A Comparative Study of Total and Leachable Concentrations of Metallic Micronutrients in Canadian Marginal and Agricultural Land used for Sorghum Production

Marginal lands have not been well studied. As part of a five-year project to develop low-cost and high production systems for growing sorghum biomass on marginal lands in Canada, this research focuses on analyzing the total and leachable concentrations of metallic micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Ni) in soil samples collected from one agricultural (London) and two marginal sites (Ottawa and Simcoe) in Ontario. This thesis aims to understand the differences for the metallic micronutrients within marginal and fields and if the sorghum and N-fertilizer alters their leachability. The concentrations were determined using acid digestion (total) and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (leachable). The results concluded that there were no consistent trends between the various hybrids and the application of N-fertilizer (Urea). The elements Mn and Fe demonstrated a moderately negative association between the leachable concentration and the fresh biomass of the sorghum. The altering of the soil moisture (oven-dried and field-moist) demonstrated that the dry soil had higher leaching concentrations than the moist soil. The first-year results indicated a potential influence of metallic micronutrients within the soil and sorghum growth.