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.     

Effects of animal manure and mineral fertilizer on the total carbon and nitrogen contents of soil size fractions

Summary Soil was sampled in autumn 1984 in the 132 field (sandy loam soil) of the Askov long-term experiments (started in 1894) and fractionated according to particle size using ultrasonic dispersion and sedimentation in water. The unmanured plot and plots given equivalent amounts of N (1923–1984 annual average, 121 kg N/ha) in either animal manure or mineral fertilizer were sampled to a depth of 15 cm, fractionated and analysed for C and N. Mineral fertilizer and animal manure increased the C and N content of whole soil, clay (<2 m) and silt (2–20 m) size fractions relative to unmanured samples, while the C content of the sand size fractions (fine sand 1, 20–63 m; fine sand 2, 63–200 m; coarse sand, 200–2000 m) was less affected. Clay contained 58% and 65°70 of the soil C and N, respectively. Corresponding values for silt were 30% and 26%, while sand accounted for 10% of the soil C. Fertilization did not influence this distribution pattern. The C : N ratio of the silt organic matter (14.3) was higher and that of clay (10.6) lower than whole-soil C:N ratios (12.0). Fertilization did not influence clay and silt C : N ratios. Animal manure caused similar relative increases in the organic matter content of clay and silt size fractions (36%). In contrast, mineral fertilizer only increased the organic matter content of silt by 21% and that of clay by 14%.     

Seasonal changes in microbial biomass and nutrient flush in forest soils

Microbial biomass and N, P, K, and Mg flushes were estimated in spring, summer, autumn, and winter samples of different forest soils. The microbial biomass showed significant seasonal fluctuations with an average distribution of 880±270 g C g^-1 soil in spring, 787±356 g C g^-1 soil in winter, 589±295 g C g^-1 soil in summer, and 560±318 g C g^-1 soil in autumn. The average annual concentrations of C, N, P, K, and Ca in the microbial biomass were 704, 106, 82, 69 and 10 g g^-1 soil, respectively. Microbial C represented between 0.5 and 2% of the organic soil C whereas the percentage of microbial N with respect to the total soil N was two-to threefold higher than that of C; the annual fluctuations in these percentages followed a similar trend to that of the microbial biomass. Microbial biomass was positively correlated with soil pH, moisture, organic C, and total N. The mean nutrient flush was 31, 15, 7, and 4 g g^-1 soil for N, K, P, and Mg, respectively, and except for K, the seasonal distribution was autumn spring winter summer. The average increase in available nutrient due to the mineralization of dead microbial cells was 240% for N, and 30, 26, and 14% for P, K, and Mg, respectively. There was a positive relationship between microbial biomass and the N, P, K, and Mg flushes. All the variables studied were significantly affected by the season, the type of soil, and the interaction between type of soil and season, but soil type often explained most of the variance.     

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.     

Influence of soil properties on microbial C,N, and P in dry tropical ecosystems

Summary Relationships between soil physicochemical characteristics and soil microbial C, N, and P in Indian dry tropical ecosystems are discussed. The major ecosystem studies were on forest, savanna, cropped fields, and mine spoils. The highest microbial C, N, and P levels were recorded from the mixed forest and the lowest levels in 5-year-old mine spoil. Across the sites, microbial C ranged from 226 to 643 g g^-1, microbial N from 19 to 71 g g^-1, and microbial P from 9 to 28 g g^-1 soil. The proportion of soil organic C contained in the microbial biomass ranged from 2.2 to 5.0%. The microbial C: N ratio in these soils ranged from 7.4. to 13.1 and the microbial C: P ratio from 16.6 to 30.6. The concentrations of microbial C, N, and P were correlated with several soil properties and among themselves. The soil properties, in various linear combinations, explained 90–99% of the variability in the microbial nutrients. Grazing of the savanna had some effect on the level of microbial biomass, and as the mine spoil aged, the level of microbial C, N, and P also increased.     

