Transformation of 15N-labelled leguminous plant material in three contrasting soils

Summary Two soils from Pakistan (Hafizabad silt loam and Khurrarianwala silt loam) and one from Illinois, USA (Drummer silty clay loam) were incubated with ¹⁵N-labelled soybean tops for up to 20 weeks at 30°C. Mineralization of soybean ¹⁵N was slightly more rapid in the Pakistani soils, and after 20 weeks of incubation, 50%, 53%, and 56% of the applied ¹⁵N was accounted for as (NH₄ ⁺+NO₃ ^–)-N in Drummer, Hafizabad, and Khurrarianwala soils, respectively. Potentially mineralizable N (determined by anaerobic incubation) varied between 1.5% and 10% of the applied ¹⁵N in the three soils at different stages of incubation; somewhat higher percentages were mineralizable in the Pakistani soils than in the Drummer soil. From 3.7% to 9% of the applied ¹⁵N was accounted for in the microbial biomass. From 10% to 32% of the applied N was recovered in the humic acid and fulvic acid fractions of the organic matter by sequential extraction with Na₄P₂O₇ and NaOH; from 12% to 49% was recovered in the humin fraction. Of the three soils, Drummer soil contained more ¹⁵N as humic and fulvic acids. In all cases, the ¹⁵N was approximately equally distributed between the humic and fulvic acid fractions. A significant percentage of the humin ¹⁵N (52%–78%, equivalent to 8%–34% of the applied ¹⁵N) occurred in non-hydrolyzable (6 N HCl) forms. Of the hydrolyzable ¹⁵N, 42%–51% was accounted for as amino acid-N followed in order by NH₃ (17%–30%), hydrolyzable unknown forms (20%–22%), and amino sugars (6%–2%). The recovery of applied ¹⁵N for the different incubation stages was 87±22%. Recovery was lowest with the Khurrarianwala soil, presumably because of NH₃ volatilization losses caused by the high pH of this soil.     

Mineral-fixed ammonium in clay- and silt-size fractions of soils incubated with 15N-ammonium sulphate for five years

Summary Four soils with 6, 12, 23, and 47% of clay were incubated for 5 years with ¹⁵N-labeled (NH_{4 2}SO₄ and hemicellulose. The incubations took place at 20°C and 55% water-holding capacity. Samples of whole soils, and clay- (<2 m) and silt-(2–20 m) size fractions (isolated by ultrasonic dispersion and gravity sedimentation) were analysed for labeled and native mineral-fixed ammonium. Mineral-fixed ammonium in non-incubated soil samples accounted for 3.4%–8.3% of the total N and showed a close positive correlation with the soil clay content (r ² = 0.997). After 5 years of incubation, the content of mineral-fixed ammonium in the clay fraction was 255–430 g N g^–1, corresponding to 71%–82% of the mineral-fixed ammonium in whole soils. Values for silt were 72–166 g N g^–1 (14%–33% of whole soil content). In the soils with 6% and 12% clay, less than 1 % of the labeled clay N was present as mineral-fixed ammonium. In the soil with 23% clay, 3% of the labeled N in the clay was mineral-fixed ammonium. Labeled mineral-fixed ammonium was not detected in the silt fractions. For whole soils, and clay and silt fractions, the proportion of native N present as mineral-fixed ammonium varied between 3% and 6%. In contrast, the proportion of labeled N found as mineral-fixed ammonium in the soil with 4701o clay was 23%, 38% and 31% for clay, silt, and whole-soil samples, respectively. Corresponding values for native mineral-fixed ammonium were 12%, 16%, and 10%. Consequently, studies based on soil particle-size fractions and addressing the N turnover in clay-rich soils should consider the pool of mineral-fixed ammonium, especially when comparing results from different size fractions with those from fractions isolated from soils of a widely different textural composition.     

