It was found that u,xLder waterlogged condition the concentrahion of water-soluble ferrous iron in paddy soils,depending on soil conditions,varied within the range of 14-360 ppm,among which about 10-30 per cent was in the compleged farm associated with organic matter.All of the compleged ferrous iron can be chelated by a-a' dipyridyl within 48 hours,implying that there would be no tightly-bound iron compleg in the water extract.The compleged iron with positive or negative charge accounts far 10-15 per cent or less than 10 per cent of the total ferrous iron respectively.