Natural nitrogen-15 abundance and carbohydrate content and composition of organic matter particle-size fractions from a sandy soil

Sandy soil samples collected from under a woody/grass savanna in the Lamto experimental area (6°13N, 5°20W; Côte dIvoire, West Africa), were fractionated according to particle size with the aim of measuring the natural abundance of ¹⁵N and determining the contents and composition of hydrolysable carbohydrates of soil organo-mineral particles for a better understanding of the contribution of each individual fraction to the soil function. The contributions of the fractions <20 m to the total pool of organic matter were 77% for C and 84% for N. Larger amounts of carbohydrates were found in the clay and silt fractions (3,784–6,043 g g^–1 soil). The carbohydrate composition indicated that microbe-derived carbohydrates [e.g. galactose (Gal) and mannose (Man)] accumulated preferentially in the fine fractions while plant-derived sugars [e.g. arabinose (Ara) and xylose (Xyl)] were dominant in coarse fractions. A negative relationship was observed between C:N ratio and ¹⁵N natural abundance on the one hand, and on the other hand between C:N and (Gal+Man):(Ara+Xyl), Man:(Ara+Xyl) and Man:Xyl ratios, clearly indicating that the chemistry of the organic materials of the particle-size fractions reflects a change from soil chemistry dominated by plant materials to that dominated by microbial biomass and metabolites. The contribution of a given fraction to soil microbial activity is controlled by the quality or quantity of associated soil organic matter, its microbial biomass and also by the accumulation of microbial-derived carbohydrates which can be resynthesized or recycled.     

Effects of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer on the dynamics of soil microbial biomass in a tropical dryland agroecosystem

Changes in the soil microbial biomass following applications of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer, alone and in combination, were studied for two annual cycles in a rice-lentil crop sequence grown under rainfed tropical dryland conditions. During the two annual cycles the microbial biomass C range (g g^-1) was 146–241 (x = 204), 191–301 (245), 244–382 (305), and 294–440 (365) in control, fertilizer, manure and manure+fertilizer plots, respectively. The corresponding ranges for microbial biomass N (g g^-1) were 16.5–21.0 (19.5), 20.4–38.2 (26.0), 23.0–34.6 (27.0) and 26.2–42.4 (33.3), and for microbial biomass P (g g^-1) 4.4–8.2 (7.0) 6.0–11.2 (9.6), 11.2–22.0 (17.0), and 10.0–25.4 (18.3). The maximum increase in the microbial biomass, due to these inputs was observed under the manure+fertilizer treatment followed, in decreasing order, by manure alone and fertilizer alone. Within individual crop periods the levels of microbial biomass decreased sharply from the seedling to the flowering stage and then increased slightly with crop maturity. The maximum levels of microbial biomass C and P were observed during the summer fallow. The maximum accumulation of microbial biomass N occurred in the early rainy season, immediately after the soil amendments. Microbial biomass C, N, and P were positively related to each other throughout the annual cycle.     

Carbon and nitrogen relationships in the microbial biomass of soils in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests

Soils from 38 German forest sites, dominated by beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) were sampled to a depth of about 10 cm after careful removal of overlying organic layers. Microbial biomass N and C were measured by fumigation-extraction. The pH of the soils varied between 3.5 and 8.3, covering a wide range of cation exchange capacity, organic C, total N, and soil C:N values. Maximum biomass C and biomass N contents were 2116 g C m^-2 and 347 g N m^-2, while minimum contents were 317 and 30 g m^-2, respectively. Microbial biomass N and C were closely correlated. Large variations in microbial biomass C:N ratios were observed (between 5.4 and 17.3, mean 7.7), indicating that no simple relationship exists between these two parameters. The frequency distribution of the parameters for C and N availability to the microflora divided the soils into two subgroups (with the exception of one soil): (1) microbial: organic C>12 mg g^-1, microbial:total N>28 mg g^-1 (n=23), a group with high C and N availability, and (2) microbial:organic C12 mg g^-1, microbial:total N28 mg g^-1 (n=14), a group with low C and N availability. With the exception of a periodically waterlogged soil, the pH of all soils belonging to subgroup 2 was below 5.0 and the soil C:N ratios were comparatively high. Within these two subgroups no significant correlation between the microbial C:N ratio and soil pH or any other parameter measured was found. The data suggest that above a certain threshold (pH 5.0) microbial C:N values vary within a very small range over a wide range of pH values. Below this threshold, in contrast, the range of microbial C:N values becomes very large.     

