Effects of pig slurry application on soils and soil humic acids

The effect of three annually consecutive additions of pig slurry at two rates (90 and 150 m3 x ha(-1) x year(-1) on soils and soil humic acids (HAs) was investigated in a field experiment under semiarid conditions. Soils and pig slurries were analyzed by standard methods. The HAs were isolated from soils and pig slurry by a conventional procedure based on alkaline extraction, acidic precipitation to pH 1, purification by repeated alkaline dissolutions and acidic precipitations, water washing, dialysis, and final freeze-drying. The HAs obtained were analyzed for elemental (C, H, N, S, and O) and acidic functional group (carboxylic and phenolic) composition, and by UV-vis, FT-IR, fluorescence, and ESR spectroscopies. With respect to the control soil, the pig slurry amended soils had greater pH and electrical conductivity, slightly larger total N content, and smaller values of C/N ratio. A decrease of total organic C was observed only in soils amended for 2 and 3 years at the higher slurry rate. With respect to control soil HA, pig slurry HA was characterized by larger contents of S- and N-containing groups, smaller acidic functional group and organic free radical contents, a prevalent aliphatic character, extended molecular heterogeneity, and smaller aromatic polycondensation and humification degrees. Amendment with pig slurry HA determines a number of modifications in soil HAs, including increase of C, S, and COOH contents, C/N ratios, and aliphaticity and decrease of extraction yields and N, O, phenolic OH, and organic free radical contents. These effects are generally more evident after the first year of slurry application and tend to disappear with increasing number of treatments. Most probably, over the years the slightly humified slurry HA is mineralized through extended microbial oxidation, whereas only the most recalcitrant components, such as S-containing, phenolic, and aliphatic structures, are partially accumulated by incorporation into soil HA.     

Olive pomace amendment in Mediterranean conditions: effect on soil and humic acid properties and wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) yield

The effects of the addition of either crude or exhausted olive pomace at two rates (10 and 20 t ha(-)(1)) on soil and soil humic acid (HA) properties and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) yield were investigated in open-field Mediterranean conditions. Soil amendment with olive pomaces produced a significant increase of total organic, total extractable, humified and nonhumified C forms, and available K contents. With respect to control soil HA, humic-like acids isolated from crude and exhausted olive pomaces were characterized by larger phenolic OH group contents, smaller carboxyl group contents, a prevalent aliphatic character, extended molecular heterogeneity, and smaller aromatic polycondensation and humification degrees. In general, application of olive pomaces to soil produced a number of modifications in soil HAs, including the increase of O and acidic functional group contents, C/N ratio, and aliphaticity and the decrease of C/H ratio and N and C contents. Wheat grain yield increased significantly as an effect of olive pomace amendment. In particular, the increases were related to kernel weight, kernel number per square meter, and soil organic matter content. Possibly, the enhanced amount of soil organic matter in olive-pomace-amended soils relieved wheat of drought stress from anthesis to maturity by promoting a good soil structure, thereby reducing water loss by evaporation.     

污泥堆肥和热干燥对土壤和土壤腐殖酸性质的影响

The effect of annual additions of composted sewage sludge (CS) and thermally dried sewage sludge (TS) at 80 t ha^-1 on soil chemical properties was investigated for three years in a field experiment under semiarid conditions. Humic acids (HAs) isolated by conventional procedures from CS, TS, and unamended (SO) and sludge amended soils were analysed for elemental (C, H, N, S and O) and acidic functional groups (carboxylic and phenolic) and by ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies. With respect to CS, TS had similar pH and total P and K contents, larger dry matter, total organic C, total N and C/N ratio and smaller ash content and electrical conductivity. Amendment with both CS and TS induced a number of modifications in soil properties, including an increase of pH, electrical conductivity, total organic C, total N, and available P. The CS-HA had greater O, total acidity, carboxyl, and phenolic OH group contents and smaller C and H contents than TS-HA. The CS-HA and TS-HA had larger N and S contents, smaller C, O and acidic functional group contents, and lower aromatic polycondensation and humification degrees than SO-HA. Amended soil-HAs showed C, H, N and S contents larger than SO-HA, suggesting that sludge HAs were partially incorporated into soil HAs. These effects were more evident with increasing number of sludge applications.     

