Effect of wheat roots on denitrification at varying soil air-filled porosity and organic-carbon content

Summary The effect of the air-filled porosity and organic-matter content of the soil on denitrification with non-limiting NO₃ ^– concentrations was studied in unplanted pots and in pots sown to wheat. Four organic-C levels were established by using pure and mixed soil material from a Bt horizon with 0.12% organic-C and an A_p horizon with 1.31% organic C from a mollic luvisol. A range of air-filled porosities from 3% to 25% during denitrification assays was obtained by varying soil compaction. Beyond a 10% to 12% threshold of air-filled porosity the denitrification rates were at an insignificant and constant level in planted as well as in unplanted soil for all organic-C contents. Below this threshold denitrification increased exponentially with decreasing air-filled porosity. In planted soil the excess of denitrification over that of unplanted soil was inversely related to air-filled porosity. This rhizosphere effect on denitrification, which was confined to air-filled porosities lower than 10%–12%, became significantly greater with increasing soil organic-C content. The findings indicate that root dependent respiration amplifies O₂ depletion in the rhizosphere and may accelerate the onset of denitrification in planted soil.     

Enhanced denitrification in plots of N2-fixing faba beans compared to plots of a non-fixing legume and non-legumes

Denitrification rates were studied using the C₂H₂ inhibition technique in a 2-year field experiment within plots of nodulated and non-nodulated faba beans, ryegrass, and cabbage. Denitrification rates ranged from 14.40 to 0.02 ng N₂O–N g^–1 soil dry weight h^–1. Mean denitrification increased fourfold in plots of N₂–fixing Vicia faba compared to non-nodulated V. faba mutant F48, Lolium perenne, and Brassica oleracea. The results with and without C₂H₂ treatment indicate that in the field the major part of this enhanced denitrification led to the endproduct N₂ rather than to the ozone-degrading N₂O. Higher denitrification rates of plots with N₂–fixing plants in September seemed to be caused by an increase in soil NO _inf3 ^sup- of about 20 kg ha^–1 found between July and August. Soil NO _inf3 ^sup- and soil moisture explained 67% of the variation in denitrification rates of the different soil samples over the growing seasons in the 2 years. Soil moisture explained 44% of the variation for soil planted with N₂–fixing plants and 62% for soil planted with non-fixing plants. Positive exponential relationships were obtained between denitrification rates and soil nitrate (r=0.71) and soil moisture (r=0.82).     

Effect of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on nitrification and immobilization of NH<Subscript>4</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript>-N

A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to demonstrate that reduced availability of CO₂ may be an important factor limiting nitrification. Soil samples amended with wheat straw (0%, 0.1% and 0.2%) and (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ (200 mg N kg^–1 soil, 2.213 atom% ¹⁵N excess) were incubated at 30±2°C for 20 days with or without the arrangement for trapping CO₂ resulting from the decomposition of organic matter. Nitrification (as determined by the disappearance of NH₄⁺ and accumulation of NO₃^–) was found to be highly sensitive to available CO₂ decreasing significantly when CO₂ was trapped in alkali solution and increasing substantially when the amount of CO₂ in the soil atmosphere increased due to the decomposition of added wheat straw. The co-efficient of correlation between NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^–-N content of soil was highly significant (r =0.99). During incubation, 0.1–78% of the applied NH₄⁺ was recovered as NO₃^– at different incubation intervals. Amendment of soil with wheat straw significantly increased NH₄⁺ immobilization. From 1.6% to 4.5% of the applied N was unaccounted for and was due to N losses. The results of the study suggest that decreased availability of CO₂ will limit the process of nitrification during soil incubations involving trapping of CO₂ (in closed vessels) or its removal from the stream of air passing over the incubated soil (in open-ended systems).     

Nitrification and denitrification in the rhizosphere of rice: the detection of processes by a new multi-channel electrode

 N turnover in flooded rice soils is characterized by a tight coupling between nitrification and denitrification. Nitrification is restricted to the millimetre-thin oxic surface layer while denitrification occurs in the adjacent anoxic soil. However, in planted rice soil O₂ released from the rice roots may also support nitrification within the otherwise anoxic bulk soil. To locate root-associated nitrification and denitrification we constructed a new multi-channel microelectrode that measures NH₄ ⁺, NO₂ ^–, and NO₃ ^– at the same point. Unfertilized, unplanted rice microcosms developed an oxic-anoxic interface with nitrification taking place above and denitrification below ca. 1 mm depth. In unfertilized microcosms with rice plants, NH₄ ⁺, NO₂ ^– and NO₃ ^– could not be detected in the rhizosphere. Assimilation by the rice roots reduced the available N to a level where nitrification and denitrification virtually could not occur. However, a few hours after injecting (NH₄)₂HPO₄ or urea, a high nitrification activity could be detected in the surface layer of planted microcosms and in a depth of 20–30 mm in the rooted soil. O₂ concentrations of up to 150 μM were measured at the same depth, indicating O₂ release from the rice roots. Nitrification occurred at a distance of 0–2 mm from the surface around individual roots, and denitrification occurred at a distance of 1.5–5.0 mm. Addition of urea to the floodwater of planted rice microcosms stimulated nitrification. Transpiration of the rice plants caused percolation of water resulting in a mass flow of NH₄ ⁺ towards the roots, thus supporting nitrification. Received: 23 July 1999     

