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The Use of the Harvested Part of the Crop in Estimating the Effect of Cotton Fertilizers on the Base Supply of the Soil
Author(s) -
Andrews W. B.,
Cowart Roland
Publication year - 1940
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1940.036159950004000c0084x
Subject(s) - citation , crop , base (topology) , agriculture , agricultural experiment station , agricultural science , mathematics , library science , computer science , agricultural engineering , agronomy , environmental science , geography , archaeology , engineering , biology , mathematical analysis
X TITROGENOUS fertilizers exert a greater influ•L N ence upon the base supply of the soil than do other fertilizers in common use. Sixty-nine per cent of the nitrogen used for fertilizers for the year ending June 30, 1934 was used in the southern states (5). The percentage of the fertilizer used which was applied to cotton by states in 1938 (8) was: North Carolina 18%, South Carolina y)%, Georgia 41%, Alabama 61%, Mississippi 64%, and Louisiana 40%. Since such a large proportion of the fertilizer is used under cottofi, it appears that the lime necessary to neutralize cotton fertilizers should receive special consideration. The only data available on the neutralization of nitrogenous fertilizers applied to cotton is that of Tidmore and Williamson (11) who concluded that "it will be necessary... to add more than the theoretical amount of lime.. .because of the removal of calcium by the plants and by leaching". The theoretical amount of lime to add with nitrogenous fertilizers is determined by the method of Pierre (9, 10) who concluded from colorimetric pH determinations on greenhouse soils that "51% of the nitrogen was taken up by the plant as nitric acid," and 49% as a salt like calcium nitrate. From these data he concluded that 1.8 pounds of CaCOs equivalent should be added with each pound of nitrogen applied in fertilizers. According to Pierre's method the base content of soils on which calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate have been applied for long periods of time should have increased 1.35 and 1.80 pounds of CaCOs equivalent for each pound of nitrogen applied, respectively. Calculations based on the data of Fudge (2) show increases of -0.19, o.io, -0.35, 1.98, 0.35, o.io, o.oo, and 0.70 pounds of CaCOs equivalent where nitrate of soda was applied, and 0.54 and 0.82 pounds CaCOa equivalent per pound of nitrogen where calcium nitrate was applied. Evidently this method is not in agreement with the results obtained under field conditions. Workers who have investigated the effect of fertilizers on soil bases agree that the sulfur and chlorine decrease the base supply in the soil, while the sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium increase it.