Fixed ammonium in some Bangladesh soils

Nitrogen is the most deficient element and the most limiting factor for crop production in Bangladesh. The total N content in Bangladesh soils ranges between 0.02 and 0.12% (Ahsan and Karim 1988). The low N content indicates the presence of a small organic N pool and suggests that inorganic N plays an important role as a N source for crops. Contribution of “fixed” or “nonexchangeable” NH₄ ⁺ to the N economy of soil has been reported for many tropical soils (Rodrigues 1954; Moore and Ayeke 1965; Dalal 1977; Sahrawat 1995). However, there are few reports on fixed NH₄ ⁺ status in Bangladesh. In the present study, therefore, attempts were made to collect data on fixed NH₄ ⁺ of some major soil series from the important physiographic units of Bangladesh.