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) roots and soil moisture did not affect soil thermal sensitivity

Through their effects on microbial metabolism, temperature and moisture affect the rate of decomposition of soil organic matter. Plant roots play an important role in SOM mineralization and nutrient cycling. There are reports that rhizosphere soil exhibits higher sensitivity to temperature than root-free soil, and this can have implications for how soil CO₂ efflux may be affected in a warmer world. We tested the effects of 1-week incubation under different combinations of temperature (5, 15, 30 ^°C) and moisture (15, 50, 100% WHC) on the respiration rate of soil planted with Scots pine and of unplanted soil. Soil respiration in both soils was the highest at moderate moisture (p < 0.0001) and, increased with temperature (p < 0.0001). There was also marginally significant effect of soil kind on respiration rate (p < 0.055), but the significant interaction of temperature effect with soil kind effect, indicated, that soil respiration of planted soil was higher than unplanted soil only at 5 ^°C (p < 0.05). The soil kind effect was compared also as Q₁₀ coefficients for respiration rate, showing the relative change in microbial activity with increased temperature. However, there was no difference in the thermal sensitivity of soil respiration between planted and unplanted soils (p = 0.99), irrespective of the level of soil moisture. These findings were similar to the latest studies and confirmed, that in various models, being useful tools in studying of soil carbon cycling, there is no need to distinguish between planted and unplanted soil as different soil carbon pools.     

Effects of nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide management on floodwater ecology in a wetland ricefield

We investigated the effects of N fertiliser and pesticide applications on the population dynamics of benthic molluscs in a tropical wetland rice field. Populations were monitored for two consecutive dry seasons in selected treatments during a study on the effects of agricultural practices on the floodwater ecology of tropical rice fields. The most abundant species recorded in the ricefields were the snailsMelanoides tuberculata andMelanoides granifera. Population densities and biomass values in planted plots ranged between 0 and 1530 individuals m^-2 and 0 and 1060 kg ha^-1, respectively. Snails were more abundant in unplanted than planted plots (1991: 170–2040 versus 0–1040 individuals m^-2, respectively). Populations in planted plots declined as the crop season progressed. Snail populations were significantly reduced by the broadcast application of mineral N fertiliser at 110 kg N ha^-1. There was little evidence that snails were affected by carbofuran or butachlor applications.     

Decomposition of wheat and barley straw treated with urea-sulfuric acid

Summary Wheat straw treated with 0.5 or 1.0 ml/g urea-sulfuric acid (1:1 acid in water v/v) and incubated in Protneuf or Woodburn silt loam soils in the laboratory decomposed faster than nontreated straw the first 4–6 weeks but at 12 weeks the nontreated straw had decomposed 25%–45% more. In a field experiment, urea-sulfuric acid treated straw, removed at 40-day intervals over 160 days, decomposed faster than nontreated straw. The differences were attributed to salt buildup in the laboratory samples, where electrical conductivities up to 17.6 dS/m were observed. In the field, leaching removed the excess salts. Nitrification produced up to 1875 mg NO ₃ ^– N/kg Portneuf silt loam soil in the laboratory, indicating that nitrifying bacteria were not suppressed by the salt. Total plate counts with no straw were 1.8 × 10⁶ microorganisms/g and with urea-sulfuric acid treated straw were 15.7 × 10⁶/g soil after 14 days incubation. The respective actinomycete counts were 0.3 × 10⁶ and 6.7 × 10⁶/g for the no straw and straw-treated soils, respectively. The urea-sulfuric acid treatments suppressed straw decomposition in the laboratory and accelerated straw decomposition in the field.     

