Content and Distribution of Cobalt, Copper, Manganese and Molybdenum in Danish Spodosols and Ultisols

Abstract

Abstract The contents of the HNO3- and EDTA-extractable micronutrients, Co, Cu, Mn and Mo, have been determined in 53 soil samples from nine Danish Spodosols and Ultisols. In most soils the contents decreased from surface to subsurface layers but increased at deeper depth. Correlation analysis showed close correlations between the EDTA-extractable pool and the poorly crystalline Fe oxides extractable with oxalate indicating their importance for micronutrient availability. The influence of parent material composition is probably reflected by the highly significant correlations between HNO3-extractable micronutrients and the clay content. EDTA-extractable Mo was >20 μg/kg in all soils and EDTA-extractable Co and Cu were low to very low in some soils, indicating that deficiency problems may occur in plants and animals living on these soils.