Soil fulvic acid properties as a means to assess the use of pig slurry amendment

Soil amendment with animal manures is a common practice for either increasing soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrient content or disposing of wastes from intensive animal industries. However, the application of organic amendments that are not sufficiently mature and stable may adversely affect soil properties, especially the content and quality of SOM pools. In this work, the effect of the consecutive annual additions of pig slurry (PS) at rates of 0 (control), 90 and 150 m³ ha⁻¹ per year over a 4-year period on the soil fulvic acid (FA) fraction of SOM was investigated in a field plot experiment conducted under semiarid conditions on a Calcic Luvisol in Toledo province, Spain. The FAs isolated from PS and control and amended soils were characterized for chemical, compositional, structural and functional properties by use of elemental and functional group analysis, and ultraviolet/visible, Fourier transform infrared (FT IR), fluorescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopies. PS-FA was characterized by a prevalent aliphatic character, large contents of acidic functional groups, S- and N-containing groups and polysaccharide components, extended molecular heterogeneity, small organic free radical (OFR) contents and small degrees of aromatic ring polycondensation, polymerization and humification. With respect to the control soil FA, the PS-amended soil FAs were characterized by a smaller extraction yield, O and OFR contents and ratios of absorbances at 465 and 665 nm, and larger C, N, S, COOH and phenolic OH contents, C/N ratios and aliphaticity. Statistical analysis of experimental data showed that, with some exceptions, these effects generally increased with increasing cumulative amount of PS applied to soil over time. In conclusion, cumulative PS application to soil over time modifies the content and properties of the FA fraction of SOM. Thus, this material should not be considered as a mature organic amendment and should be treated appropriately before it is applied to soil, so as to increase the degree of humification and enhance its potential as a soil organic fertilizer.     

中国黑土上腐殖酸和腐殖物质的提取及其描述

Twenty-three progressive extractions were performed to study individual humic acids (HAs) and humin fractions from a typical black soil (Mollisol) in Heilongjiang Province, China using elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques. After 23 HA extractions the residue was separated into high and low organic carbon humin fractions. HA yield was the highest for the first extraction and then gradually decreased with further extractions. Organic carbon (OC) of the humin fractions accounted for 58% of total OC even after 23 successive HA extractions. In addition, the atomic C/H ratio decreased during the course of extraction while C/O increased; the E4/E6 ratio from the UV analysis decreased with further extraction while E~/E3 increased; the band assigned to aliphatic carbon (2 930 cm-1) in the diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) spectra gradually increased with progressive extraction; the calculated ratio of the sum of aromatic carbon peak heights to that of aliphatic carbon peak heights from DRIFTS spectra declined with extractions; and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data suggested that HA aliphatic carbons increased with extractions while aromatic carbons decreased. Thus, hydrophobicity and aliphaticity of HAs increased with extractions while polarity and aromaticity decreased. These data showed substantial chemical, structural, and molecular differences among the 23 HAs and two humin fractions. Therefore, these results may help explain why soil and sediment humin fractions have high sorption capacity for organic contaminants.     

Susceptibility of humic acids from soils with various contents of metals to microbial utilization and transformation

Humic acids (HAs) from a pseudogley soil with various metal contents were added as supplemental sources of nutrients, or as the sole sources of carbon or nitrogen, to aerobic cultures of complex microbial populations indigenous to the same individual soils. Depending on nutrient conditions in the individual cultures and origin of HAs, between 44% and 67% of the added HAs were utilized. The lowest utilization rate was obtained for HAs from soil heavily contaminated with Mg. The overall carbon mineralization in the microbial cultures was significantly reduced in the presence of HAs. Simultaneously, the formation of microbial biomass was enhanced up to 261%. Variovorax (Alcaligenes) paradoxus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and a yeast Cryptococcus sp. have been identified as the dominant microbial species utilizing HAs. The individual HA preparations re-isolated from the microbial cultures exhibited distinct changes in elemental and structural characteristics. Diminished contents of ash and alterations in infra-red absorptions indicated a splitting of organic and mineral components in HAs exposed to microbial activities.     

