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The objective of this study, carried out over 2 years, was to evaluate the effect of soil properties on the response of maize (Zea mays L.) to zinc applications and relate these properties to soil test Zn for predicting the Zn status of soils considering the effect of environmental conditions. The relative yield, expressed as an index of crop response, was related through multiple regression to CEC (or clay), electrical conductivity (or exchangeable Na), and bulk density consistently throughout the two year period that included one relatively wet, cool and cloudy growing season when variations in relative yield were explained also by 0.5 M NaHCO3-extractable-P and organic C. A procedure is presented to establish limits for the soil properties and soil-test-extractable-Zn and to meaningfully combine them into a model to predict soil Zn status. A model that combined soil test Zn, texture and electrical conductivity was satisfactory for the purpose of prediction and for adoption for soil testing on a routine basis. The suggested approach may be suitable for designing models with soil properties associated with crop responses to micronutrients in other situations.

Some soil and plant test methods were evaluated for predicting response of soybean crop (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) to S application in vertisols. Morgan's reagent, 500 ppm P containing Ca(H2PO4)2.H20 and KH2PO 4 solutions, 0.5 N NH4OAc + 0.25 N HOAc and 0.15% CaCI2 were found to be suitable extractants for measuring available soil S. The critical limits of extractable S were 9.0ppm by Morgan's reagent, 10.0 ppm by phosphate solutions, 8.0 ppm by 0.5 N NH4OAc + 0.25 N HOAc and 14.0 ppm by 0.159/o CaCI 2. Morgan's reagent was regarded as superior to other soil test methods in view of its high relationship with S uptake by plants, A values and relative yield. Critical S concentration in soybean plants varied with age. It was 0.15% and 0.185% for 36 and 60 days old plants, respectively. The critical N/S ratio on the other hand appeared to be constant at about 16.5 during vegetative growth period. Constancy of critical N/S ratio in plants was attributed to the near constancy of N/S ratio in plant proteins. There was highly significant relationship between response of soybean to S and to N, supporting the conclusion of some earlier workers that any soil showing large responses to N may not be supplying adequate S from the mineralization of soil organic matter.

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