Soil‐organic‐matter stability in sandy cropland soils is related to land‐use history

Sandy cropland soils in NW Europe were found to contain unusually high organic‐carbon (OC) levels, and a link with their land‐use history has been suggested. This study's aim was to assess the discriminating power of physical and chemical fractionation procedures to yield information on soil‐organic‐matter (OM) stability for these soils. In relict‐ and cultivated‐heathland soils, much higher proportions of 6% NaOCl treatment–resistant but 10% HF–soluble OC (MOC) and N (32.2% and 29.9%) were measured compared to a set of “permanent"‐cropland soils without a history of heathland land use (11.9% and 8.5%). Also, the proportions of 6% NaOCl– and 10% HF treatment–resistant OC and N in the relict and cultivated heathlands (19.2% and 12.0%) were higher than in the permanent‐cropland soils (17.7% and 5.7%). Stepwise multiple linear‐regression yielded a significant relationship between the annual mineralization (g C [100 g OC]^–1), soil OC (g C kg^–1) content, and %MOC: Annual mineralization = 4.347 – 0.087 soil OC – 0.032 %MOC (R² = 0.65). Combinations of incubation experiments for quantification of the labile soil OM pool with chemical fractionation may thus yield meaningful data for development of soil‐organic‐matter models with measurable pools, but their applicability will be limited to specific combinations of former land use with soil, climate, and current management.     

N mineralization parameters of sandy arable soils

The objective of this study was to experimentally investigate net N mineralization in sandy arable soils and to derive adequate N mineralization parameters for simulation purposes. Long‐term incubations at 35 °C were done for at least 200 days with 147 sandy arable soils from Northwest Germany. To cumulative net N mineralization curves the simultaneous two‐pool first‐order kinetic equation was fitted in order to differentiate between N mineralization from an easily decomposable, fresh organic matter pool (N_fast) and from a slowly decomposable pool (N_slow) of more humified OM. North German loess soils served as a reference, since available model parameters were mainly derived from those soils. Although curve patterns in sandy soils often somewhat deviated from typical double‐exponential patterns, the mineralization equation generally could be fitted. Two pools were clearly revealed, but a transfer of the standard parameters was found to be not appropriate — except maybe for the pool size of the fast decomposable N pool. The mean k_fast at 35 °C (0.1263 d^—1) is about 46% higher than the known ’︁standard’ loess value, indicating better conditions for decomposition of fresh residues at this temperature. The mean k_slow at 35 °C (0.0023 d^—1), which is 60% lower than reported earlier from loess soils, and much lower mineralization rates of the slowly decomposable N pool give reason to the presence of generally more resistant organic material in these sandy soils. The relation between N_slow and total N was found to be not close enough to derive the pool size of slowly decomposable N just from total N as done for loess soils. Reducing the variability is necessary, promising approaches exist. The eight reference loess soils revealed — on an average — the known N mineralization parameters.     

Organic matter effects on phosphorus sorption in sandy soils

Phosphorus (P) sorption processes in soils contribute to important problems in agriculture: a deficiency of this plant nutrient and eutrophication in aquatic systems. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a major role in sorption processes, but its influence on P sorption remains unclear and needs to be elucidated to improve the ability to effectively manage soil P. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of SOM on P sorption. The study was conducted in sandy soil profiles and in topsoils before and after removal of SOM with H₂O₂. The results were interpreted with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Our results indicated that SOM affected P sorption in sandy soils, but that P sorption also depended on specific soil properties (e.g. values of the degree of P saturation (DPS), P sorption capacity (PSC) and pH) often related to land use. Removal of SOM decreased PSC in most of the topsoils tested; other soil properties became important in controlling P sorption. An increase in P desorption observed after SOM removal indicated that SOM was potentially that soil constituent which increased P binding and limited P leaching from these sandy soils.     

