....0. 9.51208 L.S.D. Between potassium means for all kinds Of llme.................e.................. 905 1208 L.S.D. Between all treatmentS..................... 16.4 22.2 250 e ‘0 ton.” (“6.80. 25oF XOmKPXP'QX' /A_?9 " an- .'s'. tofle/ Tana-anne-aeaa-so' LmeS/ gbzgf ”’ .210, B oqlfib O (D 2190_ C. q—J. .p C (D 2 817% C 0 IS CB 0 150 13 w 1 I 100 250 500 Potassium Chloride 1b/A Fig. 9. Effect of Potassium and Limestone on the Cation (i.e. Ca, Mg, K, Mn) Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil 100 and 250 pounds per acre of potassium chloride on either of the limed treatments. It appears, therefore, that these data justify the conclusion that large applications of potas- sium to a Woodville soil may increase the tonfl.cationic up- take of been plants by as much as 42 per cent on unlimed soil and 10 per cent on limed soil. An examination of Table 15 shows that the increase in total cations of the bean plants resulted almost entirely from an increase in the potassium content. As the potassium content of the plants increased by 68 per cent there was no consistent decrease in calcium and only a 22 per cent decrease in magnesium which did not compensate for the rather large potassium uptake. In other words the absorption of one cation did not proportionately depress the uptake of other cations. The sum of the cations studied, expressed as millequivalents, did not seem to be even roughly constant. While the sodium content of the plants was not determined it probably would not be present in suffic- ient concentration to make the total cation content constant. Plant Appearance. The effect of potassium applications to a \Noodville soil on plant appearance is evident from a compari- son of Plates 4 and 5 (pp. 67 and 68). leaf discoloration is considerably more pronounced in Plate 5 where 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride was applied to the plants than in Plate 4 where the plants were treated with 100 pounds per acre. Potassium depressed the uptake of magnesium which appeared to 77 TABLE 15 EFFECT OF POTASSIUM CHLORIDE ON THE CATION CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Mean of the unlimed, calcitic and dolomitic limestone treatments) Potassium Cation Content of Bean PlantsP‘ Chloride K Mg Ca Mn Total 1b/A Millequivalents per 100 grams 100 60 32 92 l 185 250 76 28 88 1 193 500 101 25 93 l 220 JaData calculated from the combined effects of treatments l,5,9,l3,17,21,25,26 and 27 shown in Table 1. 78 be one of the major factors contributing to chlorosis. The unbalance of the potassium, magnesium and calcium could also have contributed to the chlorotic condition. 3. Effect of Lime Both calcitic or dolomitic limestones as soil treatments had an effect on all of the plant constituents studied. Their effect on dry weight yield, potassium, magnesium, man- ganese, calcium, sum of the cations, and plant appearance will be covered in this section. 21319. The effect of limestone application to the soil on the dry weight yield of bean plants is presented in Table 9 (p. 59), Fig. 10 and Plate 6 (p.80). The average dry weight yield of the plants from the four levels of magnesium sulfate in the calcitic limestone series was 4.21 grams per pot while the yield of the corresponding unlimed plants was 3.62 grams. Limestone increased the yield about 16 per cent. The dry weight yield of the dolo- mite treated plants, which can be compared only at the zero level of magnesium sulfate, was 4.37, of the calcium lime- stone treated plants 4.29, and of the plants not limed 3.54 grams per pot. Dolomite and calcitic limestones were there- fore not significantly different as they affected yield. Magnesium, either as the carbonate or the sulfate (discussed under the "Effect of Magnesium" p.58) did not have any effect on growth. 4.40 .5. O O Grams per Pot u «m C) 79 ‘ Dolomite 5 T/A 0 Lime 541/9. ’ 08 v' 400 800 Magnesium Sulfate lb/A 200 Fig. 10. Effect of Magnesium Sulfate and Limestone on the Dry Weight Yield of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil Plate 6. Effect of calcitic limestone on the growth or been plants growing on a woodville sandy loam soil. Left to right: 0 and 5 w/a calcium carbonate. All pots received 100 11: x01, 75 111/11 N, 150 1b/A P205, and no magnesium. 80 81 Potassium. The effect of lime applications to a Woodville soil on the potassium uptake in bean plants is presented in Table 16 and Fig. 11 (p.85). The average potassium contents of the plants for the unlimed, calcitic and dolomitic limestone treatments were 3.10, 2.94 and 3.21 per cent respectively. Since a differ- ence exceeding 0.17 per cent is considered significant at the 5 per cent level it would appear that dolomite applications to the soil resulted in a slightly higher potassium concent- ration than plants treated with calcitic limestone. The plants treated with calcium limestone contained 0.16 per cent less potassium than plants not limed. This was just under the value required for statistical significance. That calcium limestone did not have any appreciable effect on potassium up- take was substantiated by the low F value for the effect of lime in Table 36 (Appendix) which records the analysis of variance of the potassium data for treatments 1 to 24. It appeared, thereforef that calcitic lime when compared with dolomite significantly depressed the potassium content of bean plants although the actual percentage depression was rather small. Magnesium. The effect of lime on the magnesium uptake of bean plants grown on a Woodville sandy loam soil is presented in Table 17 (p.84). Calcitic limestone had no significant effect on the mag- nesium content of bean plants at any of the three levels of TABLE 16 EFFECT OF CALCITIC AND DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE ON THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A.WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Potassium Content of Bean Plants Kinds and rates Potassium Chloride lb/l Limestone of limestone PIOO 250 500 mean % 75 % 9% None 2.22 3.03 4.06 3.10 Calcitic 3 T/A 2.65 2.78 6.69 2.94 Dolomitic 6 T/A 2.48 3.10 4.06 6.21 Potassium Mean 2.35 2.97 3.94 L.S.D.(P.05) L.S.D.(P.05) L.S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels 0f p0tassium.....o.............o...........0.17 Between potassium means for all kinds Of limestonBOOOOOOOOOOOO0.00.0...00000000000017 Between all treatments.....................O.27 Potassium Content % 83 No limestone _ _. Calciti c limestone Dolomitic limestone [00 260 500 Potassium Chloride Application lb/A Fig.11. Effect of Calcitic and Dolomitic Limestone at Three Levels of Potassium on the Potassium Content of Bean Plants Grown on a Woodville Sandy Loam Soil TABLE 17 EFFECT OF CALCITIC AND DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE AT THREE LEVELS OF POTASSIUM ON THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A.WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Magnesium Content of Bean Plants Potassium Kinds of Limestone Potassium Chloride None Calcitic Dolomitic Mean 3 T/A s T/A lb/A % 93 % % 100 0.217 0.215 0.734 0.389 250 0.207 0.180 0.619 0.335 500 0.196 0.169 0.547 0.304 limestone Mean 0.207 0.188 0.633 L.S.D.