Abstract
Total Al concentration or pH in 1∶5 10 mM CaCl2 extracts and exchangeable Al in 100 mM BaCl2 extracts cannot always distinguish between Al-toxic and Al-nontoxic topsoils. Our objectives were to compare the abilities of different measures of Al and pH in various extracts to predict the effects of acidity on growth and nodulation of subterranean clover. In a glasshouse experiment,Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. Mt Barker was grown in acidic soils from 3 sites in the Western Australian wheatbelt with different histories of phosphate fertilizer application. The pH was adjusted to give a range of 3.8–7 in the centrifuged soil solution (SS). Total (Al-tot), reactive Al (8-hydroxyquinoline-extractable, Al-HQ) and pH were measured in SS and 1∶5 extracts of KCl, CaCl2 and LaCl3. Another method of estimating reactive Al (Al which reacts with Chelex-100) was also measured in SS only. Other measurements included exchangeable Al and H, Ca in SS, and P in SS and the CaCl2 extracts. Both plant growth and early nodulation decreased with increasing acidity. Plant growth in the acidified and unlimed treatments of all soils was best described by Al-HQ in SS, KCl or CaCl2 (r2=0.68–0.70). Multiple regression of relative yield against Al or pH with the concentration of P in SS increased the percentage variation explained by 10% and 30%, respectively. Early nodulation was well correlated (r2=0.67–0.91) with pH or exch. H, Al-tot or exch. Al and Al-HQ. No improvement in the correlation was gained by including P using multiple regression. At constant ionic strength, increasing the valence of the extracting cation decreased the ability of soil tests to distinguish phytotoxic Al.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abacus Concepts Inc. 1988 Statview v 1.03. Abacus Concepts Inc., 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley, CA.
Adams F and Hathcock P J 1984 Aluminium toxicity and calcium deficiency in acid subsoil horizons of two coastal plains soil series. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 48, 1305–1309.
Blamey F P C, Edwards D G and Asher C J 1983 Effects of aluminium, OH:Al and P:Al molar ratios, and ionic strength on soybean root elongation in solution culture. Soil Sci. 136, 197–207.
Cameron R S, Ritchie G S P and Robson A D 1986 Relative toxicities of inorganic aluminium complexes to barley. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50, 1231–1236.
Castellan G W 1970 Physical Chemistry. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Conyers M K and Scott B J 1989 The influence of surface incorporated lime on subsurface soil acidity. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 29, 201–207.
Coventry D R and Evans J 1989 Symbiotic nitrogen fixation and soil acidity.In Soil Acidity and Plant Growth. Ed. A D Robson. pp 103–137. Academic Press, Australia.
Dougan W K and Wilson A L 1974 The absorptiometric determination of aluminium in water. A comparison of some chromogenic reagents and the development of an improved method. Analyst 99, 413–430.
Gillman G P 1976 A centrifuge method for obtaining soil solution. CSIRO Aust. Div. Soils, Div. Rep. No. 16.
Gillman G P and Bell L C 1978 Soil solution studies on weathered soils from tropical North Queensland. Aust. J. Soil Res. 16, 67–77.
Hanson W C 1950 The photometric determination of phosphorus in fertilizers using the phosphovanadomolybdate complex. J. Sci. Food Agric. 1, 172–173.
Hue N V, Craddock G R and Adams F 1986 Effect of organic acids on aluminium toxicity in subsoils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50, 28–34.
James B R, Clarke C J and Riha S J 1983 An 8-hydroxyquinoline method for labile and total aluminium in soil extracts. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 47, 893–897.
John M K 1970 Colorimetric determination of phosphorus in soil and plant materials with ascorbic acid. Soil Science 109, 214–220.
Johnson C M and Ulrich A 1959 Analytical methods for use in plant analysis. Calif. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull. No. 766.
Kerven G L, Edwards D G, Asher C J, Hallman P S and Kokot S 1989a Aluminium determination in soil solution. I. Evaluation of existing colorimetric and separation methods for the determination of inorganic monomeric aluminium in the presence of organic acid ligands. Aust. J. Soil Res. 27, 79–90.
Kerven G L, Edwards D G, Asher C J, Hallman P S and Kokot S 1989b Aluminium determination in soil solution. II. Short term colorimetric procedures for measurement of inorganic monomeric aluminium in the presence of organic acid ligands. Aust. J. Soil Res. 27, 91–102.
Kim M K, Asher C J, Edwards D G and Data R A 1985a Aluminium toxicity: Effects on growth and nodulation of subterranean clover. Proc. of the XV Intern. Grasslands Conference.
Kim M K, Edwards D G and Asher C J 1985b Tolerance ofTrifolium subterraneum cultivars to low pH. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 36, 569–78.
McLaughlin M J and James T R 1989 The effect of subsurface aluminium on the growth and uptake of surface-applied phosphorus by wheat seedlings. J. Plant Nutr. 12, 603–620.
McLaughlin M J, Baker T G, James T R and Rundle J A 1990 Distribution and forms of phosphorus and aluminium in acidic topsoils under pastures in south-eastern Australia. Aust. J. Soil Res. 28, 371–385.
Munns D N 1965 Soil acidity and growth of a legume. II. Reactions of aluminium and phosphate in solution and effects of aluminium, calcium and pH onMedicago sativa L. andTrifolium subterraneum L. in solution culture. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 16, 743–755.
Noble A D, Sumner M E and Alva A K 1988 Comparison of aluminon and 8-hydroxyquinoline in the presence of fluoride for assaying phytotoxic aluminium. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52, 1059–1063.
Ritchie G S P, Nelson M P and Whitten M G 1988 The estimation of free aluminium and the competition between fluoride and humate anions for aluminium. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 19, 857–871.
Robson A D and Loneragan J F 1970 Nodulation and growth ofMedicago truncatula on acid soils. 1. Effect of calcium carbonate and inoculation level on the nodulation ofMedicago truncatula on a moderately acid soil. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 21, 427–434.
Rothamsted Statistics Department 1987 Genstat 5 release 1.2. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, U.K.
Tan K H and Binger A 1986 Effect of humic acid on aluminium toxicity in corn plants. Soil Science. 141, 20–25.
Uren N C 1989 Rhizosphere reactions of aluminium and manganese. J. Plant Nutr. 12, 173–185.
Whitten M G and Ritchie G S P 1991 Soil Tests for Aluminium Toxicity in the Presence of Organic Matter: Laboratory Development and Assessment. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 22 (In press).
Williams C H 1980 Soil acidification under clover pasture. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 20, 561–567.
Wright R J and Wright S F 1987 Effects of aluminium and calcium on the growth of subterranean clover in Appalachian soils. Soil Science 143, 341–348.
Wright R J, Baligar V C and Wright S F 1987 Estimation of phytotoxic aluminium in soil solution using three spectrophotometric methods. Soil Science 144, 224–232.
Yeomans J C and Bremner J M 1988 A rapid and precise method for routine determination of organic carbon in soil. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 19, 1467–1476.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Whitten, M.G., Ritchie, G.S.P. A comparison of soil tests to predict the growth and nodulation of subterranean clover in aluminium-toxic topsoils. Plant Soil 136, 11–24 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02465215
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02465215