Soil nitrogen mineralization as affected by water and temperature interactions

Summary The hypothesis that water and temperature interact to influence the rate of soil N mineralization was studied in laboratory incubation experiments with two contrasting soils. Small sample rings (10 mm tall, 50 mm diameter) were packed to uniform bulk density with 1–2 mm aggregates of Plano silt loam and Wacousta silty clay loam. Samples were brought to five different water potentials (–0.1, –0.33, –0.5, –1.0, –3.0 bars) using pressure-plate techniques, and the undisturbed sample rings were then incubated at 10–35°C for 3, 10 or 14 days. The concentration of soil exchangeable NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^–-N was measured at the end of each incubation period on replicate samples. The Q₁₀ of N mineralization was approximately 2 for all tested water potentials. Soil N mineralization was linearly related to water content or log water potential, but no water-temperature interaction was evident. The Q₁₀ was constant with water content, and the scaled water content-N mineralization relationship was constant with temperature. We recommend the use of scaling approaches for assessing interactive effects between water and other environmental factors on N turnover in soils.     

Denitrification with and without maize plants (Zea mays L.) under irrigated field conditions

The study was conducted under irrigated field conditions to examine the effect of maize plants on denitrification. Both planted and unplanted field plots received 150kgNha^–1 as urea. In a third treatment, which was also planted and received urea at 150kgNha^–1, the soil nitrate N content was brought up to equal to that in the unplanted plots by applying additional doses of N as calcium nitrate. Soil cores were collected 24 and 72h after irrigation and the denitrification rate was measured by the acetylene inhibition method. Nitrate-N content, aerobically mineralizable C, microbial biomass carrying capacity and denitrification potential were also studied on field-moist soil. Maize plants grown under field conditions always had the potential to increase denitrification in conditions of both high and low water-filled porosity. When nitrate-N content of the planted soil decreased due to plant uptake, denitrification was reduced in the planted soils. However, when nitrate-N uptake by plants was compensated through additional doses of nitrate fertilizer, denitrification was always higher in planted than unplanted soil. The stimulatory effect of plants on denitrification was observed at both high and low soil nitrate-N concentrations, though it was more pronounced at high nitrate-N levels. The effect of plants on denitrification and related parameters was confined to the root zone. Received: 15 April 1996     

Nitrogen balance in a paddy field planted with whole crop rice (Oryza sativa cv. Kusahonami) during two rice-growing seasons

This paper focuses on N balance in a paddy field planted with whole crop rice (Oryza sativa cv. Kusahonami). The experiment was conducted with two treatments during two rice-growing seasons: one was fertilized with N (160 kg N ha^–1; 16N plot) and the other unfertilized (0N plot); both plots were fertilized with P and K. The N input from precipitation was 15 and 12 kg N ha^–1 in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The N input from irrigation water reached as much as 123 and 69 kg N ha^–1 in 2002 and 2003, respectively. This was because irrigation water contained higher NO₃^– concentrations ranging from 4 to 8 mg N l^–1. The N uptake by rice plants was the major output: 118 and 240 kg N ha^–1 in the 0N and 16N plots in 2002 and 103 and 238 kg N ha^–1 in 2003, respectively. N losses by leaching were 4.8–5.3 and 6.5–7.3 kg N ha^–1 in 2002 and in 2003, respectively. Laboratory experiments were carried out to estimate the amounts of N₂ fixation and denitrification. Amount of N₂ fixation was 43 and 0 kg N ha^–1 in the 0N and 16N plots, respectively. Denitrification potential was quite high in both the plots, and 90% of the N input through irrigation water was lost through denitrification. Collectively, the total N inputs were relatively large due to irrigation water contaminated with NO₃^–, but N outflow loading, expressed as leaching–(irrigation water + precipitation + fertilizer), showed large negative values, suggesting that the whole crop rice field might serve as a constructed wetland for decreasing N.     