(P.05) Between potassium means for all kinds Of limGStone..'..‘OCOCOCOCOC.0............0.027 L.S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels or pOtassium......CC....'....C...‘........O.027 L.S.D.(P.05) Between all treatments....................0.047 85 potassium employed. The same lack of significance as to the effect of calcium lime on magnesium was shown by the low F value obtained from an analysis of variance of treat- ments 1 to 24 recorded in Table 33 (Appendix). Dolomitic limestone, as would be expected, increased the magnesium content of the plants to over 0.6 per cent which was about three times the value obtained with the 800 pound application of magnesium sulfate. . Manganese. The effect of limestone on the manganese content of bean plants grown on a Woodville sandy loam soil is shown in Table 11 (p. 63) and 13 (p.72). Applications of lime resulted in a marked reduction of the manganese content of the harvested plants. Similar re- ductions were observed with both kinds of limestone. The limed plants contained only about one fifth as much mangan- ese as those not limed. The unlimed soil, being acidic, keeps the manganese reduced and therefore in an available condition but at higher pH values the manganese is con- verted into higher oxidation states, in which form it is relatively unavailable to the plant. Calcium. The influence of limestone applications to the soil on the calcium content of bean plants is shown in Table ~18. Both kinds of limestone increased the calcium content of the plants. Calcitic lime, however, produced significantly higher plant calcium than did the dolomitic treatments. TABLE 18 86 EFFECT OF CALCITIC AND DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE ON THE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Calcium Content of Bean Plants Kind and rate Potassium Chloride lb/A Limestone of limestone 100 250 500 Mean 75 % % % None 1.23 1.30 1.45 1.32 Calcitic 6 T/A 2.40 2.23 2.29 2.61 Dolomitic 6 T/A 1.87 1.75 1.83 1.82 Potassium Mean 1.83 1.76 1.85 L.S.D.(P.05) Between limestone means for all levels Of pota881um...o....o......................0.12 L.S.D.(P.05) Between all treatments.....................0.20 87 Sum of the Cations. The sum of the calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese contents of bean plants, expressed as millequivalents, as affected by limestone applications to a Woodville soil is shown in Table 14 (p.74) and Fig. 9 (p.75). Both of the limestone treatments considerably increased the sum of the cations in the plants. Dolomite increased the cation content by 59 per cent in the presence of 100 pounds per acre of potassium chloride compared to an increase of 23 per cent in the presence of 500 pounds of potassium chloride. Calcitic lime in the presence of 100 and 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride increased the cation contents by 45 and 19 per cent respectively. Thus dolomite increased the cation content more than did calcitic lime. The extreme values shown in Table 14 (p.74) range from 137.2 and 240.6 millequivalents of cations in the bean plant, which is an increase of 76 per cent as a result of lime and potassium applications to a Woodville soil. The difference between these extreme values is 103.4 millequivalents. Although sodium was not determined it is not likely to be present in this amount. The data in Table 19 show that the plants treated with calcium limestone contained nearly twice the calcium content and only slightly less magnesium and potassium than plants TABLE 19 EFFECT OF LIMESTONE ON THE CATION CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL (Mean of three levels of potassium) Cation contents of Bean Plants Mg Ca Mn Total Milleguivalents per lOOggrmms No limestone 79.5 17.0 66.0 2.2 164.7 Calcium limestone 6 T/A 75.4 15.5 115.3 0.4 206.6 Dolomite Idmestone 6 T/A 82.3 52.1 90.7 0.4 225.5 A 89 not limed. In contrast dolomite rather sharply increased the calcium and magnesium contents in the plants with only comparatively minor changes in the other constituents. The evidence seems to indicate that limestone substantially in- creased the cation content in bean plants, and that one cat- ion was not absorbed at the expense of another. Recent work by York, Bradfield and Peech (103) shows that while the sum of the cations in alfalfa were essen- tially constant, this was not true with corn, sudan grass and sericea. They stated that soil limed from pH 5.0 to 6.8 increased the cation content of corn 25 per cent. When the soil was limed to pH 7.9 the cation content of the corn plants was doubled. The sum of the cations in sudan grass tended to be more variable than in ether crOps studied. With sericea the sums of the cation contents at soil pH levels of 6.8 and 7.9 were respectively 26 and 48 per cent greater than at pH 5.0. The authors point out that when growth was restricted at high lime levels, one or all of the cations tended to accumulate within the plant without mutual replacement of the major cations. The authors concluded that the sum of the cations in plants may or may not be const- ant, depending on lime and fertilization treatments and on resultant yields. 90 Plant Appearance. The effect of no lime, calcitic and dolomitic limestones on the appearance of bean plants is shown in Plate 7. The chlorosis of the lower leaves, which was apparent in the absence of lime, was considerably alleviated by calcitic lime, and corrected by the addition of dolomite. The effect of lime applications on the app- earance of bean plants is also shown by a comparison of Plates 5 (p.68) and s (p.92). In this case the plants treated with limestone were also less chlorotic than plants not limed. However, calcitic lime applications in the pre- sence of the highest levels of both magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride did not produce completely normal appear- in plants as shown in Plate 8 (p.92). On the other hand dolomite treated plants in the presence of a similar level of potassium were normal as shown in Plate 7. L Plate 7. Effect of lime, with high potassium. on the appearance of been plants growing on a woodville sandy loam soil. Left to right: no lime, 0a lime 6 T/A. dolomite 3 ‘r/A. All pots received 500 113/114 1101, 75 lb/A N, 150 in A P205 and no Mg504. 91 Plate 8. effect of magnesium, with high potassium and calcitic limestone, on the appearance OI bean plants growing on a Woddville sandy loam soil. Left to right: On 200. 400 and 800 1b/A 11.3504. 