Forms of fertilizer nitrogen residues in soil after intercropping of maize-cowpea

Summary Under greenhouse and field conditions, after the harvest of maize-cowpea intercropping, soils were analysed for total, ammonium and organic N fractions and fertilizer ¹⁵N residues. Growing cowpea as the sole crop or in intercropping with maize results in increased relative amounts of the acid hydrolysable organic N fractions in soil. After sole cropping of maize 70% of the residual fertilizer N was found in the acid hydrolysable fraction while after intercropping it was 80%–92%. The fertilizer and soil N labelling with ¹⁵N in identical but alternate series provided information on the nitrogen fixed by cowpea and left in the soil as crop residues. Under field conditions the cowpea plant residues left after cropping contained 170 kg N ha^–1 in sole cropping and 105 kg N ha^–1 in intercropping with maize. The N assimilated by cowpea-Rhizobium symbiosis was mainly present in the acid hydrolysable forms, particularly in the -amino N fraction and ammonium N fraction.     

Effects of various nitrogen fertilizers on emission of nitrous oxide from soils

Summary Field studies of the effects of different N fertilizers on emission of nitrous oxide (N20) from three Iowa soils showed that the N₂O emissions induced by application of 180 kg ha^–1 fertilizer N as anhydrous ammonia greatly exceeded those induced by application of the same amount of fertilizer N as aqueous ammonia or urea. On average, the emission of N₂O-N induced by anhydrous ammonia was more than 13 times that induced by aqueous ammonia or urea and represented 1.2% of the anhydrous ammonia N applied. Experiments with one soil showed that the N₂O emission induced by anhydrous ammonia was more than 17 times that induced by the same amount of N as calcium nitrate. These findings confirm indications from previous work that anhydrous ammonia has a much greater effect on emission of N₂O from soils than do other commonly used N fertilizers and merits special attention in research relating to the potential adverse climatic effect of N fertilization of soils.Laboratory studies of the effect of different amounts of NH₄OH on emission of N₂O from Webster soil showed that the emission of N₂O-N induced by addition of 100 g NH₄OH-N g^–1 soil represented only 0.18% of the N applied, whereas the emissions induced by additions of 500 and 1 000 g NH4OH-N g^–1 soil represented 1.15% and 1.19%, respectively, of the N applied. This suggests that the exceptionally large emissions of N₂O induced by anhydrous ammonia fertilization are due, at least in part, to the fact that the customary method of applying this fertilizer by injection into soil produces highly alkaline soil zones of high ammonium-N concentration that do not occur when urea or aqueous ammonia fertilizers are broadcast and incorporated into soil.     

Effects of inoculation of cyanobacteria on nitrogen status and nutrition of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in an Entisol amended with chemical and organic sources of nitrogen

A field experiment was conducted with wetland rice (Oryza sativa cv. IR-36) in a sandy clay loam soil (Entisol) to study the effect of inoculation with a soil-based mixed culture of four diazotrophic cyanobacteria,Aulosira fertilissima, Nostoc muscorum, N. commune andAnabaena spp., on the N-flux in inorganic NH₄ ⁺+NO₃ ^–+ NO₂ ^–), easily oxidizable, hydrolysable and non-hydrolysable forms of N in soil during vegetative growth periods of the crop. Effects on grain and straw yield and N uptake by the crop were estimated. The effects of applying urea N and N as organic sources, viz.Sesbania aculeata, Neem (Azardirachta indica) cake and FYM, each at the rate of 40 kg N ha^–1, to the soil were also evaluated. Inoculation significantly increased the release of inorganic N, evidenced by its increased concentrations either in soil or in soil solution. However, such increases rarely exceeded even 4% of total N gained in different froms in the soil system by inoculation during the vegetative growth stages of the rice plant, when the nutritional requirement of the plants is at a maximum. Most of the N₂ fixed by cyanobacteria remained in the soil as the hydrolysable form (about 85%) during this period. Inoculation caused an insignificant increase in grain (8%) and straw (11%) yield, which was, however, accompanied by a significant increase in N uptake by the grain (30%) and an increase in total uptake of 15.3 kg N ha 1. Such beneficial effects of inoculation varied in magnitude with the application of organic sources, with farmyard manure (FYM) being the most effective. Application of urea N, on the other hand, markedly reduced such an effect.     