Activity and biomass of soil microorganisms at different depths

We measured microbial biomass C and soil organic C in soils from one grassland and two arable sites at depths of between 0 and 90 cm. The microbial biomass C content decreased from a maximum of 1147 (0–10 cm layer) to 24 g g^-1 soil (70–90 cm layer) at the grassland site, from 178 (acidic site) and 264 g g^-1 soil (neutral site) at 10–20 cm to values of between 13 and 12 g g^-1 soil (70–90 cm layer) at the two arable sites. No significant depth gradient was observed within the plough layer (0–30 cm depth) for biomass C and soil organic C contents. In general, the microbial biomass C to soil organic C ratio decreased with depth from a maximum of between 1.4 and 2.6% to a minimum of between 0.5 and 0.7% at 70–90 cm in the three soils. Over a 24-week incubation period at 25°C, we examined the survival of microbial biomass in our three soils at depths of between 0 and 90 cm without external substrate. At the end of the incubation experiment, the contents of microbial biomass C at 0–30 cm were significantly lower than the initial values. At depths of between 30 and 90 cm, the microbial biomass C content showed no significant decline in any of the four soils and remained constant up to the end of the experiment. On average, 5.8% of soil organic C was mineralized at 0–30 cm in the three soils and 4.8% at 30–90 cm. Generally, the metabolic quotient qCO₂ values increased with depth and were especially large at 70–90 cm in depth.     

Ergosterol and microbial biomass relationship in soil

Ergosterol and microbial biomass C were measured in 26 arable, 16 grassland and 30 forest soils. The ergosterol content ranged from 0.75 to 12.94 g g^-1 soil. The geometric mean ergosterol content of grassland and forest soils was around 5.5 g g^-1, that of the arable soils 2.14 g g^-1. The ergosterol was significantly correlated with biomass C in the entire group of soils, but not in the subgroups of grassland and forest soils. The geometric mean of the ergosterol: microbial biomass C ratio was 6.0 mg g^-1, increasing in the order grassland (5.1), arable land (5.4) and woodland (7.2). The ergosterol:microbial biomass C ratio had a strong negative relationship with the decreasing cation exchange capacity and soil pH, indicating that the fungal part of the total microbial biomass in soils increased when the buffer capacity decreased. The average ergosterol concentration calculated from literature data was 5.1 mg g^-1 fungal dry weight. Assuming that fungi contain 46% C, the conversion factor from micrograms ergosterol to micrograms fungal biomass C is 90. For soil samples, neither saponification of the extract nor the more effective direct saponification during extraction seems to be really necessary.     

Seasonal changes and the effects of fertiliser on some chemical,biochemical and microbiological characteristics of high-producing pastoral soil

Summary A 2-year study (1983–1984 to 1984–1985) was conducted to estimate temporal and seasonal changes and the effects of fertiliser on some soil chemical, biochemical and microbiological characteristics. The soil used was a Typic Vitrandept under grazed pasture. Soil samples were taken regularly to a depth of 75 mm from paired unfertilised and fertilised (500 kg ha^– 30% potassic superphosphate) plots. Except for organic C, fertiliser had little or no effect on the characteristics measured. Organic C averaged about 9.2% in unfertilised soil and was about 0.3% higher in the fertilised soil. The size of the microbial biomass fluctuated widely in the 1st year (3000 g C g^–1 in February to 1300 g C g^–1 in September) but there was less variation in the 2nd year (range 1900 g C g^–1 to 2500 g C g^–1 soil). CO₂ production values (10- to 20-day estimates averaged 600 g of CO₂-C g^–1 soil) were generally higher in spring compared to the rest of the year. Water extractable C increased over winter and declined through spring in both years (range 50 g C g^–1 soil to 150 g C g^–1 soil). Mineral-N flush values were higher in summer (300 g N g^–1 soil) and lower in winter months (200 g N g^–1 soil). The pattern of variation of microbial N values was one of gradual accumulation followed by rapid decline. This rapid decline in values occurred in spring and autumn (range 130–220 g N g^–1 soil). N mineralisation and bicarbonate-extractable N showed no clear trend; these values ranged from 100–200 and 122–190 g N g^–1 soil, respectively. There was a significant correlation (0.1%) between N mineralisation and bicarbonate-extractable N in the late summer-autumn-early winter period (February–August) in both years but not in spring. These results and their relationships to climatic factors and rates of pasture production are discussed.     

