An established stand of Ranger alfalfa was fertilized with six fertilizer combinations: N, NP, NK, PK, NPK, and NPK with trace elements. Forage samples taken daily at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for 8 consecutive days were measured quantitatively for citric, alpha‐ketoglutaric, succinic, malic, oxalic and malonic acids by gas‐liquid chromatography. Fertilizer significantly altered the amounts of citric, malic, oxalic, malonic acids and the total acids measured. Morning levels of citric and malonic acids were significantly higher (P<.01 and P<.05, respectively) than afternoon levels, while alphaketoglutaric, succinic, and malic acids decreased from morning to afternoon (P<.01). Significant trends (P<.01) curred in levels of alpha‐ketoglutaric, malic, oxalic and malonic acids with advance in maturity.
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Burns et al. (1968) studied this question.