The spatial distribution of soil microbial biomass in a permanent row crop

The effects of soil texture (silt loam or sandy loam) and cultivation practice (green manure) on the size and spatial distribution of the microbial biomass and its metabolic quotient were investigated in soils planted with a permanent row crop of hops (Humulus lupulus). The soil both between and in the plant rows was sampled at three different depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm). The silt loam had a higher overall microbial biomass C concentration (260 g g^-1) than the sandy loam (185 g g^-1), whereas the sandy loam had a higher (3.1 g CO₂-C mg^-1 microbial Ch^-1) metabolic quotient than the silt loam (2.6 g CO₂-C mg^-1 microbial C h^-1), on average over depth (0–30 cm) and over all treatments. There was a sharp decrease in the microbial biomass with increasing depth for all plots. However, this was more pronounced in the silt loam than in the sandy loam. There was no distinct influence of sampling depth on the metabolic quotient. The microbial biomass was considerably higher in the rows than between the rows, especially in the silt loam plots. There was no significant difference between plots without green manure and plots with green manure for either the microbial biomass or the metabolic quotient.     

Dynamics of 15N-labeled ammonium sulfate in various inorganic and organic soil fractions of wetland rice soils

Summary The dynamics of basally applied ¹⁵N-labeled ammonium sulfate in inorganic and organic soil fractions of five wetland rice soils of the Philippines was studied in a greenhouse experiment. Soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed for ¹⁵N at various growth stages. Exchangeable NH₄ ⁺ depletion continued after 40 days after transplanting (DAT) and corresponded with increased nitrogen uptake by rice plants. Part of the applied fertilizer was fixed by 2:1 clay minerals, especially in Maligaya silty clay loam, which contained beidellite as the dominant clay mineral. After the initial fixation, nonexchangeable ¹⁵N was released from 20 DAT in Maligaya silty clay loam, but fixation delayed fertilizer N uptake from the soil. Part of the applied N was immobilized into the organic fraction. In Guadalupe clay and Maligaya silty clay loam, immobilization increased with time while the three other soils showed significant release of fertilizer N from the organic fraction during crop growth. Most of the immobilized fertilizer N was recovered in the nondistillable acid soluble (alpha-amino acid + hydrolyzable unknown-N) fraction at crop maturity. Between 61% and 66% of applied N was recovered from the plant in four soils while 52% of fertilizer N was recovered from the plant in Maligaya silty loam. Only 20% – 30% of the total N uptake at maturity was derived from fertilizer N. Nmin (mineral N) content of the soil before transplanting significantly correlated with N uptake. Twenty-two to 34% of applied N was unaccounted for possibly due to denitrification and ammonia volatilization.     

Carbon and net nitrogen mineralisation in two forest soils amended with different concentrations of biuret

Biuret is a known contaminant of urea fertilisers that might be useful as a slow release N fertiliser for forestry. We studied carbon (C), net nitrogen (N) mineralisation and soil microbial biomass C and N dynamics in two forest soils (a sandy loam and a silt loam) during a 16-week long incubation following application of biuret (C 23.3%, N 40.8%, O 30.0% and H 4.9%) at concentrations of 0, 2, 10, 100 and 1000 mg kg⁻¹ (oven-dried) soil to assess the potential of biuret as a slow-release N fertiliser. Lower concentrations of biuret specifically increased C mineralisation and soil microbial biomass C in the sandy loam soil, but not in the silt loam soil. A significant decrease of microbial biomass C was found in both soils at week 16 after biuret was applied at higher concentrations. C mineralisation declined with duration of incubation in both soils due to decreased C availability. Biuret at concentrations from 10 to 100 mg kg⁻¹ soil had a significantly positive priming effect on soil organic N mineralisation in both soils. The causes for the priming effects were related to the stimulation of microbial growth and activity at an early stage of the incubation and/or the death of microbes at a later stage, which was biuret-concentration-dependent. The patterns in NH₄⁺-N accumulation differed markedly between the two soils. Net N mineralisation and nitrification were much greater in the sandy loam soil than in the silt loam soil. However, the onset of net nitrification was earlier in the silt loam soil. Biuret might be a potential slow-release N source in the silt loam soil.     