长期施氮肥对黄棕壤微生物生物性状的影响及其调控因素

基于黄棕壤小麦-甘薯轮作的长期定位试验,探究不同施氮处理土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、氮(MBN)含量和酶活性的变化及其潜在调控因子,为科学施氮提高土壤质量和改善土壤生态功能提供依据。试验选取始于2011年4个施氮处理:不施肥(CK)、不施氮肥(PK)、施化学氮肥(NPK)和化学氮肥配施有机肥(NPKM),调查两季作物收获后土壤MBC和MBN含量、酶活性及微生物碳氮利用效率的变化,并通过冗余分析(RDA)和结构方程模型(SEM)明确调控弱酸性黄棕壤中MBC和MBN变化的潜在因素。小麦和甘薯两季的结果表明:施氮肥降低了土壤MBC、MBN含量和蔗糖酶(SSC)、脲酶(SUE)活性,与NPK处理相比, NPKM处理增加了MBC、MBN含量和SSC、SUE活性。长期施用氮肥提高了土壤有机碳(SOC)和土壤养分[全氮(TN)和矿质态氮(MN)]含量,但施氮肥显著降低土壤p H以及微生物的碳氮利用效率。与小麦季相比,甘薯季土壤SOC和MN含量有所下降,而MBN含量和SSC活性有所升高。RDA和SEM结果表明,氮肥的施用强化了MBC与MBN、SSC与MBC以及SUE与MBC之间的关联性;不同施氮处理下土壤p H、有机碳、氮含量以及微生物的碳氮利用效率的变化直接或间接地影响土壤MBC、MBN含量和SSC、SUE活性,其中p H是调控土壤MBC变化的直接因素,而土壤SSC和SUE活性与MBC、MBN含量相互影响。长期施用氮肥降低了黄棕壤MBC、MBN含量和酶活性,化学氮肥配施有机肥有利于缓解生物性状的下降,土壤p H是影响MBC变化的主要因素,小麦-甘薯轮作中土壤微生物强烈的碳代谢过程利于增加MBN。     

生物炭用量对塿土微生物量及碳源代谢活性的影响

目的研究果树树干、枝条制成的生物炭添加4～5年后,其添加量对土微生物量及碳源代谢活性的影响,为生物炭改良土的合理应用提供数据支撑和理论依据。方法基于陕西关中土的长期田间试验,采用氯仿熏蒸—浸提法及Biolog-ECO检测法,研究了生物炭不同添加量 (0、20、40、60、80 t/hm2) 下冬小麦不同生育期土壤微生物量C、N、P、C/N的动态变化及土壤微生物的碳源代谢活性。结果当生物炭添加量为40～60 t/hm2时,显著提高了土壤微生物量碳;当生物炭添加量 ≥ 40 t/hm2时,显著提高了土壤微生物量C/N;添加生物炭对土壤微生物量N、P没有显著影响。当生物炭添加量为20 t/hm2时,显著增加了土壤微生物量碳的季节波动;当生物炭添加量为40～60 t/hm2时,显著增加了土壤微生物量C/N的季节波动;当生物炭添加量为20～60 t/hm2时,显著降低了土壤微生物量P的季节波动;添加生物炭对土壤微生物量N的季节波动没有显著影响。添加生物炭对土壤微生物碳源代谢活性没有显著影响,但高量生物炭的添加有降低土壤微生物整体代谢活性的趋势。当生物炭添加量为60 t/hm2时,显著降低了土壤丰富度指数,显著提高了均匀度指数;当生物炭添加量 ≥ 60 t/hm2时,显著降低了Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数。添加生物炭对土壤微生物利用糖类、氨基酸类、多聚物类、多酚化合物类、多胺类碳源的利用率没有显著影响,但生物炭添加量为60 t/hm2时,土壤微生物显著降低了对羧酸类碳源的利用率;糖类、羧酸类、氨基酸类是土中微生物比较偏好、利用率较高的碳源。结论生物炭添加4～5年后,在第7季作物冬小麦生育期内,其不同添加量对土壤微生物量及微生物功能多样性的影响依然有显著的差异。生物炭添加量为40 t/hm2时,可以显著提高土壤微生物量碳和C/N,显著降低土壤微生物量磷的季节波动;生物炭添加量大于40 t/hm2时,土壤微生物的整体代谢活性,表征土壤微生物功能多样性的丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数,土壤微生物对糖类、氨基酸类、多胺类碳源的利用率均呈现降低趋势。因此,生物炭添加量必须控制在合理的范围内,避免对土壤产生不良影响。     

