Survey of molybdenum fertility status in Maryland coastal plain soils for tobacco production

Abstract

Coastal Plain soils in southern Maryland are typically acid (pH = 5.0±0.5) with low organic matter (1.2±0.5%), clay (2.8 to 9.8%), CEC (2.4 to 6.8 meq 100/g), and total Fe contents (4.5 to 34.9 g/kg). The objectives of this investigation were to assess the status of plant available molybdenum (Mo) in these soils by examining the extractable Mo levels in Ap horizon soil samples and tissue Mo contents in cured tobacco collected across a five‐county region. Seventy soil samples representing 11 soil series and 198 composite samples of tobacco served as the basis for the surveys. Plant available Mo in soil, estimated using a solution containing 0.18M ammonium oxalate and 0.1M oxalic acid as the extractant, ranged from 0.02 to 0.53 (ig/g and averaged 0.08 μg/g Mo. Three of the 11 soil series examined and 30% of the total soil samples exhibited extractable Mo levels ≤ 0.03 μg/g therefore may have less than adequate available Mo for tobacco. Cured leaf Mo contents ranged from non‐detectable to 7.95 μg/g and averaged 0.84±0.95 μg/g Mo. Approximately 15% of the leaf samples contained ≤ 0.2 μ/g Mo which approaches borderline deficiency for Mo with 12.2% having Mo contents within the range 0.2 to 0.4 ng/g where growth responses were reported in burley tobacco. The causes for the approximate one fourth of the plant samples having less than optimum Mo concentrations for maximum productivity for tobacco can likely be attributed to: 1) acid soils associated with inadequate liming programs; 2) very low extractable Mo levels in several soil series; and 3) excess input of SO₄ ^‐2 in fertilizers and acid rainfall in the region which have been shown to inhibit MoO₄ ^‐2 ion uptake by tobacco plants.