In an ongoing study of several key nutrients, an emphasis was placed on analyzing the amount of phosphorus found in both soil and switchgrass. Phosphorus was collected from the soil through the roots of the switchgrass. Studying the concentrations and trends of phosphorus in soil and switchgrass could provide farmers for future fertilization improvements in agriculture. This could also allow for a higher use of switchgrass as an alternative energy source. Wet acid digestion was the method used for switchgrass, while the phosphorus in soil was extracted by M3 extractant. The determination of phosphorus was found by a manual colorimetric method that uses ascorbic acid and molybdenum blue and the absorbance was measured at 845nm. The analysis covered soil and switchgrass samples over a three year time period (2008-2010), with controlled amounts of nitrogen added as fertilizer (0, 50, and 100 lbs.).

Phosphorus correlation studies in switchgrass and soil

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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