Phenanthrene sorption by compost humic acids

Nonlinear isotherms were observed for sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to humic materials, but the exact sorption mechanism is not clearly understood. This study aimed to investigate the sorption of PAHs by compost humic materials. Humic acids (HAs) were progressively extracted from two compost samples by a 0.1-M sodium pyrophosphate solution. Sorption of phenanthrene by the extracted HAs was studied with a batch equilibration technique. Competitive sorption between pyrene and phenanthrene in the HAs was also examined. Elemental analysis and solid-state ¹³C NMR were used to characterize HAs. All sorption isotherms were nonlinear although these samples contained little black carbons if any. Isotherm linearity increased with increasing number of extractions. Isotherm nonlinearity was negatively related to HA aliphaticity. Addition of pyrene to the phenanthrene-HA system increased isotherm linearity. Competition between phenanthrene and pyrene sorption was more pronounced in the first fraction of HAs with a higher content of aromatic moieties. This study showed that humic materials alone could lead to nonideal sorption for PAHs.     

<Superscript>13</Superscript>C-NMR analysis of components of chernozem humic acids and their fractions with different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities

Tandem size-exclusion chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used for obtaining stable fractions of different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities from chernozem humic acids (HAs). The obtained fractions were analyzed using solid-phase ¹³C NMR. The tendencies of the changes in the aromatic and aliphatic components of the HA fractions with different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities were experimentally revealed. The aromatic-to-aliphatic carbon ratio C_arom (165–108 ppm)/C_aliph (108-0 ppm) was used for comparing the degrees of aliphaticity and aromaticity of the HA macromolecules. This ratio increased by more than five times when going from the high-molecular-weight to the low-molecular-weight fractions and largely determined their hydrophilic properties. The obtained results can be useful for the interpretation of the structural organization and the ecological functions of soil HAs and their fractions.     

长期施有机肥和化肥对潮土胡敏酸结构特征的影响

以河南封丘长期肥料试验为平台,选择有机肥(OM)、化肥NPK(NPK)和不施肥(CK)3种处理,研究了不同施肥措施对潮土胡敏酸(HA)结构特征的影响。HA样品经提取纯化后,采用一系列固态~(13)C核磁共振(NMR)技术并结合元素分析和稳定碳同位素(δ~(13)C)技术对其结构进行定量表征。其中NMR技术包括高速多重倾斜幅度交叉极化/魔角自旋(multiCP/MAS)、偶极相移、化学位移各向异性过滤和质子碳编辑技术。结果表明:长期施有机肥和NPK肥增加了HA的饱和程度、氧化程度和极性,但缩合程度降低;HA的δ~(13)C值降低,表明有新的有机碳进入HA中。潮土HA以脂肪族化合物为主,烷基比例最高,占全碳的24.1%~26.3%;δ64~44处同时存在含氮烷基和甲氧基,且含氮烷基比例更高;另外异头碳和烷氧基中的非质子碳比例均很低。HA的芳香族成分中,δ142~113芳香碳以质子碳为主,且有少量质子芳香碳存在于δ113~93。结果还表明施肥均降低了HA的羧基和δ142~113芳香碳比例,增加了烷氧基和甲氧基比例;施有机肥还增加了酚碳和含氮烷基比例,降低了烷基比例。本研究表明长期施用有机肥和NPK肥使潮土HA结构向着疏水性程度和分解程度降低的方向发展;OM和NPK处理均使糖类物质增加,OM处理还使木质素和多肽增加,脂类物质降低。不同施肥模式下HA的形成机制不同。     