Disturbance effects on soil solution chemistry due to heating cable installation

Installation of heating cables for warming soil was used to evaluate the effect of disturbance on soil solution chemistry within a northern hardwood forest (Adirondack Mountains, New York). Differences in response among treatments suggested the importance of both the depth and timing of cable installation. There were increases (p>0.05) in many solutes within pilot study plots in which surrogate cable was installed at 15 cm depth. Most notably, mean nitrate concentrations for the 1st year following disturbance were 744 eq l^-1 at 15 cm depth compared to 7 eq l^-1 for the non-disturbed control. A comparison of pilot plots with 5 cm cable depth and an unheated soil-warming control plot with the same cable disturbance showed that the seasonality of soil disturbance may have a key role in response to disturbance. The soil solution response was diminished if installation occurred during the spring, a period of rapid uptake of nitrogen by vegetation. Mean nitrate concentrations were 176 eq l^-1 for 5-cm pilot plots (installed in fall 1991) versus 6 eq l^-1 for 5-cm, unheated soil-warming control plots (installed in spring 1992). Disturbance effects were attenuated over time and not generally apparent 1 year after installation.     

Filter-out-grazers (FOG): A filtration experiment for separating protozoan grazers in soil

Summary In the present experiment, natural protozoan fauna and other microbial components in water extracts from shortgrass prairie soil were separated on the basis of size by differential filtration (8-, 5-, and 3-m porosities). All extracts contained bacteria and fungi, along with a few very small flagellates (3-m pore size filtrate); flagellates and a few small amoebae (5-m pore size filtrate); and flagellates, small amoebae, and small ciliates (8-m pore size filtrate). All microorganisms, except a few species of flagellates, were present in the centrifuge treatment. Each filtrate was added to sterile soil, and the population of each microbial group was determined after inoculation at intervals up to 80 days (at room temperature). Populations of all added groups decreased on initial addition to soil but then increased during the incubation. By following nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO₂ dynamics, we observed impacts of protozoan grazing on bacteria, including mineralization of N from microbial biomass.     

Effect of residue placement and chemical fertilizer on soil microbial biomass under tropical dryland cultivation

Four treatments (control, chemical fertilizer, wheat straw, and wheat straw+fertilizer) were established on the dryland experimental farm of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. Organic in C in the different treatments ranged from 0.69 to 0.93%, total N from 0.08 to 0.11%, and total P from 0.018 to 0.021. The application of straw significantly increased the soil water-holding capacity. The maximum effect on the microbial biomass was realized with the straw+fertilizer treatment, followed by straw and then by the fertilizer treatment. During the study microbial biomass C ranged from 144 to 491 g g^-1 dry soil, biomass N from 14.6 to 50.1 g g^-1, and biomass P from 7.2 to 17.6 g g^-1 soil. Microbial biomass C, N and P represented 3.2–4.6% of total C, 2.6–3.8% of total N, and 5.8–8.2% of total P in the soil, respectively, in all cases the highest proportion occurred in the straw+fertilizer treatment and the lowest in the control. Microbial biomass C, N, and P were positively correlated with each other. Microbial biomass C and N increased by 77% in straw+fertilizer-treated plots relative to the control. The increase in microbial biomass P in the straw+fertilizer treatment over the control was 81%. The increase in the microbial biomass is expected to enhance nutrient availability in the soil, as the microbial biomass acts both as a sink and a source of plant nutrients.     

