The Influence of Nitrogen and Season on the Distribution of Calcium and Magnesium within a Number of Pasture Plants

Abstract

In the past the studies on plant nutrition have been based mainly on how much of a particular element was present in a plant. Recently work has begun on the possible distribution and chemical form in which the elements are present within the plant. Lowry (1968) in her thesis on the fractionation of magnesium and phosphorus in tomatoes worked out a system which enabled her to separate compounds of magnesium and phosphorus according to their solubilities in different solvent systems. She established that magnesium and phosphorus levels in the various fractions differed noticeably from one nutrient treatment to another and that the magnesium and phosphorus levels of any one fraction can vary widely depending on whether the fraction was of leaf, stem, or root tissue.