Suppression of methane oxidation in aerobic soil by nitrogen fertilizers,nitrification inhibitors,and urease inhibitors

Concentrations of CH₄, a potent greenhouse gas, have been increasing in the atmosphere at the rate of 1% per year. The objective of these laboratory studies was to measure the effect of different forms of inorganic N and various N-transformation inhibitors on CH₄ oxidation in soil. NH ₄ ⁺ oxidation was also measured in the presence of the inhibitors to determine whether they had differential activity with respect to CH₄ and NH ₄ ⁺ oxidation. The addition of NH₄Cl at 25 g N g^-1 soil strongly inhibited (78–89%) CH₄ oxidation in the surface layer (0–15 cm) of a fine sandy loam and a sandy clay loam (native shortgrass prairie soils). The nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin (5 g g^-1 soil) inhibited CH₄ oxidation as effectively as did NH₄Cl in the fine sandy loam (82–89%), but less effectively in the sandy clay loam (52–66%). Acetylene (5 mol mol^-1 in soil headspace) had a strong (76–100%) inhibitory effect on CH₄ consumption in both soils. The phosphoroamide (urease inhibitor) N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) showed strong inhibition of CH₄ consumption at 25 g g^-1 soil in the fine sandy loam (83%) in the sandy clay loam (60%), but NH ₄ ⁺ oxidation inhibition was weak in both soils (13–17%). The discovery that the urease inhibitor NBPT inhibits CH₄ oxidation was unexpected, and the mechanism involved is unknown.     

Short-term measurements of uptake of nitrogen fixed in the rhizospheres of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Pennisetum americanum)

Summary In a series of short-term experiments root systems of young sorghum and millet plants inoculated with N₂-fixing bacteria were exposed to ¹⁵N₂-enriched atmospheres for 72 h. The plants were grown in a normal atmosphere for up to 22 days after the end of the exposure to allow them to take up the fixed N₂. Environmental conditions and genotypes of sorghum and millet were selected to maximise N₂-fixation in the rhizosphere. Detectable amounts of fixed N (> 16 g/plant) were rapidly incorporated into sorghum plants grown in a sand/farmyard manure medium, but measurable fixation was found on only one occasion in plants grown in soil. N₂ fixation was detectable in some experiments with soil-grown millet plants but the amounts were small (2–4 g/plant) and represented less than 1 % of plant N accumulated over the same period. In many cases there was no detectable ¹⁵N₂ incorporation despite measurable increases in ethylene concentration found during an acetylene reduction assay.Published as ICRISAT Journal Article No. JA 740     

Interactive effects from combining fertilizer and organic residue inputs on nitrogen transformations

Concerns about sustainability of agroecosystems management options in developed and developing countries warrant improved understanding of N cycling. The Integrated Soil Fertility Management paradigm recognizes the possible interactive benefits of combining organic residues with mineral fertilizer inputs on agroecosystem functioning. However, these beneficial effects may be controlled by residue quality. This study examines the controls of inputs on N cycling across a gradient of (1) input, (2) residue quality, and (3) texture. We hypothesized that combining organic residue and mineral fertilizers would enhance potential N availability relative to either input alone. Residue and fertilizer inputs labeled with ¹⁵N (40–60 atom% ¹⁵N) were incubated with 200 g soil for 545 d in a microcosm experiment. Input treatments consisted of a no-input control, organic residues (3.65 g C kg⁻¹ soil, equivalent to 4 Mg C ha⁻¹), mineral N fertilizer (100 mg N kg⁻¹ soil, equivalent to 120 kg N ha⁻¹), and a combination of both with either the residue or fertilizer ¹⁵N-labeled. Zea mays stover inputs were added to four differently textured soils (sand, sandy loam, clay loam, and clay). Additionally, inputs of three residue quality classes (class I: Tithonia diversifolia, class II: Calliandra calothyrsus, class III: Z. mays stover) were applied to the clay soil. Available N and N₂O emissions were measured as indicators for potential plant N uptake and N losses. Combining residue and fertilizer inputs resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) negative interactive effect on total extractable mineral N in all soils. This interactive effect decreased the mineral N pool, due to an immobilization of fertilizer-derived N and was observed up to 181 d, but generally became non-significant after 545 d. The initial reduction in mineral N might lead to less N₂O losses. However, a texture effect on N₂O fluxes was observed, with a significant interactive effect of combining residue and fertilizer inputs decreasing N₂O losses in the coarse textured soils, but increasing N₂O losses in the fine textured soils. The interactive effect on mineral N of combining fertilizer with residue changed from negative to positive with increasing residue quality. Our results indicate that combining fertilizer with medium quality residue has the potential to change N transformations through a negative interactive effect on mineral N. We conclude that capitalizing on interactions between fertilizer and organic residues allows for the development of sustainable nutrient management practices.     