Soil organic matter fractionation as a tool for predicting nitrogen mineralization in silty arable soils

After decades of searching for a practical method to estimate the N mineralization capacity of soil, there is still no consistent methodology. Indeed it is important to have practical methods to estimate soil nitrogen release for plant uptake and that should be appropriate, less time consuming, and cost effective for farmers. We fractionated soil organic matter (SOM) to assess different fractions of SOM as predictors for net N mineralization measured from repacked (disturbed) and intact (undisturbed) soil cores in 14 weeks of laboratory incubations. A soil set consisting of surface soil from 18 cereal and root‐cropped arable fields was physically fractionated into coarse and fine free particulate OM (coarse fPOM and fine fPOM), intra‐microaggregate particulate OM (iPOM) and silt and clay sized OM. The silt and clay sized OM was further chemically fractionated by oxidation with 6% NaOCl to isolate an oxidation‐resistant OM fraction, followed by extraction of mineral bound OM with 10% HF (HF‐res OM). Stepwise multiple linear regression yielded a significant relationship between the annual N mineralization (kg N/ha) from undisturbed soil and coarse fPOM N (kg N/ha), silt and clay N (kg N/ha) and its C:N ratio (R² = 0.80; P < 0.01). The relative annual N mineralization (% of soil N) from disturbed soils was related to coarse fPOM N, HF‐res OC (% of soil organic carbon) and its C:N ratio (R² = 0.83; P < 0.01). Physical fractions of SOM were thus found to be the most useful predictors for estimating the annual N mineralization rate of undisturbed soils. However, the bioavailability of physical fractions was changed due to the disturbance of soil. For disturbed soils, a presumed stable chemical SOM fraction was found to be a relevant predictor indicating that this fraction still contains bio‐available N. The latter prompted a revision in our reasoning behind selective oxidation and extraction as tools for characterizing soil organic N quality with respect to N availability. Nonetheless, the present study also underscores the potential of a combined physical and chemical fractionation procedure for isolating and quantifying N fractions which preferentially contribute to bulk soil N mineralization. The N content or C:N ratio of such fractions may be used to predict N mineralization in arable soils.     

Carbon and nitrogen mineralization of non-composted and composted municipal solid waste in sandy soils

A sterilized, but undecomposed, organic by-product of municipal waste processing was incubated in sandy soils to compare C and N mineralization with mature municipal waste compost. Waste products were added to two soils at rates of 17.9, 35.8, 71.6, and dry weight and incubated at for 90 d. Every 30 d, nitrate and ammonium concentrations were analyzed and C mineralization was measured as total CO₂-C evolved and added total organic C. Carbon mineralization of the undecomposed waste decreased over time, was directly related to application rate and soil nutrient status, and was significantly higher than C mineralization of the compost, in which C evolution was relatively unaffected across time, soils, and application rates. Carbon mineralization, measured as percentage C added by the wastes, also indicated no differences between composted waste treatments. However, mineralization as a percentage of C added in the undecomposed waste treatments was inversely related to application rate in the more productive soil, and no rate differences were observed in the highly degraded soil. Total inorganic N concentrations were much higher in the compost- and un-amended soils than in undecomposed waste treatments. Significant N immobilization occurred in all undecomposed waste treatments. Because C mineralization of the undecomposed waste was dependant on soil nutrient status and led to significant immobilization of N, this material appears to be best suited for highly degraded soils low in organic matter where restoration of vegetation adapted to nutrient poor soils is desired.     

Temperature functions of the rate coefficients of net N mineralization in sandy arable soils. Part II. Evaluation via field mineralization measurements

The aim of this study was to evaluate experimentally derived temperature functions for the rate coefficients of net N mineralization in sandy arable soils from NW Germany via field measurements. In part I of this paper (Heumann and Böttcher, 2004), different temperature functions for the rate coefficients of a two‐pool first‐order kinetic equation were derived by long‐term laboratory incubations at 3°C to 35°C. In this paper, field net N mineralization during winter of 25 plots was measured in undisturbed soil columns with a diameter of 20 cm to the depth of the A_p horizon. Mean simulated net N mineralization with the most adequate multiple functions corresponded also best with the mean of the measured values despite of an overestimation of about 10%. Distinctly larger deviations under use of other temperature functions (Arrhenius, Q₁₀) were directly related to their deviations from mean, experimentally derived rate coefficients. Simulated net N mineralization in the soil columns was significantly correlated with measured values, regardless of the temperature functions. Yet the goodness of fit was generally relatively low due to the spatial variability of measured net N mineralization within replicate soil columns, although the mean CV (38%) was by far not extraordinary. The pool of slowly mineralizable N contributed considerably to net N mineralization during four to five winter months, on an average 10.0 kg N ha^–1, about one third of total simulated N mineralization. Sometimes, it contributed even 21.3 kg N ha^–1, which is almost sufficient to reach the EU drinking‐water limit for nitrate in these soils. Simulations with widely used functions that were once derived from loess soils overestimated mineralization from pool N_slow in the studied sandy arable soils by a factor of two.     

