Seed soaking as a method of supplying the molybdenum requirements of lettuce and tomatoes

Abstract

Lettuce and tomato seeds were soaked in solutions of sodium molybdate in an attempt to provide the whole of the molybdenum requirements of these species. Dry weight comparisons were made between plants grown from soaked seed in molybdenum-deficient solutions, and those grown from untreated seed in complete solution. The requirement of tomatoes was met by soaking seeds in solutions containing 5000 and 50,000 p.p.m. of molybdenum for 8 hr, but satisfactory results were not obtained with lettuce. The ability of soaked seeds to retain molybdenum against outward diffusion during germination is important. Well-washed, soaked seeds may lose much in this way. The implications of such loss to the soil are discussed.