Seasonal dynamics of leaf- and root-derived C in arctic tundra mesocosms

We investigated contributions of leaf litter, root litter and root-derived organic material to tundra soil carbon (C) storage and transformations. ¹⁴C-labeled materials were incubated for 32 weeks in moist tussock tundra soil cores under controlled climate conditions in growth chambers, which simulated arctic fall, winter, spring and summer temperatures and photoperiods. In addition, we tested whether the presence of living plants altered litter and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition by planting shoots of the sedge Eriophorum vaginatum in half of the cores. Our results suggest that root litter accounted for the greatest C input and storage in these tundra soils, while leaf litter was rapidly decomposed and much of the C lost to respiration. We observed transformations of ¹⁴C between fractions even when total C appeared unchanged, allowing us to elucidate sources and sinks of C used by soil microorganisms. Initial sources of C included both water soluble (WS) and acid-soluble (AS) fractions, primarily comprised of carbohydrates and cellulose, respectively. The acid-insoluble (AIS) fraction appeared to be a sink for C when conditions were favorable for plant growth. However, decreases in ¹⁴C activity from the AIS fraction between the fall and spring harvests in all treatments indicated that microorganisms consumed recalcitrant C compounds when soil temperatures were below 0 °C. In planted leaf litter cores and in both planted and unplanted SOM cores, the greatest amounts of ¹⁴C at the end of the experiment were found in the AIS fraction, suggesting a high rate of humification or accumulation of decay-resistant plant tissues. In unplanted leaf litter cores and planted and unplanted root litter cores most of the ¹⁴C remaining at the end of the experiment was in the AS fraction suggesting less extensive humification of leaf and root detritus. Overall, the presence of living plants stimulated decomposition of leaf litter by creating favorable conditions for microbial activity at the soil surface. In contrast, plants appeared to inhibit decomposition of root litter and SOM, perhaps because of microbial preferences for newer, more labile inputs from live roots.     

Methanotrophic bacteria in the rhizosphere of rice microcosms and their effect on porewater methane concentration and methane emission

CH₄ emission from irrigated rice field is one of the major sources in the global budget of atmoshperic CH₄. Rates of CH₄ emission depend on both CH₄ production in anoxic parts of the soil and on CH₄ oxidation at oxic-anoxic interfaces. In the present study we used planted and unplanted rice microcosms and characterized them by numbers of CH₄-oxidizing bacteria (MOB), porewater CH₄ and O₂ concentrations and CH₄ fluxes. Plant roots had a stimulating effect on both the number of total soil bacteria and CH₄-oxidizing bacteria as determined by fluorescein isothiocyanate fluorescent staining and the most probable number technique, respectively. In the rhizosphere and on the root surface CH₄-oxidizing bacteria were enriched during the growth period of tice, while their numbers remained constant in unplanted soils. In the presence of rice plants, the porewater CH₄ concentration was significantly lower, with 0.1–0.4mM CH₄, than in unplanted microcosms, with 0.5–0.7mM CH₄. O₂ was detected at depths of up to 16 mm in planted microcosms, whereas it had disappeared at a depth of 2 mm in the unplanted experiments. CH₄ oxidation was determined as the difference between the CH₄ emission rates under oxic (air) and anoxic (N₂) headspace, and by inhibition experiments with C₂H₂. Flux measurements showed varying oxic emission rates of between 2.5 and 29.0 mmol CH₄m^-2 day^-1. An average of 34% of the anoxically emitted CH₄ was oxidized in the planted microcosms, which was surprisingly constant. The rice rhizosphere appeared to be an important oxic-anoxic interface, significantly reducing CH₄ emission.     

Site of nitrous oxide production in field soils

Summary Nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes at the soil surface and concentrations at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 m were determined in a 40-year-old planted tallgrass (XXX) prairie, a 40-year-old white pine (Pinus strobus) plantation, and field plots treated annually for 18 years either with 33 metric tons of manure ha^–1 (330 kg N ha^–1) and NH₄NO₃ (80 kg N ha^–1) or with only NH₄NO₃ (control). Nitrous oxide fluxes from the prairie, forest, manure-amended, and control sites from 13 May to 10 November 1980 ranged from 0.2 to 1.3, 3.5 to 19.5, 3.7 to 79.0, and 1.7 to 24.8 ng N₂O-N m^–2s^–1, respectively. We observed periods when there was no apparent relationship between the N₂O flux from the surface and N₂O concentrations in the soil profile. This was generally the case in the prairie and in the field sites following the application of N fertilizer. The N₂O concentrations in the soil profile increased markedly and coincided with increased soil water content following periods of heavy rainfall for all sites except the prairie. Nitrous oxide concentration gradients indicate that following heavy rainfalls the site of N₂O production was moved from the surface deeper into the soil profile. We suggest that the source of N₂O production near the surface is nitrification and that N₂O is produced by denitrification of NO₃ leached into the soil following heavy rainfall.     

Denitrification under different cultivated plants: effects of soil moisture tension,nitrate concentration,and photosynthetic activity

Summary Plant effects on the denitrification rate were investigated in pot experiments at different soil moisture tensions and nitrate concentrations. Nitrate concentrations and the soil moisture tension were regulated immediately before each measurement. The effects of the plants on denitrification rates were dependent on the soil moisture tension. At a low soil moisture tension (–7 cm H₂O), there was a 10-fold increase in the denitrification rate (planted versus unplanted soil). At a medium moisture tension (–30 cm H₂O) the plants had practically no effect, and at the highest tension (–60 cm H₂O) the effect was slightly negative. Large differences in denitrification rates under different plant species were observed. At a low soil moisture tension, the average denitrification rate (g N kg^–1 soil h^–1) was 39–42 under small grains (barley, wheat, and oats), 47–82 under the grasses (cocksfoot, meadow grass, meadow fescue, and timothy) and 18 under red clover. The differences between the monocots were attributable to differences in plant growth rates, rather than to any specific difference in stimulation or inhibition of denitrification, since the variations in photosynthetic activity fairly well predicted the differences in denitrification rates under different monocots. Clover, however, gave much lower denitrification rates than those predicted by the photosynthetic activity.     