Aerobic short-term microbial utilization and degradation of humic acids extracted from soils of long-term field experiments

A humic acid (HA) fraction of the soil organic matter (SOM) was extracted with alkali from soil samples originated in non-fertilized and fertilized (NPK + organic manure) plots of long-term (45 years) field experiments. The HA preparations served as supplemental sources of nutrients or as sole source of either C or N for soil micro-organisms indigenous to the same soils. Under aerobic conditions (shake cultures) between 15% and 45% of HA were degraded in 21 days. The degradation was minimum if HAs were added supplementary, although the biomass formation was strongly enhanced. Preparations of HA from long-term fertilized soils appeared somewhat less susceptible to microbial degradation but they were capable of supporting microbial growth. Under copious nutritional conditions some novel HA-like substances were formed. The HA preparations re-isolated from individual cultures exhibited differences in elemental and structural characteristics. The FTIR spectra indicated an increasing proportion of aromatic structures that appeared as associated with mineral moieties. Conclusively, HAs from long-term fertilized and manured soils could be considered as more resistant to microbial activities than those from control soil, but under limited nutrient conditions their aliphatic constituents appear utilizable by micro-organisms.     

Spectroscopic properties of humic acids isolated from the rhizosphere and bulk soil compartments and fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography

The humic acids (HAs) isolated by conventional procedure from rhizosphere (r) and bulk (c) soils were analyzed by means of chemical and physico-chemical techniques. Two different crops were selected, tomato (T) and artichoke (A), and each HA was fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) into three fractions with increasing molecular size, respectively, Fraction I (FrI) < Fraction II (FrII) < Fraction III (FrIII). Elemental analysis data indicated greater N and S contents in the rhizosphere T-HAs, with respect to rhizosphere A-HA, which suggests the occurrence in the former ones of a large amount of organic nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds that are released by the rhizodeposition processes. Further, the three HA fractions from the bulk soils of the two series showed a gradual increase of C, H, and N contents, and a decrease of O and S contents and C/N and C/H ratios. These results suggested that the lowest molecular size fractions are richer in oxygenated functional groups, whereas the higher molecular size fractions are richer in N-containing groups and structural C- and H-containing units. The three HA fractions from the rhizosphere soils of the two series showed a gradual decrease in C content, and an increase of H, N, and O contents, which suggests the possible incorporation into soil HAs of a multitude of C-containing compounds of low molecular size released by plant roots. The FT-IR data, in general, suggested that the contents of carboxylic, phenolic and N-containing groups and polysaccharide-like components in HAs from rhizosphere soils are larger than those of HAs from the corresponding bulk soils. Further, the FrI fraction consisted mainly of simple structural units, likely quinonic and phenolic units with a prevalent aromatic character, whereas the FrII and, especially, FrIII fractions featured a mixed aliphatic/aromatic nature and a greater molecular complexity. The extent of these differences appeared to depend on the plant species and age, and is mainly due to the partial incorporation into rhizosphere HAs of typical root exudate components, such as amino acids, amides, aliphatic and aromatic acids of low molecular size, polysaccharides and sugars, fatty acids and sterols, and enzymes.     

