Evaluation of four soil test extractants for Zimbabwe soils

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this research was to compare the results from anion exchange Resin extraction of P, and the acidified ammonium acetate (AA) extraction of K and Mg with the results obtained using two single extraction procedures, Mehlich 1 (M‐l) and Mehlich 3 (M‐3). Phosphorus extracted from 72 Zimbabwe soils using M‐l and M‐3 was comparable to Resin extracted P in about 80% of the soils. Mehlich 1 extracted about half the amount of P as the Resin method, and M‐3 extracted about one and one‐half times as much. Phosphorus by M‐3 was highly correlated, (r — 0.846), with Resin extracted P from soils having 0.01M CaCl2 pH values of equal to or greater than 5.9. On soils less than pH 5.9, the r value was 0.502, and for all soils, the r value for M‐3 vs Resin P was 0.615. Mehlich 1 extracted P vs Resin P had a r value of 0.298. Acidified ammonium acetate (AA) extraction of K and Mg was comparable to M‐l and M‐3 extraction of K and Mg in 92% or more of the 72 soils. The K correlation coefficient (r) for AA vs M‐l and AA vs M‐3 was 0.918 and 0.944, respectively. The Mg correlation coefficient (r) for AA vs M‐l and AA vs M‐3 was 0.940 and 0.962, respectively.