Nitrogen transformation in arable soils of North-West Germany during the cereal growing season

In 1991, field experiments on loess (with winter wheat) and sandy soils (with summer barley) were conducted to study N dynamics in the microbial biomass and non-exchangeable NH _inf4 ^sup+ . The measurements showed a mass change in microbial N, with a maximum increase of 100 kg N ha^-1 30 cm^-1 from March to July in the loess soil, and a change for only 1 month (May) in the sandy soil. Plots treated with conventional levels of N fertilizer (213 kg N ha^-1 on a loess soil to winter wheat and 130 kg ha^-1 on the sandy soil to summer barley), reduced levels of N (83% and 62% of the conventional N application), or no N showed no consistent fertilizer N effect on microbial biomass N. From March to July, non-exchangeable NH _inf4 ^sup+ in loess soils under winter wheat decreased by 110 kg N ha^-1 30 cm^-1 in conventionally fertilized plots and by 200 kg N ha^-1 30 cm^-1 in a plot with no N fertilizer. After harvest, the pool of non-exchangeable NH _inf4 ^sup+ increased due to increasing mineral N concentrations in the soil.