7H 0. All pots received 500 lb/A K01, 75 lg/A N, 150 lD/A £205 and 3 T/A cs lime. 92 93 V SUMMARY .The work reported in this thesis consisted of green- house and laboratory studies of the effects of one rate of applied magnesium and two rates of applied potassium on the yield and chemical composition of beans grown on sixteen major soils of Nova Scotia. The Woodville soil was selec- ted for a more detailed study of the effects of a number of rates of magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride and two kinds of limestone on yield and chemical composition of beans. The chemical constituents studied in both experiments were calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. The soils ranged in texture from sandy loam to clay, in pH from 4.8 to 6.4, in base saturation from 17.5 to 83.3 per cent, and in nitrogen from 0.10 to 0.44 per cent. Bx- changeable calcium varied from 1.63 to 12.25, exchangeable magnesium from .66 to 3.11 and exchangeable potassium from .08 to .37 millequivalents per one hundred grams of soil. Exchangeable manganese varied from .01 to .05 millequivalents for twelve of the soils. In general, magnesium sulfate applications had very little if any effect on dry weight yields of been plants. However, it depressed the growth on the Falmouth Dyke, Kent- ville, Canard Dyke, Cornwallis and Nappan soils but only on the Nappan soil was the depression significant. 0n the 94 other hand magnesium significantly increased the growth of plants on Pelton soil. Magnesium sulfate applied to the soil at 137 pounds per acre usually increased the magnesium content of the plants particularly at high potassium levels. However, only on the Cornwallis and Nappan soils in the presence of 75 pounds of K20 and on the Falmouth Dyke and Kentville soils in the presence of 300 pounds of K20 were the increases significant. The magnesium content of the plants on the Woodville soil was consistently increased by each increment of applied magnesium sulfate. Applications of magnesium sulfate had a tendency to slightly lower the pH of the unlimed Woodville soil. It had no effect on the limed soil. Additions of magnesium to the Woodville soil had little if any effect on the potassium content of the plants. The manganese content of the plants was increased by magnesium fertilization of the unlimed Woodville soil. In contrast, magnesium additions to the limed soil had no effect on manganese uptake. Potassium had very little effect on growth of bean plants but large significant increases in the uptake or concentration of potassium from all soils, except on the Canard Dyke series, were observed as the potassium application was raised. 90 except on the walfville soil potassium fertilization depressed the magnesium content of the plants as much as 40 per cent. Potassium also depressed the calcium content on 12 of the 16 soils 0 to 35 per cent. in general potas- sium depressed the magnesium content more than the calcium. The manganese content of the plants was greatly incre- ased by potassium fertilization of the unlimed but not of the limed soil. Potassium chloride applications increased the sum or the cations in the plants on twelve of the sixteen soils but only on the woodville, Wolfville, aictaux, Middleton and Pelton soils were the increases significant. The 500 pound rate increased the cation content of the plants 42 per cent on the unlimed Woodville soil and ten per cent on the limed. Lime increased the growth of plants on the woodville soil but there was no difference between the calcitic and dolomitic materials. in general limestone additions to the woodville soil had no effect on potassium content, however, the plants treated with calcium lime contained slightly less potassium than those treated with dolomite. Calcitic lime had no effect on the magnesium content of the plants but a 3 ton per acre application of dolomite increased the magnesium content about three times that of an 800 pound applications of magnesium sulfate. 96 Additions of lime markedly reduced the manganese con— tent of the plants on a Woodville soil. The limed plants contained about one fifth as much manganese as those not limed. Calcium lime applications of 3 tons per acre gave large significant increases in the calcium content of the plants. Dolomite also increased the calcium content but to a lesser extent than did calcitic lime. Lime increased the cation content of bean plants grown on the Woodville soil about 50 and 20 per cent in the pres- ence of 100 and 500 pounds per acre of potassium chloride respectively. As a result of both lime and potassium applications the cation content of the plants was increased from 137.2 to 240.6 millequivalents. Plants receiving 300 pounds per acre of K20 were chlorotic, probably due to calcium and magnesium deficiency, on the Cornwallis, Fash, Truro, Woodville, Somerset and North Mountain soils. A similar level of potassium applied to the Morristown, Falmouth Dyke, Canard Dyke, Berwick, Wolf- ville, Kentville and Nappan soils resulted in only a slight loss of green color. In general, 137 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate had a tendency to intensify the green 001- or of the plants, but it did not eliminate the chlorosis. Applications of 100 pounds per acre of potassium chloride to an unlimed Woodville soil produced pale yellow plants. 97 This condition was gradually alleviated but not entirely corrected by increasing the magnesium.sulfate application. In contrast the plants treated with the 500 pound rate of potassium were considerably more chlorotic even at the highest rate of magnesium. Additions of calcitic lime to the Woodville soil al- leviated but did not correct the chlorosis induced by high levels of potassium. Plants treated with 800 pounds per acre of magnesium sulfate and calcitic lime were still slightly chlorotic. Dolomite, on the other hand, corr- ected the deficiency symptoms at all levels of potassium. Plants grown on the Nappan and Kentville soils showed evidence of manganese toxicity which was not related to treatment. APPENDIX 98 99 mo.m mm.m m>.H mm.H co.» em.n mm.m on.w om.a mm.m em.m Ha.m naaadadaoo nm.a om.a om.a nb.H Hm.H mm.H em.a om.H en.a mm.a o¢.H mw.m exam unease nw.a 0H.H mH.m Ho.» bv.n mn.m nb.m ww.m HN.H mn.w mm.a mw.m oaaabpsom nm.m on.m hm.m b¢.N bb.N anon mm.n on.n O©.m mnom ®®.N no.n oafifibhaog oo.a mm.m mm.m o¢.m mm.m mm.m mn.m mm.a mm.m om.m na.m mv.m oxhn.nusoSHmm bn.n nm.m rm.m ow.m mo.m wo.m Ha.m >¢.n mo.» mm.» ve.m mm.m neoumaanos ma.» bH.¢ mm.m om.a 0H.n no.m no.a mn.n H¢.m moon Hm.H bbom Seam no.m ow.» nm.m mm.m nm.a em.d nm.m Hm.a oo.m mn.m an.m mH.m Hampeaz oo.m on.m vb.m Hm.n ¢H.n ov.m Hm.H om.n mo.» Hm.m om.m no.» nopoaopas Hm.m bb.m Hm.H om.a om.n en.m mm.m 0H.n mm.m mm.m H>.H no.H condom on.m wo.m db.m mn.m was» mm.m em.m ao.m m¢.m em.m om.m wb.m campuses npnoz ev.m mm.a mm.a ma.m Hm.m na.m Hm.a b©.H eo.a mm.H mm.a mm.a pomnoSom .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w mnoapmmHamomH mnoaummaamoma mnoHpsmHamomH mnoapmwaanomd nHaom m5 3:. we we: a: Ma pom pom npnsflm seem no .uawwan Ill! |.