JOURNAL OF ACRfflTlAL RESEARCH 
Voe. XXVI Washington, D. C., October 6, 1923 No. 1 
ACTION OF SODIUM NITRITE IN THE SOIL 1 
By R. H. Robinson 
Associate Chemist, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station 
INTRODUCTION 
During the past three years a substitute for Chile nitrate of soda has 
been manufactured and offered for sale in the Northwest as a fertilizer. 
Air is utilized as the source of nitrogen and apparently the Birkeland and 
Eyde process is followed in part. The material has been somewhat vari¬ 
able in composition, but recently a uniform product has been. obtained 
containing 17.5 per cent total nitrogen, of which 14.0 per cent is in the 
nitrite form and 3.5 per cent in the nitrate form. 
When we consider that most of the nitrogen in this product is present 
in the nitrite form, it is important to know its effects upon growing plants 
and its action in the soil. When sodium nitrite is applied to the soil as a 
fertilizer in quantities similar to the amounts advised for sodium nitrate, 
will the nitrite change as rapidly into the nitrate form as it is assumed 
the change takes place when nitrites are normally formed in the soil 
through the activity of the nitroso-bacteria ? Furthermore, if the 
change from nitrite to nitrate is slow, what will be the effects of large 
quantities of nitrites upon the germinating seed and its subsequent 
growth? 
A review of the literature does not disclose any definite information 
on the oxidation of nitrites that have been added to the soil. Data 
on the effects of nitrites on the growing plant are also somewhat incon¬ 
clusive. H. G. Soderbaum (4) 2 in pot experiments and field tests 
concluded that 1 to 20 parts of nitrites per 100 parts of sodium nitrate 
were beneficial to oats and potatoes. O. Kellner ( 2 ) and A. Stutzer (5) 
both state that nitrites affect seed germination and retard early growth. 
The latter obtained an excellent growth of soybeans after the young 
plants had recovered from the early effects of nitrites. Both warned 
against the presence of nitrites in commercial fertilizer, except in very 
small amounts. L. Grandeau (1) reported that nitrites compared favor¬ 
ably with nitrates for corn and potatoes. B. Schulze ( 3 ) observed 
that calcium nitrite reduced the yields of cereals to a marked extent 
and concluded that nitrites are an objectionable constituent of com¬ 
mercial fertilizers. O. Treboux ( 6 ) studied the availability of various 
forms of nitrogen in water culture and reported that nitrites are generally 
available in alkaline solutions, but poisonous in acid solutions, depend¬ 
ing upon the concentration. In a general way, it may be concluded 
1 Accepted for publication July 31, 1923. 
* Reference is made by number (italic) to “Literature cited,” p. 7. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
agp. 
Vol. XXVI, No. 1 
Oct. 6, 1923 
Key No. Oreg.—9 
60372—23 - 1 
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