ChileanJAR

A detailed description of the pot experiment with red dover (Trifolium pratense) is given. lts use for the survey of micronutrients (boron, molybdenum, zinc, copper, and magnesium) deficiencies is proposed as a valid technique for chilean soils in the area covered by volcanic ashes. This use has given good results; ah deficiencies detected by omiting a given microelement have been corrected by the addition of the same. A modification is introduced to the technique used when surveying macronutrients deficiencies with LoIium perenne x L. multíflorum, augmenting the amounts of P, K and S, considering the characteristic of the soils under study. The dosage of alI nutrients is determined by volume (pot) and not by soil mass. Soils are sifted humid, not to cause changes that would affect their behavior during the growth of the dover. The drying process of soil samples is eliminated by collecting them in an appropiate moment. Red dover is not innoculated with rhizobia norwith mycorrisa. With the described technique a good growth of red dover is obtained, giving a chear identification of microelements deficiencies.