Experimental considerations in metal mobilization from soil by chelating ligands: The influence of soil-solution ratio and pre-equilibration - A case study on Fe acquisition by phytosiderophores
Metal mobilizing efficiency of chelators is often tested under non-field-like conditions. Soil solution ratio (SSR) strongly affects metal mobilization by chelators. For a fixed ligand to soil ratio, metal complexation scales linearly with SSR. Soil drying generates labile metal pools that are rapidly mobilized by chelators. Pre-equilibration reduces the size of drying-related labile metal pools.