Chemical structure of humic acids in biosolids-amended soils as revealed by NMR spectroscopy

We used NMR spectroscopy to characterize humid acids extracted from soils that had received long-term application of 2 levels of biosolids to evaluate the soil organic matter (SOM) stability in biosolids-amended soils. The study also quantified fulvic acids (FAs), humic acids (HAs) and Fe/Al oxides. The soils were collected in 2004 from 7 fields, in Fulton County, southwestern Illinois, which received biosolids at a cumulative rate of 0 (control), 554 (low biosolids) and 1,066 (high biosolids) Mg ha⁻¹. The application of biosolids increased both FA and HA contents, but biosolids-amended soil and control soil did not differ in FA/HA ratio. Biosolids application had no effect on water-soluble organic carbon content. Biosolids application increased the presence of Fe/Al in the SOM complex and lowered its C/Fe and C/Al ratios. ¹³C NMR spectra showed increased alkyl C and decreased aromatic C content in soil HAs with the application of biosolids, and the extent of such changes was higher with high than low biosolids treatment. Under biosolids application, the soil HAs’ C structure shifts from O-alkyl-dominant to alkyl-dominant. Biosolids application does not decrease SOM stability but rather increases the stability of soil humic substances.     

Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of Humic acids from a soil toposequence in venezuela

Abstract

An investigation was conducted on physico‐chemical properties of humic acids (HAs) in Venezuelan soils. The HAs were extracted by the NaOH method from a Banco‐Bajio‐Estero soil toposequence (local names for soils located at high, intermediate and low topographic levels), in the Venezuelan plains (Mantecal, Apure State). The extracted HAs were analyzed for elemental composition and characterized by fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopies. The results showed that free radical concentration of HAs increased from soils at the highest to soils at the lowest topographic position. High carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and carboxyl group contents, E₄/E₆ ratio, aliphatic character and concentration of free radicals, and low oxygen (O) and phenolic hydroxyl group contents and total acidity were typical of HA from soils at the lower relief position. The FT‐IR spectra indicated that the HA from the soil at the lowest topographic position tended to have a slightly higher content of carboxyl groups than the HAs from soils at higher topographic levels. The observed fluorescence was attributed to the presence of condensed aromatic moieties and/or conjugated unsaturated systems of various complexity in the HA macromolecules.     

Effects of nanofertilizer and nano-plant hormone on soil chemical properties and microbial community in two different soil types

Application of nanotechnology in agriculture has been expanded to improve crop production. The impact of nanomaterials (NMs) on factors that influence the survival and function of beneficial microorganisms is a less studied aspect that needs to be better understood. Only a few studies have assessed the effects of NMs on beneficial soil microorganisms. This study was conducted to assess the effects of nanofertilizer FertiGroe^?N (FG-N) and nano-plant hormone HormoGroe^?auxin (...     

Compost and phosphorus amendments for stimulating microorganisms and growth of ryegrass in a Ferralsol and a Luvisol

A greenhouse pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different P‐fertilizer application forms (triple superphosphate [TSP], compost + TSP, TSP‐enriched compost) on the growth of ryegrass and the soil microbial biomass. The fertilizers were applied at equivalent doses for all nutrients to a neutral Luvisol in comparison with an acidic Ferralsol. Fertilizer application led to significantly increased contents of microbial biomass C, N, and P. Furthermore, yields of shoot C and root C, and concentrations of P, Ca, Mg, K, Fe, and Mn in shoots and roots were significantly increased. These increases always followed the order TSP < compost + TSP < TSP‐enriched compost. Sole TSP application led only to maximum concentrations of N and S. In the Ferralsol, TSP had only minimal positive effect on the P concentration of the grass shoots. The positive effect of TSP‐enriched compost, i.e., incubating TSP together with compost for 24 h, did not differ between the neutral Luvisol and the acidic Ferralsol, i.e., the effect is independent of the soil type. Consequently, soluble inorganic P fertilizer should generally be mixed into an organic fertilizer before application to soil.     