Effect of cultivation on microbial carbon and nitrogen in dry tropical forest soil

Summary Fifteen- and forty-year-old cropfields developed from a dry tropical forest were examined for soil organic C and total N and soil microbial C and N. The 15-year-old field had never been manured while the 40-year-old field had been fertilized with farmyard manure every year. The native forest soil was also examined. The results indicated that the native forest soil lost about 57% and 62% organic C and total N, respectively, in the 0–10 cm layer after 15 years of cultivation. The microbial C and N contents of the forest soil were greater than those of the cultivated soils. Application of farmyard manure increased the biomass-C and -N levels in the cultivated soil but the values were still markedly lower than in the forest soil. There was an appreciable seasonal variation in biomass C and N, the values being highest in summer and lowest in the rainy season. During an annual cycle, biomass-C contents varied from 180 to 727 g g^–1 and N from 20 to 80 g g^–1 dry soil, and both were linearly related. Microbial biomass C represented 1.6%–3.6% of total soil organic C and microbial biomass N represented 1.7% 1–4.4% of soil organic N.     

Application of the selective inhibition method to determine bacterial: fungal ratios in three beechwood soils rich in carbon — Optimization of inhibitor concentrations

Bacterial and fungal contributions to microbial respiration in three beechwood soils rich in C (two basalt soils and one limestone soil) were investigated by using streptomycin and cycloheximide to inhibit substrate-induced respiration after glucose (8000 g g^-1), N, and P addition to soil samples. The inhibitors were added as solutions (2000, 8000, and 16000 g g^-1) and the reduction in substrate-induced respiration after separate and combined inhibitor addition was measured in an automated electrolytic microrespirometer. Bacterial and fungal contributions to microbial respiration were calculated using the interval 6–10 h after inhibitor application. The microbial biomas was smaller in the two basalt soils (Oberhang and Mittelhang) than in the limestone soil (Unterhang). In the presence of both inhibitors, microbial respiration was inhibited by a maximum of 45, 45, and 25% in the two basalt soils and the limestone soil, respectively. Inhibition of microbial respiration was at a maximum at streptomycin and cycloheximide concentrations of 16000 g g^-1. The inhibitor additivity ratio approached 1.0 even at high inhibitor concentrations, indicating high inhibitor selectivity. Calculated prokaryote: eukaryote ratios indicated lower bacterial contributions to the microbial biomass in the Mettelhang (0.74) and Unterhang (0.73) than in the Oberhang (0.88) soil.     

Effect of the insecticide methidathion on agricultural soil microflora

Summary We studied the effects of the organophosphorus insecticide methidathion, at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 200 and 300 g g^-1 in an agricultural soil, on fungi, total bacterial populations, aerobic N₂-fixing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria (phases I and II), and nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction assay). The presence of 10–300 g g^-1 of methidathion significantly increased fungal populations (colony-forming units). Denitrifying bacteria, aerobic N₂-fixing bacteria and N₂ fixation were significantly increased at concentrations of 50–300 g g^-1. The total number of bacteria increased significantly at concentrations of 100–300 g g^-1. Nitrifying bacteria decreased initially at concentrations of 300 g g^-1, but recovered rapidly to levels similar to those in the control soil without the insecticide.     

