IRON AND MANGANESE

in soils
• fourth most abundant element and second
most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust

• has both lithophile and chalcophile

properties forming several common
minerals, including pyrite, magnetite,
haematite, and geothite

• present mostly as Fe2+ in ferro-magnesian

silicates and as Fe3+ in iron oxides and
hydroxides
 Steel industry

Sewage and dust from iron mining

Anthropogenic sources
Fertilizer

Herbicide
❖ The typical range of iron concentrations in soils is from 0.2-55% .

❖ Soil Fe exhibits a strong affinity to form mobile organic complexes and

chelates, which are responsible for its migration between soil horizons
and its leaching.
Effects of Iron in Soil

Iron influences the color of soils.

Mineral Color
Geothite (FeOOH) Yellow – strong
brown
Hematite (Fe2O3) Red
Ferrihydrite (Fe (OH)3) Dark red
Iron sulfide (FeS) Black
Pyrite (FeS2) Metallic black
Amorphous and crystalline iron oxides play major roles in stabilizing soil
structures.

In soils, various trace elements are concentrated by iron oxides, including

zinc, lead, manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt, vanadium, molybdenum,
and chromium.

Iron oxides also react with bicarbonates in soil systems.

Factors influencing Iron availability in soils

pH

Aeration

Organic matter
 Acid soil tends to have higher levels of soluble inorganic
pH Fe compounds than neutral and calcareous soil types.

Aeration Iron deficiencies occur most frequently in cool, wet soils

early in the growing season.

Organic matter improves iron availability by combining

OM with iron, thereby reducing chemical fixation or
precipitation of iron as ferric hydroxide.
 Moisture excess water in the soil, particularly in acidic soils,
increases iron availability even to the point of toxicity
Phosphorus
Nitrogen
Manganese reduce iron uptake
Molybdenum
Nickel
Bicarbonates
Zinc deficiency can reduce iron uptake
Potassium
Effects of Iron in Plants

Iron is considered a plant micronutrient.

It plays a role in respiration, nitrogen fixation,

energy transfer and metabolism
Iron deficiency

- also called iron chlorosis or lime

chlorosis

- starts with a yellowing of the leaves

in between the dark green veins,
giving the leaves a spidery look

- eventually results in stunting and

dying of the entire plant
Iron toxicity

- symptoms differ widely with the age

of the plant, the nutritional state,
and the cultivar

- results to dark green foliage and

stunted top and root growth in flax
plant

- produces brittle, tender, dark brown

to purple leaves with poor burning
qualities and flavor in tobacco
Effects of Iron in Soil Invertebrates

- Elevated trace of iron reduces earthworm growth (Rita, 1996)

- Growth of the springtails reduces by 42% with

a diet containing 7,533 mg/kg of iron (Nottrot et al., 1987)
Iron-Manganese Interaction

Zaharieve et al (1988) suggested that: (i) iron hampers manganese uptake; and (ii)
manganese decreases plant Fe+2 and adversely affects iron metabolism.

Kuo and Mikkelsen (1981) reported that the translocation of iron in rice from roots to
shoots was hindered at high manganese levels.