Fluorine, its effect on plant growth and its relation to the availability to plants of phosphorus in phosphate rocks

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1935 · Soil Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-193509000-00002· OSTI ID:6474158

Bartholomew, R P

To learn the effect of soluble fluorine compounds on seed germination, plant growth, and phosphate availability, solution cultures, pot tests, etc., were made at the Arkansas Experiment Station with Sudan grass, cowpeas, soybeans, red clover, and white Dutch clover as test plants. Concentrations of fluorine as large as 50 ppm did not seem to decrease significantly the germination of any of these species. The germination of white Dutch clover was markedly increased by the presence of calcium fluoride and sodium fluosilicate. Soluble fluorides up to 10 ppm fluorine did not materially decrease the amounts of dry matter produced by cowpeas grown in culture solution. The addition of soluble fluorine compounds to the soil did not seem to affect the availability of the phosphorus in the soil or that added as monocalcium phosphate. The presence of fluorine in naturally occurring phosphate rocks greatly influenced the availability of their phosphorus to plants. Specific correlations were found between both the total amounts of dry matter produced by Sudan grass grown in an acid silt loam soil and the milligrams of phosphorus found in the plants with the milligrams of fluorine added to the soil in the phosphate rocks. Fluorine in the plants was found largely in the roots, and was present in the tops only when the amounts in the roots were relatively large. A general tendency of the phosphorus percentage in the tops to decrease as the percentage of fluorine in the roots increased was noted. Evidence given is considered to substantiate the theory that the availability of the phosphorus in rock phosphate is largely a matter of the rate of solution of the rock phosphate.

• OSTI ID: 6474158
• Journal Information: Soil Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Soil Sci.; (United States) Vol. 40; ISSN SOSCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUORINE
GERMINATION
GROWTH
HALOGENS
METABOLISM
NONMETALS
PHOSPHORUS
PLANTS
UPTAKE