BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 42 



Contribution from the Bureau of Soils, Milton Whitney, Chief. 

 April 3, 1914. 



(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 



THE ACTION OF MANGANESE IN SOILS. 1 



By J. J. Skinner and M. X. Sullivan, 



Assisted by J. H. Beattie, F. R. Reid, and H. Winckelmann, 

 Scientists in Soil Fertility Investigations. 



The effect of manganese on soils and crop yields is a question of 

 much interest and has caused considerable comment for the last few 

 years. Practically no work on its use as a fertilizer has been reported 

 as done in this country, and only a limited number of tests are 

 reported in foreign literature. 



The present paper embodies the results of a series of experiments 

 upon the effect of manganese salts in soils. These results it is believed 

 throw some light on the action of manganese. 



The quantity of manganese differs considerably, but it occurs in 

 small amounts in practically all soils. It has been found in a number 

 of soils in rather large quantities. In Wolff's 2 tables are men- 

 tioned four soils, each of a distinct type, where the manganese ex- 

 pressed as manganese dioxide varies from 0.042 per cent in a humus 

 soil to 0.135 per cent in a loamy soil. More recently Kelley 3 has 

 reported some pineapple soils that contain in some cases less than 

 0.1 per cent and others as high as 9.74 per cent Mn 3 4 . Robinson,* 

 of the Bureau of Soils, has examined 26 American soils and found 

 each to contain manganese, varying in amounts from 0.01 to 0.51 



1 This study of the action of manganese in soils has been made from various viewpoints and has accord- 

 ingly involtred otherwise separate lines of investigation. The cultural tests, including the growth of plants 

 in pots and solution cultures, together with the oxidation effects on plant roots, were made by Mr. Skinner 

 and Mr. Beattie, while the field experiments were executed by Mr. Winckelmann. The oxidation and 

 catalytic experiments on the field soils were made by Dr. Sullivan and Mr. Reid. The experiments 

 demanded close cooperation between the various workers to produce the results obtained.— Oswald 

 Schreinek, Scientist in charge. 



*Wolff, E., Aschen-Analysen, von Land und Forstwirthschaftlichen Producten. 2, 16 (1870-1880). 



8 Kelley , W. P. , The influence of manganese on the growth of pineapples. Press Bui. 23, Hawaii Expt. 

 Sta. Jour. Ind. and Eng. chem. 1, 533 (1909). 



* Sullivan, M. X., and Robinson, W. O., Manganese as a fertilizer. Cir. 75, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture (1912). 



Note.— The results given in this bulletin throw considerable light on the effect of this catalytic fertil- 

 izer in various soils. Manganese as a fertilizer is comparatively unknown and untried in this country, so 

 that discussion of its action is necessarily scientific, yet of great interest to those growers whose technical 

 trainingdnduces them to experiment with new substances to increase or control crop production, 



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