Phytotron studies to compare nitrogen losses from corn-planted soil by the 15-N balance or direct dinitrogen and nitrous oxide measurements

Summary Containers filled with soil mixed with potassium nitrate highly enriched in ¹⁵N were planted with corn (Zea mays L.) and kept in a phytotron under controlled conditions for 79 days. Soil water content was normally maintained at exactly 60% water-holding capacity (–33 kPa), but it was increased several times to 85% (–5 kPa) for short periods to favour denitrification. The soil headspace was sealed from the phytotron atmosphere and aerated by a continuous stream of air. Nitrous oxide emission was measured by estimating the N₂O concentration differences in the air entering and leaving the containers. Emission of N₂ was estimated by mass spectroscopy from changes in the N₂ composition in the temporarily enclosed soil headspace. Both methods were carefully checked for accuracy by different tests. At specific times during the experiment the distribution of ¹⁵N between plants and soil was determined and a ¹⁵N balance established. Emission of N gases peaked at times of increased water content and reached maxima of 149 and 142 g N pot^–1 day^–1 for N₂O and N₂, respectively. While N losses of 5% ± 2% were indicated by the ¹⁵N balance, only 1.1% ± 0.3% loss from 2.7 g applied N was estimated from the N₂O and N₂ measurements after 79 days. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.     

Mineralization of carbon and nitrogen from fresh and anaerobically stored sheep manure in soils of different texture

A sandy loam soil was mixed with three different amounts of quartz sand and incubated with (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ (60 g N g^-1 soil) and fresh or anaerobically stored sheep manure (60 g g^-1 soil). The mineralization-immobilization of N and the mineralization of C were studied during 84 days of incubation at 20°C. After 7 days, the amount of unlabelled inorganic N in the manure-treated soils was 6–10 g N g^-1 soil higher than in soils amended with only (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄. However, due to immobilization of labelled inorganic N, the resulting net mineralization of N from manure was insignificant or slightly negative in the three soil-sand mixtures (100% soil+0% quartz sand; 50% soil+50% quartz sand; 25% soil+75% quartz sand). After 84 days, the cumulative CO₂ evolution and the net mineralization of N from the fresh manure were highest in the soil-sand mixutre with the lowest clay content (4% clay); 28% fo the manure C and 18% of the manure N were net mineralized. There was no significant difference between the soil-sand mixtures containing 8% and 16% clay, in which 24% of the manure C and -1% to 4% of the manure N were net mineralized. The higher net mineralization of N in the soil-sand mixture with the lowest clay content was probably caused by a higher remineralization of immobilized N in this soil-sand mixture. Anaerobic storage of the manure reduced the CO₂ evolution rates from the manure C in the three soil-sand mixtures during the initial weeks of decomposition. However, there was no effect of storage on net mineralization of N at the end of the incubation period. Hence, there was no apparent relationship between net mineralization of manure N and C.     