Organic C levels in intensively managed arable soils – long-term regional trends and characterization of fractions

Substantial losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) from the plough layer of intensively managed arable soils in western Europe have recently been reported, but these estimates are associated with very large uncertainties. Following soil surveys in 1952 and 1990 of arable soils in West Flanders (Belgium), we resampled 116 sites in 2003 and thus obtained three paired measurements of the OC stocks in these soils. Ten soils were selected for detailed physical fractionation to obtain possible further explanations for changes in SOC stocks. Between 1990 and 2003, the SOC stocks decreased at an average rate of ?0.19 t OC ha^?1 year^?1. This loss is significant but is still less than half the rate of SOC decrease that was estimated previously for the whole region of Flanders, which includes the study area. Variation in SOC stocks or in the magnitude of SOC stock losses could not be related to soil texture, to changes in ploughing depth, or to recent land‐use changes. A good relationship, however, was found between the SOC losses and organic matter (OM) inputs. The results of the physical fractionation also suggested management to be the predominant factor determining variation in SOC stocks because no correlation was found between soil texture and the absolute amounts of OC present in the largest OM fractions, that is, the OC in free particulate organic matter (POM), and OC associated with the silt + clay size fraction. The proportion of OC in free POM was up to 40% of the total OC, which indicates the important impact of management on SOC and also indicates that a substantial part of the SOC still present, may in the future be lost at a time scale of years to decades assuming that the intensive management continues.     

Labile organic matter fractions as early‐season nitrogen supply indicators in manure‐amended soils

Soil test indicators are needed to predict the contribution of soil organic N to crop N requirements. Labile organic matter (OM) fractions containing C and N are readily metabolized by soil microorganisms, which leads to N mineralization and contributes to the soil N supply to crops. The objective of this study was to identify labile OM fractions that could be indicators of the soil N supply by evaluating the relationship between the soil N supply, the C and N concentrations, and C/N ratios of water extractable OM, hot‐water extractable OM, particulate OM, microbial biomass, and salt extractable OM. Labile OM fractions were measured before planting spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in fertilized soils and the soil N supply was determined from the wheat N uptake and soil mineral N concentration after 6 weeks. Prior to the study, fertilized sandy loam and silty clay soils received three annual applications of 90 kg available N (ha · y)^?1 from mineral fertilizer, liquid dairy cattle manure, liquid swine manure or solid poultry litter, and there was a zero‐N control. Water extractable organic N was the only labile OM fraction to be affected by fertilization in both soil types (P < 0.01). Across both test soils, the soil N supply was significantly correlated with the particulate OM N (r = 0.87, P < 0.001), the particulate OM C (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), and hot‐water extractable organic N (r = 0.81, P < 0.001). We conclude that pre‐planting concentrations of particulate OM and hot‐water extractable organic N could be early season indicators of the soil N supply in fertilized soils of the Saint Lawrence River Lowlands in Quebec, Canada. The suitability of these pre‐planting indicators to predict the soil N supply under field conditions and in fertilized soils from other regions remains to be determined.     

Biological activity and organic matter mineralization of soils amended with biowaste composts

This study aims to elucidate the significance of compost and soil characteristics for the biological activity of compost‐amended soils. Two agricultural soils (Ap horizon, loamy arable Orthic Luvisol and Ah horizon, sandy meadow Dystric Cambisol) and a humus‐free sandy mineral substrate were amended with two biowaste composts of different maturity in a controlled microcosm system for 18 months at 5 °C and 14 °C, respectively. Compost application increased the organic matter mineralization, the C_mic : C_org ratio, and the metabolic quotients significantly in all treatments. The total amount of C_org mineralized ranged from < 1 % (control plots) to 20 % (compost amended Dystric Cambisol). Incubation at 14 °C resulted in 2.7‐ to 4‐fold higher cumulative C_org mineralization compared to 5 °C. The C_mic : C_org ratios of the compost‐amended plots declined rapidly during the first 6 months and reached a similar range as the control plots at the end of the experiment. This effect may identify the compost‐derived microbial biomass as an easily degradable C source. Decreasing mineralization rates and metabolic quotients indicated a shift from a compost‐derived to a soil‐adapted microbial community. The C_org mineralization of the compost amended soils was mainly regulated by the compost maturity and the soil texture (higher activity in the sandy textured soils). The pattern of biological activity in the compost‐amended mineral substrate did not differ markedly from that of the compost‐amended agricultural soils, showing that the turnover of compost‐derived organic matter dominated the overall decay process in each soil. However, a priming effect occurring for the Dystric Cambisol indicated, that the effect of compost application may be soil specific.     