Distribution of two C cycle enzymes in soil aggregates of a prairie chronosequence

Knowledge of the cycling and compartmentalization of soil C that influence C storage may lead to the development of strategies to increase soil C storage potentials. The objective of this study was to use soil hydrolases and soil aggregate fractionation to explore the relationship between C cycling activity and soil aggregate structure. The prairie chronosequence soils were native prairie (NP) and agricultural (AG) and tallgrass prairies restored from agriculture in 1979 (RP-79) and 1993 (RP-93). Assays for -glucosidase (E.C. 3.2.1.21) and N-acetyl--glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC 3.2.1.30) activities were conducted on four aggregate size fractions (>2 mm, 1–2 mm, 250 m–1 mm, and 2–250 m) from each soil. There were significantly greater amounts of >2-mm aggregates in the RP-79 and RP-93 soils compared to the NP and AG soils due to rapid C accumulation from native plant establishment. Activities for both enzymes (g PNP g^–1 soil h^–1) were greatest in the microaggregate (2–250 m) compared to the macroaggregate (>2 mm) fraction; however, microaggregates are a small proportion of each soil (<12%) compared to the macroaggregates (75%). The RP soils have a hierarchical aggregate system with most of the enzyme activity in the largest aggregate fractions. The NP and AG soils show no hierarchical structure based on aggregate C accretion and significant C enzyme activity in smaller aggregates. The distribution of enzyme activity may play a role in the storage of C whereby the aggrading restored soils may be more susceptible to C loss during turnover of macroaggregates compared to the AG and NP soils with less macroaggregates.     

Effects of mesofauna exclusion on the microbial biomass in two moder profiles

Summary In December 1988, litterbags (mesh size 45 or 1000 m) were exposed in the organic layer of a limed and unlimed moder soil under beech forest in the Solling area (Germany). At both sites, substrata from the L1, L2, F1, F2 and from the H Layer were sampled shortly before the beginning of the experiment, defaunated, filled separately into litterbags and replaced in the respective horizons in the field. Litterbags were retrieved on three sampling dates (May, September, and November 1989). The soil microbial biomass was estimated by means of the fumigation extraction method. The results show that the effects of excluding mesofauna from the 45-m litterbags were different in different horizons, on different sampling dates and in different study sites. Calculation of the average effect from the three sampling dates revealed that mesofauna exclusion reduced the microbial biomass C at both sites. It was concluded from horizon- and season-specific differences between the two litterbag treatments that a depression in microbial biomass C in the organic layer of a moder soil by mesofaunal grazers is confined to situations where environmental conditions cause strong feeding pressure and when the microflora is exposed to environmental stress.     

Effects of nitrification inhibitors on denitrification of nitrate in soil

Summary The influence of 28 nitrification inhibitors on denitrification of nitrate in soil was studied by determining the effects of different amounts of each inhibitor on the amounts of nitrate lost and the amounts of nitrite, N₂O and N₂ produced when soil samples were incubated anaerobically after treatment with nitrate or with nitrate and mannitol. The inhibitors used included nitrapyrin (N-Serve), etridiazole (Dwell), potassium azide, 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine (AM), sulfathiazole (ST), 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole(ATC),2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine (CL-1580), potassium ethylxanthate, guanylthiourea (ASU), 4-nitrobenzotrichloride, 4-mesylbenzotrichloride, sodium thiocarbonate (STC), phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), and dicyandiamide (DCD).Only one of the nitrification inhibitors studied (potassium azide) retarded denitrification when applied at the rate of 10 g g^–1 soil, and only two (potassium azide and 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine) inhibited denitrification when applied at the rate of 50 g g^–1 soil. The other inhibitors either had no appreciable effect on denitrification, or enhanced denitrification, when applied at the rate of 10 or 50 g g^–1 soil, enhancement being most marked with 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole. Seven of the inhibitors (potassium azide, sulfathiazole, potassium ethylxanthate, sodium isopropylxanthate, 4-nitrobenzotrichloride, sodium thiocarbonate, and phenylmercuric acetate) retarded denitrification when applied at the rate of 50 g g^–1 soil to soil that had been amended with mannitol to promote microbial activity.Reports that nitrapyrin (N-Serve) and etridiazole (Dwell) inhibit denitrification when applied at rates as low as 0.5 g g^–1 soil could not be confirmed. No inhibition of denitrification was observed when these compounds were applied at the rate of 10 g g^–1 soil, and enhancement of denitrification was observed when they were applied at the rate of 50 or 100 g g^–1 soil.