Use of paper cups as an extraction vessel for soil nutrient‐element analysis

To compare the wax coated paper cups with Erlenmeyer flasks as nutrients extraction vessels and to compare their cost effectiveness, 45 soil samples with a wide range in properties were selected. Samples 1–25 were analyzed for extractable P, K, Ca, and Mg and 26–45 for Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu first time using wax coated paper cups, and a second time using Erlenmeyer flasks as the extraction vessel. The levels of each nutrient extracted in Erlenmeyer flasks and those in paper cups were almost identical. The coefficient of correlation between the levels of each nutrient (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) extracted in paper cups and those extracted in Erlenmeyer flasks were highly significant. Paper cups appeared to be more cost effective than Erlenmeyer flasks.