Role of organic fractions on C decomposition and N mineralization of animal wastes in soil

The relative contributions of water-soluble, water-non-soluble, Van Soest-soluble, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fractions of pig slurry (PS), cattle slurry (CS), cattle farmyard manure (FYM), and composted cattle farmyard manure (CFYM) to the overall C and N mineralization of the raw wastes were studied by incubating treated soil for 107 days at 15°C under non-limiting N conditions. The C or N mineralization of soluble fractions was calculated from the difference between C or N mineralization of the raw and non-soluble fractions. The organic N content of raw wastes ranged from 15 to 32 mg N g⁻¹ dry matter and organic C to organic N ratio from 13 to 29. The water-soluble fraction (SOL_W) was close to 100 mg C g⁻¹ raw waste C for CS, FYM, and CFYM but reached 200 mg C g⁻¹ for PS. The Van Soest-soluble fraction (SOL_VS) was the main fraction for PS, CS, and CFYM (>500 mg C g⁻¹ raw waste C) but only 303 mg C g⁻¹ raw waste C for FYM. Both soluble and non-soluble fractions contributed to C decomposition of slurries, with half to more than half of the decomposed C derived from the degradation of soluble compounds. Most of the C decomposed from FYM was derived from the large NDF fraction, but the contribution from the water-soluble C to the decomposition was also significant. Carbon mineralization of CFYM was due to the degradation of the NDF fraction, whereas soluble C did not contribute. Amounts of N mineralized or immobilized by raw wastes and non-soluble fractions at the end of incubation were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with their organic C to organic N ratio. The contribution of the Van Soest-soluble fraction to N mineralization varied greatly between the four wastes. Finally, large differences in the C degradability and N availability of the water and Van Soest-soluble fractions were demonstrated.     

Nitrogen mineralization and nitrogen uptake by maize as influenced by light and heavy organic matter fractions

On a sandy tropical soil, organic materials (prunings of Leucaena leucocephala, Senna siamea and maize stover) with contrasting C/N ratio (13, 18 and 56, respectively) were applied at the rate of 15 t ha^?1a^?1 in order to increase the amount of soil organic matter. Two light fractions (LF1 = LF > 2 mm and LF2 = 0.25 mm < LF < 2 mm) and the heavy fraction (HF) of the soil organic matter pool were determined by means of a combined density/particle size fractionation procedure and data obtained were related to soil nitrogen mineralization under controlled conditions and to nitrogen uptake by maize under field conditions. Under controlled conditions and when the LF1 fraction was excluded, nitrogen mineralization was found not to be correlated to total organic carbon content in the soil (R²=0.02). The R²-value of the linear regression increased considerably, when amount and C/N ratio of the LF2 fraction was taken into account in the regression analysis (R² = 0.88). Under field conditions, a multiple linear regression with amount and C/N ratio of HF, LF1 and LF2 better explained variation in crop nitrogen content and nitrogen uptake of maize (R² = 0.78 and 0.94) than a simple linear regression with total organic carbon (R² = 0.48 and 0.76). The results illustrate the importance of the two light and heavy organic matter fractions for estimating soil nitrogen mineralization. Determination of light and heavy soil organic matter fractions by density/particle size fractionation seems to be a promising tool to characterize functional pools of soil organic matter.     

Evaluation of two N cycle models for the prediction of N mineralization from grassland soils in the UK

Abstract. The ability of two nitrogen cycle models, of contrasting complexity, to predict N mineralization from a range of grassland soils in the UK, was evaluated. These were NCYCLE, a simple mass balance model of the N cycle in UK grasslands, and CENTURY, a more complex model simulating long-term C, N, P & S dynamics in grassland ecosystems. The models were tested using field measurements of net N mineralization from a range of grassland soils (differing in soil type, history & management practice), obtained over a 2 year period using a soil core incubation technique. This method was considered to measure the total net release of mineral N from the soil organic matter over a specified time, including N which may have been recycled several times. NCYCLE consistently under-estimated mineralization rates at all sites. By contrast, there was some correlation between CENTURY predictions of net N mineralization and field measurements. This may have reflected the different abilities of the two models to simulate N recycling. Neither model, however, was able to predict adequately the effect of cultivation and reseeding on net N mineralization.     