| mazjm 72mm mo megomo zo SHOW mDOHm¢> OB mZOHadoHAmmd SBmmdaom Q24 Sammzwg .mo QUEEN om mnmde 100 HH.H mm.H o>.m mn.a on.m Hm.a ma.m om.m mm.m Hm.a om.m pa.m oases an.» oo.n ss.m ea.m mo.» on.e we.» em.m no.» so.e mo.n no.e asoanz bo.m mm.m Hm.a vn.m mw.a mo.m mo.H em.m em.H mm.H Hw.m nu.m oaaapeoo; mo.m Hm.m ww.a Hw.m na.m Ho.m mm.w om.n om.a na.n mo.m mm.a Meaghan .w .w .m .m .w .w .w .w .w .w .w .w m m H n m a n m H m m H muofiumOHamom mcoapsofiamom msofipmofiaqom uaoapmeaamom mHHom msH,Me as. and Ma 9H pom pom mucmam seem no up; man H H. 3.63385 om mung ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE GROWTH OF BEAN PLANTS _: _: TABLE 21 101 Source Degrees P Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Soils 15 2.5666 8.93 1.75 2.19 Magnesium 1 0.1604 Potassium 1 0.1155 Soils x Magnesium 15 0.3609 1.26 1.75 2.19 Soils x Potassium 15 0.1649 Magnesium Potassium 1 0.0097 Soils x Magnesium Potassium 15 0.5107 1.78 1.75 2.19 Error 128 0.2875 102 00H. mOH. mOH. mOH. ¢HH. wHH. pom. mmw. mom. omH. mnH. an. mHHHmBgnoo new. mmm. 0mm. mom. man. man. ham. who. mam. new. own. HHm. oth unmade mmm. won. mHm. me. nnH. mmH. HHn. ram. awn. new. new. moH. oHHH>pcoM men. mmn. Nmn. hon. mum. man. mam. mvm. mom. man. 0mm. mom. oHHthHo; wen. men. men. men. one. one. can. new. men. men. one. use. ease nanosaoa mam. new. Hmm. 0mm. mam. 0H0. new. era. mow. mmm. now. see. asepmHnmos arm. mvH. 9mm. mom. mom. Hem. one. mam. omv. mHn. own. new. mesh an. mHH. emH. Hmo. omo. moo. mmH. 00H. 00H. mmo. mnH. an. xsmeon bow. own. nHv. new. wmv. mmn. now. how. nmw. me. How. Ohm. cepOHpoHs mmn. men. bmn. mHn. mom. man. NHw. an. on». man. man. man. nopHom owm. Dem. wnm. Hmm. mHm. HmH. vow. mmm. com. mon. bmm. mew. depnsos nahoz NwH. mmH. bmH. moH. wbH. mnH. mmH. mmm. ovm. HmH. an. me. pennoaom a a a a a a a a a a a a n m H n m H n N H n m H mcoHumOHHmom mGOHmeHHmom mSOHpmoHHQom mGoHmeHqum mHHom mad Me me man an an upcmHm deem no unopnoo asHmmmwmz ”I“ L mezeqm zemm mo ezmezoo apHmmzeas any 20 quom meone> on szHe«0qume saHmmaeom nz< anmmzees mo Bowman mm mumme 103 me. mmH. me. owH. mnH. HwH. mmm. mmH. mew. omH. man. boH. opens bmm. mmH. wmm. mmH. nHm. meH. own. mmm. eHm. mmm. mam. mom. admmmz Hom. mHm. an. me. wa. mmH. new. 0mm. wbm. onm. mom. mHm. oHHHpuoos bow. mHm. NmH. me. be. «NH. mam. mmm. mmm. Hon. mHn. omm. onBAom a a a a a. a n a a a a a n m H n m H n m H n m H muoHpmoHHmom msOHmeHqum mQOHpmoHHmom udOHumeHHQom uHHom me: Me Me wag NH mpanm nmom no pneumoo EsHmoflwmz AUOSSHQGOOV mm mum¢e 104 TABLE 23 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Soils 15 0.236558 96.95 1.75 2.19 Magnesium 1 0.032552 12.93 3.92 6.84 Potassium 1 0.271201 107.70 3.92 6.84 Magnesium x Potassium 1 0.002423 0.96 3.92 6.84 Soils x Magnesium 15 0.004431 1.76 1.75 2.19 Soils x Potassium 15 0.006457 2.56 1.75 2.19 Soils x Magnesium.x Potassium 15 0.005481 2.18 1.75 2.19 Error 128 0.002518 105 H0.9 9b.9 9H.9 09.0 0H.9 H9.0 HH.0 0H.0 no.0 90.0 00.H 9H.0 mHHHmecaoo 00.9 99.9 90.9 09.9 b9.9 0H.9 99.9 99.9 09.9 90.9 H9.9 99.0 0000 onscso 00.9 09.0 99.0 9>.0 99.0 00.9 90.0 9H.0 99.0 00.0 90.0 b0.H eHHHpunom 99.9 09.9 00.0 99.9 H0.0 HH.9 00.H 00.0 9H.0 09.0 00.0 90.H oHHwaHog 98.9 9H.9 09.9 H0.9 00.9 90.0 90.0 >0.0 9H.0 69.0 00.9 00.0 0090 apnoaHem 00.0 98.0 90.0 99.0 90.9 09.9 H9.H 99.H 0>.H 9v.H 9H.0 90.H neoannaoE 0b.0 09.H 9H.0 99.0 9b.0 00.0 99.H 00.0 90.0 90.0 99.H bH.H flush 09.0 90.9 99.9 09.9 90.0 90.9 09.9 00.0 >0.0 99.9 99.0 90.9 KempOHz 99.0 99.9 09.0 0>.0 H9.0 09.0 >9.H 00.0 09.H 90.0 >0.H b0.H nepoHpoHs 99.9 99.9 H9.9 09.9 0>.0 0b.9 00.0 99.0 H0.0 09.0 09.0 00.0 douHom. 99.0 99.9 H9.0 0H.9 99.0 99.0 9>.H b>.0 00.0 9H.0. 9H.0 >0.H chpdsoz Spaoz bH.w 9b.e 9H.9 bH.¢ 00.0 69.9 09.0 08.0 09.0 90.9 90.9 90.0 pomaosom a a a a a a a a a a a a 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H mdoHpmoHHaom nGOHmeHHQom msoHmeHHmom unoHpmoHHmem nHHom 93 Me Me we: 3:” 1 a: npanm :909 no pceucoo EsHmmmpom mez OB QHHAmm< EDHmm¢Bom 924 SDHmmzwdfi mo Bommmm $0 mqmde 106 99.0 00.0 90.9 90.9 we.» on.» «9.0 90.0 99.0 90.0 0H.0 ms.0 oases 09.0 90.0 00.9 09.0 Ho.0 ne.0 0o.H es.H 00.0 00.0 mo.H 00.H asansz 90.9 0H.» 90.9 Hm.» 99.9 00.0 0m.H H>.H 00.H mo.H an.H Ho.H oHHapoooz 0e.n 90.9 99.9 00.9 90.9 9H.9 ee.H 00.H mm.H 9H.0 no.H 00.H soaasom 0 a a a a a a a 0 n 0 n n 0 H n 0 H n 0 H n 0 H ndOHmeHHaom mqupmoHHmom mGOHpmoHHmom mcoHpmoHHQom, mHHom 02H 00 as 02H 0H 0H mucmHm 0909 no unspcoo BsHmmmpom “bazaHpcoov v0 mum.H 99.H 99.H 00.H 99.H 09.H 90.H HH.0 00.H oHHH>HHo3 99. 9b. 0b. 09. 0b. He. 99. 09. 90. on. 90.H 90. 0000 spSoEHsm 99.H 09.H 99.H 99.H 09.H 99.H H9.0 H9.H 00.H 09.H 09.H 00.0 neopmHaaos 99.H 99.H 00.H H9.H Hb.H 99.H bw.0 09.H 99.H 99.H 90.0 H0.H nmmm 0H.0 09.H 99.0 09.H H0.0 09.H 99.0 90.0 9H.0 90.H 99.0 90.0 KampOHz 90.0 H9.0 99.0 09.0 9H.9 90.0 90.0 00.0 90.0 H9.0 99.9 90.H nouoHUUHz 9H.9 00.9 00.0 09.0 99.0 90.9 0H.9 09.0 99.9 99.0 H9.9 b9.9 douHom 09.H H0.H 90.H 99.H H9.H 99.H 09.H 99.0 H9.H >9.H 00.H 99.H chpcsos npnoz H9.H H>.H 99.H >9.H H>.H 09.H 00.9 90.0 99.9 90.H 99.0 H9.0 90090809 0 0 a 0 0 a a a 0 a a a 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H mGOHmeHHQom ecoHpmeHHmom mGoHmeHHmom nnoHpmeHHmom uHHom we: me an wag v: mucmHm seem ho unopcoo SsHono Lr 9.53m 24mm 08 9295200 23840 EB 90 mum OB mZOHB¢OHAmm¢ SDmedeom 92¢ EDHmmzw¢E mo Bommmm 109 on. no. 09. mo. 00. 06. em. 00. so. me. am. 90. oases 00.H HH.H 00.H 00.H 9H.H HH.H 00.H 00.H 9H.H 00.H 0H.H no.H aoaaoz as.H no.0 so.H 09.H 00.H om.H om.H 0o.H 0H.0 00.H 00.H 00.0 oHHaeeooz He.H ms.H 9H.H H0.0 00.0 00.H 00.H oo.0 no.0 os.0 es.0 90.0 soasaom 0 0 a a a 0 0 m a 0 0 m 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H 9 0 H mGOHmeHHmom maoHpmeHHmom mGOHmeHHQom mdoHumoHHmom mHHom 02H as we 02H 0H 00:11:11. mpcmHm zoom 00 pcepnoo ESHOHmo AUQSchCooV 9N mum¢8 TABLE 27 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Source Degrees F value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Soils 15 6.0240 67.46 1.75 2.19 Potassium 1 1.9481 21.81 3.92 6.84 Magnesium 1 0.0285 Potassium x Magnesium 1 0.3657 4.10 3.92 6.84 Soils x Potassium 15 0.2617 2.93 1.75 2.19 Soils x Magnesium 15 0.1364 1.53 1.75 2.19 Soils x Magnesium x Potassium 15 0.1139 1.28 1.75 2.19 Error 128 0.0893 110 TABLE 28 111 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Source Degrees F value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Soils 15 6956.3 33.1 1.90 2.48 Treatment 3 744.7 3.55 2.50 3.77 Error 45 210.0 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS APPLIED TO A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL ON THE GROWTH OF BEAN PLANTS TABLE 2 9 112 Dry Wt. of Bean Plants per Pot Treatment# Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Treatmmnt Number 1 2 3 4 Mean 8- 8o 8- 6o 8- 1 3.89 3.37 3.76 3.76 3.69 2 3.79 3.46 3.23 3.16 3.41 3 4.28 3.97 3.68 3.32 3.81 4 3.14 4.39 3.77 4.28 3.89 5 3.64 3.30 3.35 3.19 3.37 6 3.61 3.90 3.17 3.91 3.65 7 3.71 4.11 3.87 3.86 3.89 8 4.03 4.53 3.82 3.94 4.08 9 3.81 3.54 3.92 3.01 3.57 10 3.43 3.36 3.61 3.49 3.47 11 3.42 3.63 3.23 3.49 3.44 12 3.42 3.36 2.96 3.12 3.21 13 3.69 4.28 4.13 4.08 4.04 14 4.18 3.47 4.08 3.33 3.76 15 4.05 4.17 4.49 4.31 4.25 16 3.98 4.31 4.17 4.01 4.12 17 4.72 4.53 3.79 4.51 4.39 18 4.00 4.81 4.00 3.96 4.19 19 4.21 4.07 4.09 4.11 4.12 20 3.72 4.69 4.72 4.50 4.41 21 4.13 4.92 4.21 4.51 4.44 22 4.67 3.21 3.69 4.10 3.92 23 4.37 4.61 3.98 4.45 4.35 24 4.46 4.44 4.25 4.73 4.47 25 4.84 4.87 4.37 4.49 4.64 26 4.40 4.58 4.02 4.10 4.27 27 4.24 4;18 4.14 4.16 4.18 A *Treatments shown in Table 1 113 TABLE 30 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF TREATMENTS 1 to 24 ON THEGFKMTTIOF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL m Source Degrees F Value of of Mean ObtainedF* Reqdired Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Ca limestone 1 3.1085 73.55 3.98 7.01 Magnesium 3 0.4011 3.55 2.74 4.08 Potassium 2 0.2234 2.03 3.13 4.92 Ga limestone x Magnesium 3 0.0965 Ca limestone x Potassium 2 0.5732 5.20 3.13 4.92 Magnesium x Potassium . 