The effect of mixing organic biological waste materials and high-N crop residues on the short-time N2O emission from horticultural soil in model experiments

Manipulating the N release from high-N crop residues by simultaneous mixing of these residues with organic biological waste (OBW) materials seems to be a possible method to reduce NO₃^– leaching. The aim of this study was to examine whether the incorporation of OBW materials together with a high-N crop residue (celery) had also an effect on N₂O emission from horticultural soil under short-term and optimised laboratory conditions. A sandy loam soil and celery residues were mixed with different OBW materials and brought into PVC tubes at 80% water-filled pore space and 15°C. Every 2.5 h, a gas sample was taken and analysed by gas chromatography for its N₂O concentration. The soil amended with only celery residues had a cumulative N₂O emission of 9.6 mg N kg^–1 soil in 50 h. When the celery residues were mixed with an OBW material, the N₂O emission was each time lower than the emission from the celery-only treatment (between 3.8 and 5.9 mg N kg^–1 soil during maximum 77 h), except with paper sludge (17.2 mg N kg^–1 soil in 100 h). The higher N₂O emission from the paper sludge treatment was probably due to its unusually low C:N ratio. Straw, green waste compost 1 (GWC1) and 2 (GWC2), saw dust, and tannic acid reduced the N₂O emission of the celery treatment by 40 to 60%. Although the N₂O reduction potential can be expected to be lower and with differing dynamics under field conditions, this study indicates that apart from reducing NO₃^– leaching, OBW application may at the same time reduce N₂O emissions after incorporation of high-N crop residues.     

Nitrogen fixation and beneficial effects of some grain legumes and green-manure crops on rice

Studies were conducted on paddy soils to ascertain N₂ fixation, growth, and N supplying ability of some green-manure crops and grain legumes. In a 60-day pot trial, sunhemp (Crotalaria juncia) produced a significantly higher dry matter content and N yield than Sesbania sesban, S. rostrata, cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), and blackgram (V. mungo), deriving 91% of its N content from the atmosphere. Dry matter production and N yield by the legumes were significantly correlated with the quantity of N₂ fixed. In a lowland field study involving sunhemp, blackgram, cowpeas, and mungbean, the former produced the highest stover yield and the stover N content, accumulating 160–250 kg N ha^-1 in 60 days, and showed great promise as a biofertilizer for rice. The grain legumes showed good adaptability to rice-based cropping systems and produced a seed yield of 1125–2080 kg ha^-1, depending on the location, species, and cultivar. Significant inter- and intraspecific differences in the stover N content were evident among the grain legumes, with blackgram having the highest N (104–155 kg N ha^-1). In a trial on sequential cropping, the groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) showed a significantly higher N₂ fixation and residual N effect on the succeeding rice crop than cowpeas, blackgram, mungbeans (V. radiata), and pigeonpeas (Cajanus cajan). The growth and N yield of the rice crop were positively correlated with the quantity of N₂ fixed by the preceding legume crop.     

Use of 15N isotope dilution for quantification of N2 fixation associated with roots of kallar grass (Leptochloa fusca (L.))

Summary Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth (kallar grass) has previously been found to exhibit high rates of nitrogen fixation. A series of experiments to determine the level of biological nitrogen fixation using ¹⁵N isotopic dilution were carried out in nutrient solution and saline soil. In the nutrient solution, E. coli inoculated plants were taken as non-nitrogen-fixing control. It was observed that nearly 60%–80% of the plant N was derived from atmospheric fixation. Estimations based on the N difference method gave much lower values (18%–35%). In experiments with saline soil which was initially sterilized with chloroform fumigation, a mixed culture of N₂-fixing rhizospheric isolates from kallar grass roots was inoculated and planted to kallar grass. Uninoculated treatments were regarded as controls. The soil was previously labelled with ¹⁵N by adding cellulose and (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄. The results of these studies showed fixation values of 6%–32% when estimated by ¹⁵N dilution, whereas by the N difference method 54% of the plant N was estimated to be derived from fixation. This discrepancy is due to the increase in root proliferation due to inoculation, which results in greater uptake of soil N. The distribution of ¹⁵N in different fractions of the soil-N indicted isotopic dilution due to bacterial fixation of atmospheric N₂.     

