Straighthead is a physiological disorder of rice and threatens rice production in southern states. It is know that arsenic (As) is closely associated with occurrence of straighthead, so soil application of MSMA (monosodium methanearsonate) is commonly used to study this disease. Analysis was conducted on soils that induced straighthead after application of 6.7 kg of MSMA per hectare and compared to soils where rice grew normally in 2004 and 2005. Highly significant differences between the two soils were observed for soil PH, P, Ca, Mg, S, Mn, and As content, but not for EC, K, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu, and LOI. Application of MSMA decreased soil PH 0.6 units, P 32.5 kg/ha, Ca 619 kg/ha, and Mg 77 kg/ha, but increased S 17 kg/ha, Mn 75 kg/ha, and As 30 kg/ha. Additional application of MSMA did not change any of these factors except for an increase of As at 8 kg/ha. Nine positive correlations and eleven negative correlations among the soil factors were highly significant. Further study is planned to determine the relationships between these changes in soil and straighthead.