6 0.1400 1.27 2.23 3.07 Ca limestone x Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.1926 1.75 2.23 3.07 Error 72 0.1102 TABLE 31 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF LIME ON THE GROWTH OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Potassium 2 0.0409 Kinds of Lime 2 2.4735 29.91 3.35 5.49 Potassium x Kinds of Idme 4 0.2454 2.97 2.73 4.11 Error 27 0.0827 114 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS APPLIED T0 AUWOODVILLE SANDY TABLE 32 LOAM SOIL ON THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Treatments Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Treatment Number 1 2 3 4 Mean % % % % % 1 .254 .206 .219 .190 .217 2 .259 .273 .208 .221 .240 3 .273 .260 .260 .248 .260 4 .310 .312 .274 .216 .278 5 .204 .197 .197 .231 .207 6 .251 .254 .222 .207 .234 7 .273 .241 .279 .280 .268 8 .296 .297 .238 .277 .277 9 .170 .189 .181 .246 .197 10 .242 .223 .246 .191 .223 11 .229 .149 .259 .261 .224 12 .273 .194 .328 .239 .259 13 .271 .164 .217 .208 .215 14 .259 .191 .189 .261 .225 15 .295 .219 .295 .278 .272 16 .326 .257 .301 .290 .293 17 .191 .142 .198 .188 .179 18 .250 .233 .216 .241 .235 19 .262 .265 .290 .222 .259 20 .242 .270 .256 .260 .257 21 .205 .134 .176 .160 .169 22 .204 .215 .189 .313 .230 23 .261 .188 .247 .205 .225 24 .241 .229 .275 .251 .249 25 .743 .707 .714 .770 .734 26 .625 .577 .596 .679 .619 27 .524 .565 .587 .514 .548 *Treatments shown in Table 1 116 TABIE 33 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF TREATMENTS 1 to 24 ON THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square ' P.05 P.01 Magnesium 3 0.022623 20.31 2.74 4.08 Ga limestone 1 0.000918 Potassium 2 0.006483 5.82 3.13 4.92 Potassium x Ca limestone 2 0.000520 Ca limestone x Magnesium 3 0.000485 Potassium x Magnesium 6 0.000784 Ca limestone x Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.000349 Error 72 0.001114 TABLE 34 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF IJME ON THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Kinds of lime 2 0.761486 713.67 3.35 5.49 Potassium 2 0.021820 20.45 3.35 5.49 Kinds of lime x Potassium 4 0.008072 7.57 2.73 4.11 Error 27 0.001067 117 TABLE 35 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS APPLIED TO A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL ON THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Treatmen tal- Rep. Rep . Rep. Rep. Treatment Number 1 2 3 ' 4 Mean % 75 % 7o % 1 2.21 2.23 2.16 2.17 2.22 2 2.33 2.52 2.46 2.17 2.37 3 2.28 1.53 2.49 2.20 2.10 4 «2.83 2.45 2.26 2.45 2.49 5 2.98 3.23 2.95 2.96 3.03 6 3.47 3.07 3.55 2.92 3.25 7 2.84 2.42 2.97 2.57 2.70 8 2.99 2.94 3.01 2.89 2.96 9 4.03 4.17 4.07 3.99 4.06 10 3.98 4.08 4.24 3.62 3.98 11 4.08 4.13 4.01 4.11 4.08 12 4.23 4.04 4.65 3.99 4.25 13 2.35 2.44 2.48 2.12 2.35 14 2.64 2.65 2.44 2.84 2.64 15 2.28 2.38 2.24 2.23 2.28 16 2.45 2.54 2.11 2.70 2.45 17 2.75 2.76 2.64 2.96 2.78 18 2.82 2.94 2.85 3.34 2.99 .19 3.17 3.37 3.40 2.86 3.20 20 2.82 2.77 2.66 3.32 2.89 21 3.61 3.37 3.78 4.00 3.69 22 3.09 4.79 4.61 4.16 4.16 23 3.57 3.77 3.77 4.18 3.82 24 2.93 3.47 3.80 3.82 3.50 25 2.27 2.43 2.44 2.79 2.48 26 2.61 3.20 3.26 3.34 3.10 27 4.18 4.32 3.75 3.99 4.06 I“Treatments shown in Table 1 TABLE 36 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF TREATMENTS l to 24 APPLIED TO A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL ON THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS —— Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Potassium 2 20.2622 268.02 3.13 4.92 Ga limestone 1 0.0870 1.15 3.98 7.01 Magnesium 3 0.2271 3.00 2.74 4.08 Potassium x Magnesium 6' 0.0521 Potassium x Ga limestone 2 0.3749 4.96 3.13 4.92 Ga limestone x Magnesium 3 0.2282 3.02 2.74 4.08 Ga limestone x Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.1723 2.28 2.23 3.07 Error 72 0.0756 119 TABLE‘37 120 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF LIME ON THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Kinds of lime 2 0.2326583 5.80 3.35 5.49 Potassium 2 7.6971083 191.95 3.35 5.49 Kinds of lime x Potassium 4 0.0695167 1.73 2.73 4.11 Error 27 0.0400990 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS APPLIED TO A WOODVILLE SANDY TABLE 38 LOAM SOIL ON'PHE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS 121 CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Treatmentr- Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Treatment Number 1 2 3 4 Mean % % % 9% i? 1 1.27 1.31 1.10 1.19 1.22 2 1.41 1.40 1.26 1.28 1.34 3 1.32 1.30 1.26 1.17 1.26 4 1.53 1.34 1.24 1.33 1.36 5 1.37 1.30 1.26 1.28 1.30 6 1.48 1.37 1.42 1.34 1.40 7 1.33 1.34 1.96 1.24 1.47 8 1.39 1.30 1.34 1.33 1.34 9 1.45 1.38 1.45 1.51 1.45 10 1.41 1.20 1.54 1.46 1.40 11 1.37 1.08 1.39 1.42 1.32 12 1.37 1.01 1.44 1.20 1.25 13 2.51 2.15 2.60 2.36 2.40 14 2.41 1.88 2.49 2.52 2.33 15 2.48 1.91 1.95 2.58 2.23 16 2.28 1.69 2.63 2.20 2.20 17 2.36 1.91 2.27 2.37 2.23 18 2.18 2.27 2.60 2.39 2.36 19 2.53 2.72 2.58 2.24 2.52 20 2.28 2.34 2.03 2.34 2.25 21 , 2.37 2.18 2.22 2.38 2.29 22 2.24 2.71 1.75 4.50 2.80 23 2.47 2.23 2.47 2.11 2.32 24 2.02 2.15 2.44 2.10 2.18 25 1.90 1.69 1.78 2.12 1.87 26 1.65 1.73 1.93 1.68 1.75 27 1.89 1.91 1.68 1.83 1.83 * Treatments shown in Table 1 12 TABLE 39 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF TREATMENTS 1 to 24 ON THE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees ' F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Ca limestone 1 23.9500 251.84 3.98 7.01 Magnesium 3 0.1299 1.37 2.74 4.08 Potassium 2 0.0619 Ca limestone x Magnesium .3 0.0508 Ca limestone x Potassium 2 0.0132 Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.0888 Ca limestone x Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.0665 Error 72 0.0951 TABLE 40 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF LIME ON THE CALCIUM CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN 0N A.WO0DVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.Ol Kinds of lime 2 2.905750 152.85 3.35 5.49 Potassium 2 0.029575 1.56 3.35 5.49 Kinds of