The effect of reduced tillage on nitrous oxide emissions of silt loam soils

The effect of reduced tillage (RT) on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions of soils from fields with root crops under a temperate climate was studied. Three silt loam fields under RT agriculture were compared with their respective conventional tillage (CT) field with comparable crop rotation and manure application. Undisturbed soil samples taken in September 2005 and February 2006 were incubated under laboratory conditions for 10 days. The N₂O emission of soils taken in September 2005 varied from 50 to 1,095 μg N kg⁻¹ dry soil. The N₂O emissions of soils from the RT fields taken in September 2005 were statistically (P < 0.05) higher or comparable than the N₂O emissions from their respective CT soil. The N₂O emission of soils taken in February 2006 varied from 0 to 233 μg N kg⁻¹ dry soil. The N₂O emissions of soils from the RT fields taken in February 2006 tended to be higher than the N₂O emissions from their respective CT soil. A positive and significant Pearson correlation of the N₂O–N emissions with nitrate nitrogen (NO₃ ⁻–N) content in the soil was found (P < 0.01). Leaving the straw on the field, a typical feature of RT, decreased NO₃ ⁻–N content of the soil and reduced N₂O emissions from RT soils.     

A comparison of nitrogen fixation in genotypes of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) using 15N-isotope dilution

Summary Nitrogen fixation in seven groundnut genotypes was measured by ¹⁵N-isotope dilution using a non-nodulating cultivar of groundnut as the nonfixing reference plant. Nitrogen fixation varied between 100 kg N ha^–1 in genotype J-11 and 153 kg N ha^–1 in Robut 33-1. The amount of plant-available soil N was small, so that 86%–92% of plant nitrogen was derived from N₂-fixation. Thus differences in N₂-fixation between genotypes closely reflected differences in their total N accumulation.ICRISAT Journal Article no. 600     

Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils at low temperatures: a laboratory microcosm study

We studied in laboratory microcosms (intact soil cores) N₂O and CO₂ emissions from four different agricultural soil types (organic soil, clay, silt and loam) at low temperatures with or without freezing-thawing events. When the temperature of the frozen soil cores was increased stepwise from −8 °C the N₂O emissions began to increase at −0.5 °C, and peaked at −0.1 °C in the organic, clay and silt soils, and at +1.6 °C in the loam soils. However, a stepwise decrease in soil temperature from +15 °C also induced an increase in the N₂O emissions close to the 0 °C. These emissions peaked between −0.4 and +2.5 °C depending on the soil type and water content. However, the emission maxima were from 2 to 14.3% of those encountered in the experiments where frozen soils were thawed. Our results show that in addition to the well-documented thawing peak, soils also can have a maximum in their N₂O emission near 0 °C when soil temperature decrease. These emissions, however, are less than those emitted from thawing soils. The correlations between the N₂O and CO₂ emissions were weak. Our results suggest that N₂O is produced in soils down to a temperature of −6 °C.     

Soil nitrogen mineralization as affected by water and temperature interactions

Summary The hypothesis that water and temperature interact to influence the rate of soil N mineralization was studied in laboratory incubation experiments with two contrasting soils. Small sample rings (10 mm tall, 50 mm diameter) were packed to uniform bulk density with 1–2 mm aggregates of Plano silt loam and Wacousta silty clay loam. Samples were brought to five different water potentials (–0.1, –0.33, –0.5, –1.0, –3.0 bars) using pressure-plate techniques, and the undisturbed sample rings were then incubated at 10–35°C for 3, 10 or 14 days. The concentration of soil exchangeable NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^–-N was measured at the end of each incubation period on replicate samples. The Q₁₀ of N mineralization was approximately 2 for all tested water potentials. Soil N mineralization was linearly related to water content or log water potential, but no water-temperature interaction was evident. The Q₁₀ was constant with water content, and the scaled water content-N mineralization relationship was constant with temperature. We recommend the use of scaling approaches for assessing interactive effects between water and other environmental factors on N turnover in soils.