PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM SUPPLY FOR ALFALFA IN SOILS SAMPLED AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS

Results of a greenhouse experiment, comprising soil samples taken at three depths from each of six locations in eastern Ontario, indicated that the phosphorus-supplying power of the surface was considerably greater than that of the corresponding subsurface samples of four of the soils. The relative amounts of total phosphorus in surface and subsurface samples varied with the soils, the most pronounced variation being an increase in a sandy soil with depth. The proportion of the total phosphorus found in organic form varied from 18 to 56 per cent in the surface and from 5 to 33 per cent in the subsurface samples. The amounts of acid-soluble phosphorus extracted from five of the soils increased with depth. The amounts of NaHCO3-soluble phosphorus were higher in the surface than in the subsurface samples of five of the soils. The values for acid-soluble phosphorus in five of the soils and for NaHC03-soluble phosphorus in three of the soils were not in agreement with greenhouse results.The data from the greenhouse experiment did not indicate a pronounced difference between the potassium-supplying powers of corresponding surface and subsurface samples. Exchangeable potassium did not vary appreciably between surface and subsurface samples of four of the soils but decreased in two of the soils with depth. Water-soluble potassium decreased with depth in most instances.