lime x Potassium 4 0.036587 1.92 2.73 4.11 Error 27 0.019010 123 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS APPLIED TO A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL ON THE MANGANESE CONTENT TABLE 41 0F BEAN PLANTS MANGANESE CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS Treatmentt— Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Treatment Number 1 2 3 4 Mean 73 % 3?: 7% 75 l .042 .057 .042 .055 .049 2 .068 .071 .049 .055 .061 3 .038 .061 .050 .059 .052 4 .088 .070 .063 .067 .072 5 .063 .069 .055 .057 .061 6 .083 .087 '.074 .074 .079 7 .059 .055 .062 .057 .058 8 .064 .069 .089 .077 .075 9 .068 .068 .065 .072 .068 10 .069 .048 .103 .085 .076 11 .074 .062 .089 .071 .074 12 .090 .051 .109 .082 .083 13 .014 .010 .011 .011 .012 14 .013 .009 .010 .012 .011 15 .018 .010 .012 .011 .013 16 .012 .009 .011 .039 .018 17 .013 .009 .011 .011 .011 18 .011 .011 .011 .012 .011 19 .013 .012 .014 .011 .013 20 .010 .012 .011 .013 .012 21' .014 .009 .011 .011 .011 22 .010 .011 .008 .021 .013 23 .013 .011 .013 .010 .012 24 .010 .011 .013 .012 .011 25 .013 .011 .011 .013 .012 26 .010 .011 .013 .011 .011 27 .011 .010 .011 .012 .011 *‘I‘reatments shown in Table 1 TABLE 42 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF TREATMENTS 1 to 24 ON THE MANGANESE CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Ca limestone 1 0.0731510 815.51 3.98 7.01 Magnesium 3 0.0004860 5.42 2.74 4.08 Potassium 2 0.0004775 5.32 3.13 4.92 Ca limestone x Magnesium 3 0.0003533 3.94 2.74 4.08 Ca limestone x Potassium 2 0.0006955 7.75 3.13 4.92 Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.0000640 Ca limestone x Magnesium x Potassium 6 0.0000385 Error 72 0.0000897 TABLE 43 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF LIME ON THE MANGANESE CONTENT OF BEAN PLANTS GRONN ON A WOODVILJE SANDY'LDAM SOIL Source Degrees F value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Kinds of lime 2 0.00979810 690.49 3.35 5.49 Potassium 2 0.00010935 7.71 3.35 5.49 Kinds of lime x Potassium 4 0.00011004 7.75 2.73 4.11 Error 27 0.00001419 12o TABLE 44 EFFECT OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS ON THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND MANGANESE CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A.WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL 127 SUM OF THE Ca, Mg, K AND Mn CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS Treatmenth'Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Treatment Number 1 2 3 4 Mean Milleglivalents per 100 gram 1 142.4 141.5 129.7 135.1 137.2 2 153.9 159.3 144.8 139.7 149.4 3 139.9 127.7 147.5 137.3 138.1 4 177.6 157.7 144.6 149.3 157.3 5 163.8 166.3 156.6 160.8 161.9 6 186.3 171.1 182.7 161.4 175.4 7 163.7 150.7 199.1 152.8 166.6 8 172.8 167.1 166.7 165.1 167.9 9 192.1 193.6 193.9 200.3 194.9 10 194.7 184.3 209.3 183.6 192.9 11 194.3 174.1 196.5 200.2 191.3 12 202.4 171.6 221.9 184.7 195.1 13 208.4 183.8 215.2 189.7 199.3 14 209.8 177.7 202.8 220.5 202.7 15 207.2 174.8 179.4 209.3 192.7 16 203.8 170.9 210.5 204.3 197.4 17 204.5 178.1 197.7 210.1 197.6 18 202.1 208.2 221.1 225.1 214.1 19 229.6 244.4 240.2 203.8 229.5 20 206.4 210.4 190.9 223.8 207.9 21 228.1 206.5 222.5 234.9 223.0 22 208.2 276.1 221.2 357.9 265.8 23 236.8 223.8 240.7 229.7 232.7 24 196.1 215.4 242.2 223.7 219.4 25 214.7 205.1 210.5 241.1 217.8 26 201.0 216.1 229.3 225.6 218.0 27 244.9 252.9 236.1 228.7 240.6 *‘Treatments shown in Table 1 TABLE 45 128 ANALYSIS or VARIANCE or THE EFFECT or TREATMENTS 1 to 24 ON THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND MANGANESE CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A.WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees F Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Ca limestone 1 51143.43 135.65 3.98 7.01 Magnesium 3 855.20 2.27 2.74 4.08 Potassium 2 14655.47 38.87 3.13 4.92 Ca limestone Magnesium 3 544.67 1.44 2.74 4.08 Ca limestone Potassium 2 255.81 Magnesium x - Potassium 6 387.10 Ca limestone Magnesium x Potassium 6 456.64 2.21 2.23 3.07 Error 72 377.02 TABLE 46 ANALXSIS OF VARIANCE OF THE EFFECT OF IJME AND POTASSIUM ON THE SUM OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND MANGANESE CONTENTS OF BEAN PLANTS GROWN ON A WOODVILLE SANDY LOAM SOIL Source Degrees P Value of of Mean Obtained Required Variation Freedom Square P.05 P.01 Potassium 2 4001.35 31.16 3.35 5.49 Kinds of Lime .2 11631.49 90.58 3.35 5.49 Potassium x Kinds of lime 4 429.41 3.34 2.73 4.11 Error 27 128.41 129 7. 130 BIBLIOGRAPHY Albrecht, w.A. and Schroeder, R.A. (1942) Plant nutrition and the hydrogen ion. 1 . Plant nutrients used most effectively in the presence of a significant concentration of hydrogen ions. Soil Sci. §§ (513-327). Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. (1945) Official and tentative methods of analysis. ed. 6, Washington, D.C. Bear, Firman E. and Prince, A.L. (1945) Cation equivalent constancy of alfalfa. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 31 (217-222). ---- and Toth, Stephen J. (1948) Influence of calcium on availability of other soil cations. Soil Sci. 65. (69-74). Blaser, R.F., Stokes, W.E., Glasscock, R.S. and Kellinger, G.B. (1943) The effect of fertilizer on the growth and grazing value of pasture plants. Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. ‘S. (271-275). ------ , Volk, G.M. and Stokes, w.E. (1942) Deficiency symptoms and chemical composition of lespedeza as related to fertilization. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. g3. (222-228). Bledsoo, Rope (1929) Idme, potash and alfalfa on Piedmont soils. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. g1.(792). Bouyoucos, G.J. (1951) A recalibration of the hydrometer method for making mechanical analysis of soils. Agron. Jour. 43. (434e438). Bower, 0.A. and Pierre, W.H. (1944) Potassium response of various crops on a high lime soil in relation to their contents of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. Ego (608-618) 0 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Boynton, Damon. (1945) Studies on the control of magnesium deficiency in New Yor? ap 1e orchards. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 46. 1‘5 0 ------- and Burrell, A.B. (1944) Potassium-induced magnesium deficiency in the McIntosh apple tree. Soil Sci. 3§,(441-454). ------- Cain, J. Carlton and Van Geluwe, John. (1943) Incipient magnesium deficiency in some New Yerk orchards. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 43. (95-100). Bradfield, R. and Peech, M. (1942) The effects of lime and magnesia on the absor tion of potassium by soil and plant. Amer. Fert. 21. $20). Carolus, R.L. (1935) The relation of potassium, calcium and sodium to magnesium deficiency. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 33. 695-599). ------- (1938) The use of rapid chemical plant nutrient tests in fertilizer deficiency and vegetable crop research. Va. Truck Exp. Sta. Bul. gg. (1527-1555). Chu, T.S. and Turk, IAM. (1948) Growth and nutrition of plants as affected by degree of base saturation of different types of clay minerals. Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. gig. Collander, R. (1941) Selective absorption of cations by higher plants. Plant Physiol. ;§.(691-720). Cook, R.L., and Millar, C.E. (1948) Plant nutrient deficiencies. Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta. Special Bul. 353. COOper, H.P. and Wilson, J.R. (1927) Correlation between electromotive series and oxidation potentials and plant and animal nutrition. Science 33. 629-631)- Drake, M. and Scarseth, G.D. (1939) Relative abilities of different plants to absorb potassium and the effects of different levels of potassium in the absorption of calcium and magnesium. Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. 10 (201-204). 132 21. Eisenmenger, w.S. and Kucinski, K.J. (1941) Magnesium requirements of plants. Mass. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 378. (11-12). 22. ------------------- (1940) Minerals in nutrition. II. The absorption by food plants of certain chemical elements important to human physiology and nutrition. Mass. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. gzg.(12-15). 25. Emmert, E.M. (1942) Plant-tissue tests as a guide to fertilizer treatment of tomatoes. Ky. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 430.(1-48). 24. ------ (1931) The effect of soil reaction on the growth of tomatoes and lettuce and on the nitrogen, phosphorus and manganese content of the soil and plant. Ky. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 334. 25. Fonder, J.F. (1929) Variations in potassium content of alfalfa due to stage of growth and soil type and the relationship of potassium to calcium in plants grown upon different soil types. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 31. (732-750). 26. Fraps, G.S., Fudge, L.F. and Reynolds, E.B. (1943) Effect of fertilization of a Cowley clay loam on the chemical composition of forage and carpet grass. Axonopus Offinis. Four. Amer. Soc. Agron. 33.(560-566). 27. Fudge, B.R. (1941) The mineral composition of citrus juice as influenced by soil treatment. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 34.(4-12). 28. Funchess, M.J. (1919) Acid soils and toxicity of manganese. Soil Sci. §.(69). 29. Garner, W.W., McMurtry, J.E. Jr., Bowling, J.D. Jr. and Moss, E.G. (1930) Magnesium and calcium requirements of the tobacco crop. Jour. Agr. Res. 39. (145-168). 30. Godden, W. and Grimmett, R.E.R. (1928) Factors affecting the iron and manganese content of plants with special reference to herbage causing "Pining" and "Brush” sickness. Jour. Agr. Sci. 33. (363-375). 31. Hale, J.E. and Heintze, S.G. (1946) Manganese toxicity affecting crOps on acid soils. Nature 157.(554). 32. 33. 34. (fl ()1 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 133 Harlow, L.C. and Whiteside, C.E. (1943) Soil Survey of the Annapolis Valley fruit growing area. Canada Dept. Agr. Ottawa. Tech. Bul. 41. Hirst, C.T. and Greaves, J.E. (1944) The nitrogen and mineral content of sugar beet sections. Hoagland, D.R. (1944) Lectures on inorganic nutrition of plants. Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, Mass. pp. (164-169). Jacks, G.V. and Scherbatoff, H. (1940) Minor elements in the soil. Imp. Bur. Soil. Sci. Tech. 00mm. £2. (18). Jenny, H. and Ayers, A.D. (1939) The influence of the degree of base saturation of soil colloids on the nutrient intake by roots. Soil Sci. g§.(443-459). Jacobson, H.G.M. and Swanback, T.R. (1932) Manganese content of certain Connecticut soils and its relation to the growth of tobacco. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron.‘§g.(237-245). Johston, M.0. (1924) Manganese chlorosis of pineapples, its cause and control. Hawaii Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 33. Kidson, E.B., Askew, H.o. and Chittenden, E. (1940) Magnesium deficiency of apples in the Nelson district, New Zealand. New Zealand Jour. Sci. and Technol. 3;.(305-318) Knowles, F., Watkin, J.E. and Cowie, G.A. (1940) Some effects of fertilizer interactions on growth and composition of the tomato plant. Jour. Agr. Sci. 39. (159-181). Lawes, J.E. and Gilbert, J.H. (1950) Summarized by E.W. Russell in "Soil conditions and plant growth". Longman, Green and Co., New York, ed. §.(14). ----- -----¥- (1950) Summarized by E.W. Russell in "Soil conditions and plant rowth". Longman,Green and Co., New York. ed. §.(l22-123) 1950 Ieeper, G.w. (1934) Relationship of soils to Manganese deficiency of plants. Nature. 154.(972-973). 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 134 Legatu, H. and Maume, L. (1924-1936) Investigations on leaf diagnosis. Collected notes from Comptes redus de l'Academe des Sciences. Annales del 'ecole nationals d'agriculture de Montpellier, N.S. 24. 4. (257-306). Notes translated and circulated by Imp. Bur. Fruit. Prod. East Malling, Kent. Lipman, 0.8. (1916) A critique of the hypothesis of the lime-magnesia ratio. Plant World. g2. (es-105). loehwing, W.F. (1925) Effects of lime and potash fertilizer on certain muck soils. Bot. Gaz. 89. (390-409). Loew, O. (1903) The physiological role of mineral nutrients in plants. U.S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Plant Ind. Bul. fig, (1905) ---- and May, D.W. (1901) The relation of lime and magnesium to plant growth. U.S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Plant Ind. Bul. l. Iorenz, 0.A. (1944) Studies on potato nutrition. 1. The effect of fertilizer treatment on the yield and composition of Kern county potatoes. Amer. Potato Jour. 33. (172-192). fucasa Robert E., Scarseth, George D. and Siéling, Dale H. 1942 Soil fertility level as it influences plant nutrient compotition and consumption. Ind. Agr. Sta. Bul. 468. lundegardh, H. (1934) Leaf analysis as a guide to soil fertility. Nature. 151.(310-311). Macy, P. (1936) The quantitative mineral nutrient requirements of plants. Plant Physiol. ll.(749-764). Mann, H.B. (1930) Availability of manganese and iron as affected by applications of calcium and magnesium carbonates, to the Soil. Soil Sci. 39. (117-133). Marshall, C.E. (1944) The exchangeable bases of two Missouri soils in relation to composition of four pasture species. Mo. Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. Bul. 333. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 65. 64. 65. McHargue, J.S. (1923) Effect of different concentrations of manganese sulfate on the growth of plants in acid and neutral soil and the necessity of manganese as a plant nutrient. Jour. Agr. Res. 24, (781-794). Mitscherlich, E.A. (1909) Das Gesetz des minimums und das Gesetz des abnehmenden Bodenertrages. Landw. Jb. 3§.(537-552). Abstracted by E.W. Russell, Soil Conditions and Plant rowth, Longman, Green and Co., New Yerk. ed. §.'Gl-e2). Moser, F. (1933) The calcium-magnesium ratio in soils and its relation to crop growth. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. g§.(555-577). Peech, M., Alexander, L.T., Dean, L.A. and Reed, J.F. (1947) Methods of soil analysis for soil fertility investigations. U.S. Dept. Agr. Washington, Circ.No.757. ----- and Bradfield, R. (1943) The effect of lime and magnesia on the soil potassium and on the absorption of potassium by plants. Soil Sci. gg. (37-48). Pierre, W.H.and Bower, 0.A. (1943) Potassium absorption by plants as affected by cationic relationships. Soil Sci. gg. (23-26). Piper, 0.3. (1942) Soil and plant analysis. A laboratory manual of methods for the examination of soils and the deter- mination of the inorganic constituents of plants. A monograph from the Waite Agr. Res. Inst. The University of Adelaide. Adelaide. Plummer, J.K. (1921) Effect of liming in the availability of soil potassium, phosphorus and sulfur. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 33, (162-171). Questions and answers on liming land. N.J. Agr.Exp.Sta. B111. 754. 1951. Rigg, Theodore. (1940) Fruit Research. Cawthorn Inst. Nelson, New Zealand. Ann. Rept. (17-22). Russell, E.w. (1950) Soil conditions and plant growth. Longman's, Green and Co. New York. ed. 3, (437). 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 130 Schollenberger, J.J. and Dreibelbis, F.R. (1929) Effect of cropping upon exchangeable bases. Soil Sci. g3. (371-394). Schroeder, R.A. and Albrecht, W.A. (1942) Plant nutrition and the hydro en ion. II Potato scabs. Soil Sci. §§. (481-488 . Shear, C.E., Crane, H.S. and Meyers, A.T. (1948) Applications of the concept of interpretation of foliar analysis. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 2;. (519-526) 0 ---------------- (1946) Nutrient element balance. A fundamental concept in plant nutrition. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 41. Sheets, 0.A. and associates. (1940) Effect of fertilizer, soil composition and certain climatological conditions on the calcium and phos- phorus content of turnip greens. Jour. Agr.Res. _6_8_e (145-190) 0 Sherman, G. Donald and Harmer, Paul M. (1941) Manganese deficiency of oats on alkaline organic soils. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 33.(1080-1092). Skinner, J.J. (1914) The action of manganese in soils. U.S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 23. Skinner, Jo Jo Plant-nutrient deficiencies in vegetables or truck- crop plants. Hunger signs in crops. Amer. Soc. Agron. and National Fertilizer Assoc. Washington, D.C. Southwick, Iawrence (1943) Magnesium deficiency in Massachusetts apple orchards. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. g§.(85-94). Spurway, C.H. (1944) Soil testing, a practical system of soil fertility diagnosis. Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 333. 3rd. rev. Standford, G., Kelly, J.B. and Pierre, W.H. (1941) Cation balance in corn grown on high-lime soils in relation to potassium deficiency. Proc. 8011 Sci.Soc. Amer. 3. (335-341). 137 77. Stobbe, P.C. and Ieahey, A. (1948) Guide for the selection of a ricultural soils. Canada Dept. Agr. Pub. 748. 13-15). 78. swanbaCk, T.R. (1939) Antagonistic phenomena and cation absorption in tobacco in the presence and absence of manganese and boron. Plant Physiol. 34. (423-426). 79. -------- and Le Compte, S.B.(l94l) Report of tobacco substation at Windsor, Conn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 444. 80. Thomas, w. (1957) Foliar diagnosis: Applications of the concepts of quantity and quality in determining response to fertilizers. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 33.(269-273). 81. ------ (1957) Foliar analysis: Principles and practices. Plant Physiol. g3. (571-573). 82. ------ (1922) Mathematical expression of equilibrium between lime, magnesia and potash in plants. Science §§.(222-223). 85. ------ (1945) Present status of diagnosis of mineral requirements of plants by leaf analysis. Soil Sci. 32. (339-342). 84. ------ and¥Mack, W.B. (1944) Effect of different carriers of nitrogen in the nutrition of the potato. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. gg. (346-354). 85. ------ ---- (1941) Diagnosis study of the nutrition of greenhouse tomatoes in relation to the incidence of a disease. Pa. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. $93. 86. ------ ---- (1959) Foliar diagnosis: Physiological balance between bases, lime, magnesia and potash. Plant Physiol. gg.(e99-715). 87. ------ ---- (1939) The foliar diagnosis of Zea-Mays subjected to differential fertilizer treatment. Jour. Agr. Res. 58. ‘ 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. Tyson, J. (1939) Use of fertilizer and lime on native pastures in Michigan. Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 167. Ulrich, A. (1945) Plant analysis as a diagnostic procedure. Soil Sci. pp. (101-112). Vandecaveye, 8.0. and Baker, 0.0. (1944) Chemical composition of certain forage crops as affected by fertilizers and soil types. Jour. Agr. Res. 3§.(l91-220). Wallace, T. (1951) The diagnosis of mineral deficiencies in plants. His Majestys Stationary Office, Iondon. Wallace, T., Hewitt, E.J. and Nicholas, D.J.D. (1945) Determination of factors injurious to plants in acid soils. Nature. 156. (778-792). Van Itallie, T.B. (1938) Cationic equilibria in plants in relation to the soil. Soil Sci. 43. (175-186). Viets, F.G. Jr. (1942) Effects of calcium and other divalent ions on the accumulation of monovalent ions by barley root cells. Science 23. (486-487). Von Leibig, Justus. (1840) Organic Chemistry in its applications to agriculture and physiology. Taylor and Walton, London. Walsh, T. and Clarke, E.J. (1945) Chlorosis of tomatoes in relation to potassium and magnesium nutrition. Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc. ZQ.(202-227). ----------- (1945) Chlorosis of tomatoes with particular reference to potassium-magnesium relations, Proc. Roy. Irish Acad. 505. (245-265). ----- and Donahue, Thomas F. (1945) Magnesium deficiency in some crop plants in relation to the level of potassium nutrition. Jour. Agr. Sci. §§. (254-263). Weeks, M.E., Fergus, E.N. and Karraker, P.E. (1940) The composition of corn plants grown under field in relation to the soil and its treatment. Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. 5. (140-146). 100. 101. 102. 103. 139 Wicklund, R.E. and Smith, G.R. (1948) Soil survey of Colchester county. Nova Scotia Soil Survey Rept. No. 3. Willard, D.R. and Smith, J.B. (1938) The effect of magnesia versus calcic liming materials on calcium in vegetables, forage crops and on certain soil properties. R.I. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 233, Wrenshall, C.L. and Marcelle, L.S. (1941) Pasture studies. XVIII. The availability, utili- zation and fixation of potassium applied to permanent pastures. Scientific Agr. 3;. (448-458). Yort, E.T. Jr., Bradfield, Richard and Peech, Michael. (1954 Influence of lime and potassium on yield and cation composition of plants. Soil Sci. zz.(55-65).