Analysis Learned: Total Nitrogen Determination Sample: Soil The determination of the total nitrogen content of soils presents

many difficulties: several forms of nitrogen are present; there is inadequate knowledge about these forms, and their contents are usually less. The modified Kjedahl wet digestion procedure is the most generally used method, in which the organic matter is oxidized by digestion with Kjeldahl Digestion Units using salicylic acid in sulfuric acid. Then the nitrogen in the sample is converted to ammonium (thence sulfate) using the Kjeldahl Distillation Unit. For the distillation of ammonium, the solution is made alkaline; the distilled ammonium is received in boric acid and is titrated with a standard acid. Then calculation for total nitrogen determination is done.

Cation Exchange Capacity Determination Sample: Soil Cation Exchange Capacity Determination refers to capacity of the soil to store nutrients for crop growth. The exchange sites however are not always filled with desirable elements. Soils with less than 20% CEC is considered Class 1. In the ammonium acetate saturation method soil is leached with an excess of neutral, 1 N ammonium acetate solution to remove the exchangeable cations and saturate the exchange material with ammonium. After removal of the ammonium present in the soil as the acetate, the exchangeable ammonium is determined by distillation.

Available Phosphorus Determination Sample: Soil There two methods of determining available phosphorus in soil. They are Bray No. 2 Method and Modified Olsen Method. The Bray No. 2 method is for acid or neutral soils, ammonium fluoride in acid solution is the extractant that removes some phosphate ions from insoluble phosphates of iron and aluminum and also dissolves a little calcium phosphate. When the same solution is used on alkaline soils containing calcium carbonate, the acidity of the extractant is reduced or destroyed depending on the amount of carbonate and the ratio of the soil solution. The acidity of 0.03N ammonium fluoride concentration and 0.10 N hydrochloric acid is acid is said to remove both the adsorbed and acid soluble phosphorus.

On the other hand, the modified Olsen Method is for alkaline soils. Phosphorus is extracted from the soil with 0.5 M NaHCO3 at a nearly constant pH of 8.5. This extractant decreases the concentration of calcium ions by precipitation as calcium carbonate and aluminum and ferric ions by precipitation as hydroxides. The extraction is dependent on time of contact and on temperature. Both methods used UV-Vis spectrophotometer for determination of Phosphorus absorbance of the soil samples.

Trace Element Analysis/ Available micronutrients Cations ( Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) Sample: Soil The micronutrients of soil consist of Zinc, Copper, Iron ang Manganese. These can be extracted through the use of DTPA, TEA and CaCl2 as the extracting solution having the pH of 7.3. After it has been shaked, centrifuged and filtered, the absorbance will be determined using AAS.

Practice correct way of using pipette Practice preparing solutions Practice preparing standard solutions Practice correct way of folding filter paper Practice correct way of weighing samples Experience using Top loading Balance, pH and EC Meter, mechanical Shaker, centrifuge, Automatic Kjeldahl Distillation Unit, Fully Automatic Kjeldahl Digestion Units, Behrotest Inkjel Infrared Rapid Digestion System, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and AAS.