Behavior of phenolic substances in the decaying process of plants

Abstract

Phenolic compounds in the soils collected from plow layers of arccnhousc and field cultures were surveyed quantitatively by ps chromatopphy. The results are as follows: 1) p-Coumaric|fcrulic, salicylic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syrinaic, and protocatechuic acids were detected in all upland soils, as in the case of paddy and forest soils reported previously. Amona these phenolics, p-coumaric acid was present in the laraest quantity in most of the upland soils up to 29.0 ppm. 2) The total amounts of individual phenolic acids in the upland soils ranged from 9.5 to 62.0 ppm (average 26.0 ppm). Also, the amounts were less than 0.18% (averaae 0.10%) of the total soil organic matter. The averaae values in the upland soils were higher than those in the paddy soils. but were lower than those in the forest soils. 3) In upland soils, the concentrations of p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids, which have no chelatm, ability. were considerably related to the carbon content of soil, but the concentrations of protocatechuic and salicylic acids, which are chelatina agents, were not related to that of soil. These relationships agreed with those found in paddy and forest soils.