Oct. 6, 1923 
Action of Sodium Nitrite in the Soil 
3 
Soil No. 11079 i s classified as a brown clay loam, and has a lime require¬ 
ment of 4.5 tons of calcium carbonate to the acre. 
Soil No. 11080 is a medium sandy loam, and is a type representative 
of a large area of coast lands. It has the very high lime requirement of 
9.7 tons to the acre. 
The results given in Table I show the amounts in gm. of nitrites and 
nitrates contained in each pot of 400 gm. of soil. The nitrites are 
reported as gm. of sodium nitrite, since 0.4 gm. of this salt was added to 
each pot, while the nitrates are calculated as N 0 3 . 
Table I .—Lots of nitrites added to acid soils 
Nitrite and nitrate after interval named. 
Soil 
No. 
Treatment. 
Immediately. 
48 hours. 
6 days. 
14 days. 
30 days. 
NaNOa. 
NO3. 
NaNOa. 
NOs. 
NaNOa. 
NOs. 
NaNOa. 
NOa. 
NaNOa. 
NOa. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Gm 
11076 
Control. 
None. 
0.062 
None. 
0.062 
Trace. 
0.073 
None. 
a 079 
None. 
0.034 
0.4 gm. NaNOa. 
0.310 
.071 
0.099 
.071 
Trace. 
.082 
Trace, 
.088 
11076 
0.4 gm. NaNOa+o.6gm. 
CaCOa. 
. 402 
.071 
. 263 
. 071 
0. 2x5 
.094 
0.178 
. 104 
0 .106 
112 
11077 
Control. 
None. 
. 012 
None. 
. 012 
None. 
.014 
None. 
.017 
None. 
CSI 
11077 
0.4 gm. NaN02. 
.381 
. 036 
. 189 
. 036 
.015 
.034 
.003 
.030 
Trace. 
29 
11077 
0.4 gm. NaNOa + 0.6 
gm. CaCOa. 
• 395 
.034 
• 392 
.034 
. 280 
.032 
.283 
.034 
. 160 
.031 
11079 
Control. 
None. 
.015 
None. 
.0x5 
None. 
. 017 
None. 
. 020 
None. 
. 029 
0.4 gm. NaNO®,____ 
.340 
• 035 
.035 
Trace. 
• 043 
None. 
. 036 
11079 
0.4 gm. NaNOa + 1.0 
gm. CaC 03 . 
. 400 
• 035 
. 241 
• 035 
. 238 
• 038 
. 124 
.050 
. 006 
.034 
None. 
None. 
. 027 
None. 
. 027 
None. 
.027 
11080 
0.4 gm. NaNOa + 2.0 
. 320 
. 025 
. 056 
.025 
Trace. 
. 030 
11080 
0.4 gm. NaNOa 4 - 1.5 
gm. Ca(OH)a. 
. 326 
. 030 
. 052 
.030 
Trace. 
. 029 
11080 
0.4 gm. NaNOa +0.5 
. 017 
xxo8o 
0.4 gm. NaNOa 4 - 4.0 
gm. CaC 03 + 5 gm- 
CaH 4 (P 04 )a. 
. 285 
.031 
. 216 
. 029 
.116 
.007 
.025 
11080 
0.4 gm. NaNOa + 3* 0 
gm. Ca (OH)a. 
. 362 
.024 
.294 
.025 
.203 
. 028 
.034 
• 037 
The data recorded in Table I present some unexpected results. In all 
soils that had received the sodium nitrite treatment only there was a 
rapid loss of nitrites until the total amount added had disappeared. 
Furthermore, the disappearance of nitrites was an actual loss, instead of a 
change from the nitrite to the nitrate form. This is plainly evident, 
since the increase in nitrates in the pots treated with sodium nitrite was 
approximately the same as in the control pots where no sodium nitrite 
had been added. Even treatment with calcium carbonate did not 
promote nitrification of the nitrites as might have been expected. 
Rather, the calcium carbonate functioned by retarding the loss of 
nitrites. 
Examination of the results given at each interval for the different 
soils shows that the more acid the soil the more quickly are the nitrites 
lost. Where the soils had received calcium carbonate treatment the 
nitrites were retained longer. Apparently, therefore, the addition of 
calcium carbonate neutralized to a certain extent the acidity of the soil 
and thus retarded the rapid loss of nitrites. Both soils No. 11076 and 
11077 lost in the course of six days practically all of the nitrite added. 