Temperature functions of the rate coefficients of net N mineralization in sandy arable soils. Part I. Derivation from laboratory incubations

This study aimed to experimentally determine adequate temperature functions for the rate coefficients of net N mineralization in sandy arable soils from NW Germany. Long‐term laboratory incubations were carried out in seven sandy arable soils at 3°C, 10°C, 19°C, 28°C, and 35°C in order to derive the rate coefficients of a simultaneous two‐pool first‐order kinetic equation. Thereby we differentiated between a small, fast mineralizable N pool, comprising mainly fresh residues, and a larger, slowly mineralizable N pool of old, humified organic matter. The rate coefficients were plotted against temperature, and fits of several different functions were tested: Arrhenius, Q₁₀, and multiple non‐mechanistic equations. The two derived rate coefficients showed very different temperature functions. Especially in critical temperature ranges (<5/10°C, >30/35°C) common Q₁₀ functions failed to fit well, and, only below 10°C, the Arrhenius functions were in agreement with mean measured rate coefficients. Over the studied temperature range, only relatively complex, multiple equations could adequately account for the observed patterns. In addition, temperature functions that have been derived earlier from loess soils from NW Germany were found not to be transferable to the sandy arable soils studied. Thus, the results strongly question the use of the same Arrhenius or Q₁₀ function or the same rate modifying factor for different N pools as well as for different soils as is generally done in models. Evaluations with field measurements of net N mineralization in part II of the paper (Heumann and Böttcher, 2004) will show which functions perform best in the field.     

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.     

Modeling nitrogen mineralization at surface and deep layers of sandy soils

We evaluated potential soil nitrogen mineralization of 46 sandy fields of the Pampas for determining the contribution of deep layers to mineralization and modeling its trend in depth as a possible tool for improving current existing mineralization models based on surface data. Mineralization, total and mineral nitrogen decreased with depth. A potential model fitted well to these variables (R² = 0.95–0.99), but mineralization showed a more stratified profile. Consequently, the fraction of total nitrogen mineralized decreased with depth despite soils had constant texture across the profile. Potential mineralization to 1 m depth could be estimated using data from the 0–0.2-m soil layer and the average curvature of the potential model (R² = 0.60) or linear regression methods (R² = 0.71). Another estimation of potential mineralization could be performed by developing a pedotransfer function which used as predictors total nitrogen and depth (R² = 0.62), without the need of laboratory incubations. Our results showed that for sandy soils, deep nitrogen mineralization account for 40% of soil mineralization and can be assessed using surface data or the total nitrogen content of the soils. Because surface soil mineralization and whole profile mineralization were highly correlated, it is improbable that field mineralization modeling may be improved using deep data in these soils.     

Effects of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter on the water repellency of model sandy soils

Soil water repellency affects the hydrological functions of soil systems. Water repellency is associated with the content and the composition of soil organic matter. In the present study, we examined the effects of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter contents, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio and the total organic matter content on water repellency using model sandy soils. Stearic acid and guar gum were used as the hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic compounds, respectively. Water repellency was estimated using the sessile drop method. Hydrophobic organic matter content was found to be the dominant factor affecting soil water repellency. Hydrophilic organic matter was found to increase the contact angle to some extent without the presence of hydrophobic organic matter. With the presence of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter, the effects of the hydrophilic organic matter content on contact angle were found to be dependent on the hydrophobic organic matter content of the soil. This relationship was explained by the differences in the surface free energies of different organic matter and mineral surfaces. The contact angle increased with increasing hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio when the hydrophilic organic matter content was constant. When the hydrophobic organic matter content was constant, contact angles were roughly comparable, irrespective of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio. The contact angles were not comparable at each total organic matter content. Accordingly, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio and the total organic matter content in soil may not provide satisfactory information about soil water repellency.     

