Chemical forms of cobalt and nickel extracted by M1, M3 and CaCl2 DTPA

Mehlich 1(M1), mehlich 3(M3) and CaCl₂ DTPA have been used to predict the available micronutrient in soil. However, the forms of micronutrient extractable by these extractants are not known. In the present study, ten soils, collected from five provinces and the capital of China, representing a wide range of chemical and physical properties, were analyzed by sequential extraction to isolate five forms of cobalt and nickel, they are exchangeable, carbonate bound, Fe Mn oxide bound, organically bound and residual forms. The chemical forms extracted by M1, M3 and CaCl₂ DTPA were also investigated. The results show strong correlation between the carbonate bound or organically bound forms of Co or Ni and the amounts of extractable by any of the above three extractants. The main forms extracted by these extractants are carbonate and organically bound forms. The ranking of these three extractants for extraction of Co and Ni are M1>M3=CaCl₂ DTPA and M1=M3>CaCl₂ DTPA, respectively.