The use of biological methods to determine the microbiological activity of soils under cultivation |
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Authors: | L Beyer C Wachendorf F M Balzer U R Balzer-Graf |
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Institution: | (1) Institut für Pflanzenernährung und Bodenkunde, Universität Kiel, Olshausenstraße 40-60, W-2300 Kiel 1, Federal Republic of Germany;(2) Labor für Bodenuntersuchungen und Spurenmetallanalytik, Oberer Ellenberg 5, W-3551 Amönau, Federal Republic of Germany |
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Abstract: | Summary In Ap horizons of typical arable soils under cereals in Northwest Germany, biological activity was estimated by measuring microbial activity. Twelve soils on local farms and six soils on a research farm were analysed. Microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity were compared with the biological availability of P, an index describing the relationship among several P fractions that has been used in ecological agriculture. The correlation between the microbial biomass and dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity was strong but the correlation between the biological availability of P and the enzyme activities was weak. In contrast, in the farm fields, there was a significant correlation between the microbial biomass and the biological availability of P. The correlation between the biological availability of P and pH was highly significant (r=0.65–0.93***). Explanations for these correlations are discussed and proposals for further investigations are made. (1) Is the pH effect a direct chemical one or an indirect biological one? (2) Which soil organisms affect the biological availability of P in contrast to the microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity? (3) Is the method suitable for the investigation of all arable soils? |
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Keywords: | Biological activity P availability Microbial biomass Alkaline phosphatase activity Dehydrogenase activity Soil cultivation |
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