Free and intra‐aggregate organic matter as indicators of soil quality change in volcanic soils under contrasting crop rotations

Soil physical fractionation techniques may provide indicators of changing soil organic carbon (SOC) content; however, they have not been widely tested on volcanic soils (Andisols). In this study, we assessed two fractions as potential indicators in volcanic soils, using two sites in Chile converted from natural grassland to arable and mixed crop rotations, 8 and 16 yr previously. In the 8‐yr experiment, SOC had declined under all rotations, with smaller changes where the rotation included 3 or 5 yr of perennial pasture. Whereas the average SOC was only 76% of the level in the preceding natural grassland, the corresponding value after 16 yr for the second site was 98% (and 93% under continuous arable), probably reflecting its high allophane clay content. The fractionation procedure tested proved applicable to both Andisols, but the intra‐aggregate light fraction (IA‐SOM, isolated in sodium iodide solution at 1.80 g/cm³ after ultrasonic dispersion) accounted for a very small proportion of total SOC (<1%). We suggest that in Andisols, the free light fraction (FR‐SOM, isolated in sodium iodide at solution of the same density, but prior to ultrasonic dispersion) is stabilised to a greater extent than in nonvolcanic soils, and the intra‐aggregate fraction plays a more minor role as a pool of intermediate turnover. The relative value of each fraction needs to be confirmed through dynamic experiments, using more sites, and including situations where SOC content is initially low.     

Predicting soil N mineralization: Relevance of organic matter fractions and soil properties

Distinct extractable organic matter (EOM) fractions have been used to assess the capacity of soils to supply nitrogen (N). However, substantial uncertainty exists on their role in the N cycle and their functional dependency on soil properties. We therefore examined the variation in mineralizable N and its relationship with EOM fractions, soil physical and chemical properties across 98 agricultural soils with contrasting inherent properties and management histories. Mineralizable N was determined by aerobic incubation at 20 °C and optimum moisture content for 20 weeks. We used multivariate statistical modelling to account for multi-collinearity, an issue generally overlooked in studies evaluating the predictive value of EOM fractions. Mineralization of N was primarily related to the size of OM pools and fractions present; they explained 78% of the variation in mineralizable N whereas other soil variables could explain maximally 8%. Both total and extractable OM expressed the same soil characteristic from a mineralization perspective; they were positively related to mineralizable N and explained a similar percentage of the variation in mineralizable N. Inclusion of mineralizable N in fertilizer recommendation systems should be based on at least one OM variable. The most appropriate EOM fraction can only be identified when the underlying mechanisms are known; regression techniques are not suitable for this purpose. Combination of single EOM fractions is not likely to improve the prediction of mineralizable N due to high multi-collinearity. Inclusion of texture-related soil variables or variables reflecting soil organic matter quality may be neglected due to their limited power to improve the prediction of mineralizable N.     

Pedotransfer functions for the pool size of slowly mineralizable organic N in sandy arable soils

The major aim of this study was to evaluate how the pool size of slowly mineralizable, ‘old’ soil organic N can be derived from more easily accessible soil and site information via pedotransfer functions (PTF). Besides modeling, this pool size might be of great importance for the identification of soils with high mineralization potential in drinking‐water catchments. From long‐term laboratory incubations (ca. 200 days) at 35 °C, the pool sizes of easily mineralizable organic N (N_fast), mainly in fresh residues, and slowly mineralizable, ‘old’ soil organic N (N_slow) as well as their first‐order rate coefficients were obtained. 90 sandy arable soils from NW Germany served to derive PTFs for N_slow that were evaluated using another 20 soils from the same region. Information on former land‐use and soil type was obtained from topographical, historical, and soil maps (partly from 1780). Pool size N_slow very strongly depends on soil type and former land‐use. Mean pool sizes of N_slow were much lower in old arable lowland (105 mg N kg^–1) than upland soils (175 mg N kg^–1) possibly due to lower clay contents. Within lowlands, mean pool sizes in former grassland soils (245 mg N kg^–1) were 2 to 3 times larger than in old arable soils due to accumulation of mineralizable N. In contrast, mean pool sizes of N_slow were lowest in recently cleared, former heath‐ and woodland (31 mg N kg^–1) as a result of the input of hardly decomposable organic matter. Neither N nor C in the light fraction (density < 1.8 g cm^–3) was adequate to derive pool size N_slow in the studied soils (r² < 0.03). Instead, N_slow can be accurately (r² = 0.55 – 0.83) derived from one or two basic soil characteristics (e.g. organic C, total N, C : N, mineral fraction < 20 μm), provided that sites were grouped by former land‐use. Field mineralization from N_slow during winter (independent data set) can be predicted as well on the basis of N_slow‐values calculated from PTFs that were derived after grouping the soils by former land‐use (r² = 0.51***). In contrast, using the PTF without soil grouping strongly reduced the reliability (r² = 0.16).