Hydrochar amendment promotes microbial immobilization of mineral nitrogen

Hydrochars and biochars are products of the carbonization of biomass in different conversion processes. Both are considered suitable soil amendments, though they differ greatly in chemical and physical composition (e.g., aromaticity, inner surface area) due to the different production processes (pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization), thus affecting their degradability in soil. Depending on the type, char application may provide soil microorganisms with more (hydrochars) or less (biochars) accessible C sources, thus resulting in the incorporation of nitrogen (N) into microbial biomass. A soil‐incubation experiment was conducted for 8 weeks to determine the relationship between mineral‐N concentration in the soil solution and microbial‐biomass development as well as soil respiration. An arable topsoil was amended with two hydrochars from feedstocks with different total N contents. Biochars from the same feedstocks were used for comparison. Both char amendments significantly decreased mineral‐N concentration and promoted microbial biomass compared to the nonamended control, but the effects were much stronger for hydrochar. Hydrochar application increased soil respiration significantly during the first week of incubation, simultaneous with the strongest decrease in mineral‐N concentration in the soil and an increase in microbial biomass. The amount of N detected in the microbial biomass in the hydrochar treatments accounted for the mineral N “lost” from the soil during incubation. This shows that microbial immobilization is the main sink for decreasing mineral‐N concentrations after hydrochar application. However, this does not apply to biochar, since the amount of N recovered in microorganisms was much lower than the decrease in soil mineral‐N concentration. Our results demonstrate that while both chars are suitable soil amendments, their properties need to be considered to match the application purpose (C sequestration, organic fertilizer).     

Microbial biomass and microbial C:N ratio in bulk soil and buried bags for evaluating in situ net N mineralization in agricultural soils

The in situ net nitrogen mineralization (N_net) was estimated in five agricultural soils under different durations of organic farming by incubating soil samples in buried bags. Simultaneously, soil microbial C and N was determined in buried bags and in bulk soil under winter wheat and after harvest. The aim was to check for variations in soil microbial biomass contents and microbial C:N ratios during the incubation period, and their importance for N_net rates. Microbial C and N contents were highest in soils that had been organically farmed for 41 years, whereas N_net rates were highest in a short‐term organically managed soil that had been under grassland use until 36 years ago. The mean coefficient of variation in the bulk soil for microbial C estimates ranged from 5 to 12 %. Microbial N contents were similar inside buried bags and in the bulk soil at the end of the incubation periods. Under winter wheat during the incubation period until harvest, microbial C contents and microbial C:N ratios (in 10—27 cm depth only) decreased more strongly inside buried bags than in the bulk soil. Following harvest of winter wheat and ploughing, microbial biomass increased while in situ N_net decreased, presumably due to N immobilization. The N_net rates were not correlated with microbial N contents or changes in microbial N contents inside buried bags. At the end of the vegetation period of winter wheat, N_net rates were negatively correlated with microbial C:N ratios. Because these ratios concurrently decreased more inside buried bags than in the bulk soil, the N_net estimates of the buried bag method may differ from the N_net rates in the bulk soil at that time.     

Soil properties and N application effects on microbial activities in two winter wheat cropping systems

The application of mineral N fertilizers may influence biologically mediated processes that are important in nutrient transformations and availability. This study was conducted to assess the effect of N application on microbial activities in irrigated and non-irrigated winter wheat systems. Carbon decomposition and microbial biomass C in soils with three N application rates (0, 150, and 300 kg N ha^–1 as urea) were measured over 40 days in a laboratory incubation experiment. Carbon, N, and P contents in the soil under the irrigated wheat were higher than those in the soil under the non-irrigated wheat. The reverse trend was observed for soil pH and Ca and Mg contents. However, soils from the two systems had similar C/N ratios. Carbon decomposition and microbial biomass C in the soil under the irrigated wheat increased significantly (p <0.05). Increasing rates of N fertilizer resulted in higher C decomposition and microbial biomass C levels in both soil systems. Results indicate that different wheat cropping systems affect soil properties that will then have an impact on C turnover in the soil. Moreover, the irrigated wheat system favors soil conditions required for a faster C turnover. In conclusion, it is likely that due to positive effects on microbial activity, N fertilization will increase nutrient cycling and, subsequently, crop productivity will improve in N-poor soils.