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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 28:751-754 (1964)
© 1964 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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The Relationship between pH and Ammonia Equilibria in Soil1

M. C. F. du Plessis2 and Wybe Kroontje3

ABSTRACT

Investigation of the relationship between pH and NH3 equilibria in soils revealed that an increase in the concentration of NH4+, applied as (NH4)2 SO4, stimulated NH3 losses from fine-textured soils at pH's ranging from 4.5 to 7.1. Ammonia volatilization was directly related to the initial pH of the soil and increased with an increase in pH. It was postulated that NH3 may be volatilized, even from acid soils, due to the equilibrium NH4+ + OH- {rightleftarrows} NH3 + H2O. By using initial concentrations of NH4+ from (NH4)2 SO4 applied, initial pH of an aqueous suspension of the soil and a value Kb = 1.80 x 10-5, values of NH3 losses were predicted. The linear relationship found between predicted and measured amounts of NH3 losses from acid as well as neutral soils, was interpreted as evidence of the existence of the proposed volatilization mechanism in soils.

NOTES

1 Contribution from the Department of Agronomy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.

2 Graduate Research Assistant, presently Chief Professional Officer in the Chemistry Section, Agricultural Research Institute, Glen, O.F.S., Republic of South Africa.

3 Professor and Chairman, Department of Soil Science, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. (On leave 1963–1965 from the Agronomy Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, with the University of Nebraska/Ataturk University Program in Turkey.)

Received for publication October 14, 1963. Accepted for publication August 3, 1964.






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