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Effect and Interaction of Molybdenum and Limestone on Growth and Molybdenum Content of Cauliflower, Alfalfa, and Bromegrass on Acid Soils¹

ABSTRACT

A greenhouse study involving four levels each of Mo and limestone indicated that without application of both Mo and lime, the cauliflower (Brassica oleracea, var. botrytis L.) crop produced very poor yields on the three soils investigated. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., var. ‘Narragansett’) was also a failure without added lime. At soil pH values of 5.5 and above, Mo applications increased the yield of alfalfa on Culloden sandy loam and O'Leary sandy clay loam soils, but gave no response on Acadia silty clay loam soil. Bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss., var. ‘Saratoga’) showed a marked response to application of lime, but very little response to application of Mo. Cauliflower yield showed a highly significant Mo x lime interaction on Culloden and O'Leary soils, where without added Mo, lime treatment up to pH 6.5 failed to show any increase in yield. Addition of different levels of lime did not change the exchangeable Mo content of any of the three soils, after growing crops.

The application of Mo or lime increased the Mo content of all crop tissues up to the highest level of applied Mo or lime. Application of lime substantially increased the Mo content of cauliflower and alfalfa while bromegrass showed less increase. There was a marked Mo x lime interaction on the Mo content of all crops, with much higher Mo contents in the plant when lime and Mo were applied together than when either treatment was applied alone. Liming to pH 6.5 without added Mo did not increase the Mo content of crops over 1.5 ppm.

In the absence of added Mo, cupping and drying of the edges of true leaves of cauliflower appeared at the early stage of growth whether or not lime had been applied to the soils. During the later stages of growth, these symptoms in most cases were associated with yellowing between the veins of leaves.

¹ Contribution no. 204, Research Branch, Research Station, Box 1210, Canada Department of Agriculture, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.

² Research Soil Scientist.

Received for publication April 25, 1969. Accepted for publication July 22, 1969.