Variations in the composition of forage plants : with special reference to phosphorus and calcium.

Soil surveys are revealing the location and extent of phosphorus deficient soils in Eastern Canada, and recommendations for fertilizer practice are being made. The primary objective of fertilization is to improve crop yield. It is, however, desirable to have information on the composition of unfertilized crops from such areas, and also on the extent and duration of the effect of fertilization on crop composition. The principal objective of the present investigation has been to study the behaviour of forage crops under such conditions. Studies of this nature usually have been confined to the determination of the total amounts of calcium and phosphorus in the crops. Since it is possible, however, that the form in which phosphorus is present in the plant may have some effect on its utilization by the animal, the distribution of the total phosphorus among various classes of compounds of this element known to occur in plants has been investigated