Oct 6, 1923 
Action of Sodium Nitrite in the Soil 
5 
of calcium, calculated as CaO, and is comparatively high in organic 
matter. 
Soil No. 9675 is a gravelly loam and is likewise neutral. It contains 
4.9 per cent of calcium, calculated as CaO, but is low in organic matter. 
Soil No. 9615 is a clay adobe, very alkaline in reaction, and contains 
10.36 per cent of free calcium carbonate. 
Soils No. 9618 and No. 9619 are also classified as clay adobe soils, and 
contain 0.13 per cent and 3.23 per cent, respectively, of free calcium car¬ 
bonate. 
Soil No. 12280 is an alkali soil, containing 740 parts per million of water- 
soluble solids, of which 460 parts are sodium carbonate. 
The soils were prepared in the same manner as in the former series, 
and 400 gm. of the dry soil were placed in each pot. Table II contains 
the amount of sodium nitrite and of nitrate as N 0 3 in grams found in 
each pot at the time specified. 
Table II .—Decomposition of nitrites added to neutral and alkaline soils 
Nitrite and nitrate after interval named. 
Soil 
No. 
Treatment. 
Immediately. 
48 hours. 
6 days. 
30 days. 
NaNO a . 
NO3. 
NaN 0 8 . 
NO3. 
NaNO z . 
NO3. 
NaN 0 2 . 
NOa. 
9673 
Control. 
Gm. 
None. 
Gm. 
0.018 
Gm. 
None. 
Gm. 
0.018 
Gm. 
Trace. 
Gm. 
0. 024 
Gm. 
None. 
Gm. 
0.037 
9673 
0.4 gm. NaNOa. 
0. 396 
• 030 
0. 281 
. 030 
0. 082 
. 038 
Trace. 
. 066 
9675 
Control. 
None. 
.009 
None. 
. 009 
None. 
. 012 
None. 
. 021 
967s 
0.4 gm. NaNOa. 
. 400 
.015 
.320 
.015 
. 240 
. 016 
Trace. 
.031 
9615 
Control. 
None. 
.003 
None. 
. 003 
None. 
. 005 
None. 
. 003 
9615 
0.4 gm. NaN02. 
.409 
. 010 
.405 
. 010 
.336 
. on 
0.172 
. 009 
9618 
Control. 
None. 
. 008 
None. 
. 008 
None. 
. 016 
None. 
. 020 
9618 
0.4 gm. NaN02. 
• 396 
. 014 
. 360 
. 014 
.316 
. 021 
. 121 
. 016 
9619 
Control. 
None. 
. 004 
None. 
. 004 
None. 
.005 
None. 
. 006 
9619 
0.4 gm. NaN02. 
. 406 
. 012 
• 394 
. 012 
.388 
. 014 
. 176 
.009 
12280 
Control. 
None. 
. 017 
None. 
. 017 
None. 
.015 
None. 
. 019 
12280 
0.4 gm. NaN02. 
. 400 
. 032 
. 400 
. 032 
• 390 
. 028 
• 340 
. 030 
Again, the results obtained were not in accord with expectations. 
There was a gradual loss of nitrites from all soils, whether neutral or 
alkaline. Furthermore, the decomposition of nitrites was probably 
similar to that occurring with the first series, and not a nitrification 
process, since the increase in nitrate was negligible. 
It will be observed that soil No. 9673 lost its nitrites rapidly, and after 
six days only a small amount remained, while the decomposition of 
nitrites in soil No. 9675 occurred much more slowly. Although both 
soils were about neutral in reaction, the presence of a large amount of 
organic matter in soil No. 9673 probably caused the rapid decomposition 
of the nitrites present. 
Soils Nos. 9615, 9618, and 9619, all of which normally contain various 
amounts of free calcium carbonate, retained the nitrites longer than the 
other soils discussed, but showed gradual loss. After six days’ incuba¬ 
tion no water was added to maintain the initial moisture content in these 
soils, and at the end of 30 days it had diminished to between 2 and 3 
per cent. This treatment, which will be referred to later, contributed 
to the loss of nitrites. 
The result obtained with soil No. 12280, an alkali soil containing an 
excess of free sodium carbonate, is good evidence that an acid condition, 
