This application note provides a method for determining ammonia in soil using METTLER TOLEDO's EasyPlus UV/VIS spectrophotometer.
Why Is Ammonia Determination Important?
Plants require nitrogen for the synthesis of proteins, amino acids, nucleotides, and co-enzymes. Ammonium is the major source of nitrogen present in the soil for the growth of plants. Nitrogen-deficient soil affects food production and results in an inefficient food supply. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate nitrogen in the form of ammonium in soil for the evaluation of the quality of the soil.
How to Determine Ammonia in Soil?
Initially, ammonia is extracted from the soil sample by treating it with calcium chloride. The extracted ammonia is reacted with hypochlorite ions resulting in monochloramine, which forms an indophenol derivative on further reaction with substituted phenol. The absorbance of this complex is determined at 690 nm using METTLER TOLEDO's EasyPlus UV/VIS spectrophotometer to determine the concentration of ammonium ions.
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