Effects of pretreatment of soil samples on N mineralization in incubation experiments

Summary We studied the effects of pretreating soil samples (field-fresh, drying at 40° and 105°C, freezing/thawing) on N mineralization in an incubation experiment and on the dynamics of the organic N fraction extracted by K₂SO₄ solution. The soil samples were collected from plots in a long-term field experiment with the application of mineral fertilizer and farmyard manure. Compared with the field-fresh soil samples, freezing/thawing resulted in higher NO ₃ ^– -N contents while the NH ₄ ⁺ -N and the organic N content were increased by drying at 105°C. During the incubation period N mineralization was highest after the samples were dried at 105°C and a little lower in those dried at 40°C. After freezing/thawing the order of magnitude of N mineralization remained the same. The difference in organic N between the beginning and the end of the incubation experiment and the mineral N content at the end of the experiment were correlated significantly. Despite this correlation, however, the change in the organic N content underestimated the N mineralization rates.     

Rhizosphere priming effect: Its functional relationships with microbial turnover, evapotranspiration, and C–N budgets

Understanding soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and its interaction with rhizosphere processes is a crucial topic in soil biology and ecology. Using a natural ¹³C tracer method to separately measure SOM-derived CO₂ from root-derived CO₂, this study aims to connect the level of rhizosphere-dependent SOM decomposition with the C and N balance of the whole plant–soil system, and to mechanistically link the rhizosphere priming effect to soil microbial turnover and evapotranspiration. Results indicated that the magnitude of the rhizosphere priming effect on SOM decomposition varied widely, from zero to more than 380% of the unplanted control, and was largely influenced by plant species and phenology. Balancing the extra soil C loss from the strong rhizosphere priming effect in the planted treatments with C inputs from rhizodeposits and root biomass, the whole plant–soil system remained with a net carbon gain at the end of the experiment. The increased soil microbial biomass turnover rate and the enhanced evapotranspiration rate in the planted treatments had clear positive relationships with the level of the rhizosphere priming effect. The rhizosphere enhancement of soil carbon mineralization in the planted treatments did not result in a proportional increase in net N mineralization, suggesting a possible de-coupling of C cycling with N cycling in the rhizosphere.     

Sulphur immobilization and availability in soils assessed using isotope dilution

Increasing recognition of S deficiency in soils has raised the need for understanding processes governing S cycling and availability in soils. However, the quantification of the two main processes of S cycling, i.e. mineralization and immobilization, remains difficult as these processes occur simultaneously. A modified isotope ³⁵SO₄ dilution technique was developed and used to measure the effect of sulphate (SO₄) fertilization on S mineralization and immobilization in planted (pot experiment with ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.)) and unplanted soils (incubation). The immobilization and mineralization of S was calculated from the dynamics of stable and labelled S in soil KH₂PO₄ extracts containing an anion exchange membrane that concentrates SO₄ and mainly excludes other S species. The mathematical analysis of the isotope dilution data differs from methods proposed earlier. The radiolabile S in unplanted soil (E value) and in ryegrass (L value) were used as a measure of total available S in soils. Sulphate immobilization rate significantly declined during incubation. Sulphate application reduced gross mineralization but surprisingly reduced SO₄ immobilization. The E value significantly increased during the incubation in all soils as a result of gross mineralization, e.g. from 3.8 mg S kg⁻¹ at day 0 to 11.5 mg S kg⁻¹ at day 43 in the sandy soil with no sulphate addition. A full recovery in the E value of S added in (+S) treatments was achieved. Similarly, radiolabile S in the above-ground ryegrass biomass (L value) increased with S addition, with a full recovery of added S. The E and L values nearly fit a 1:1 line suggesting identical S dynamics in a planted and unplanted soil. The method proposed has operational advantages compared to methods used earlier.     

Effect of bulk density and soil water tension on denitrification in the rhizosphere of spring wheat (Triticum vulgare

Summary Pot experiments were carried out to study the influence of bulk density (D _b), soil water tension (pF) and presence of plants (spring wheat) on denitrification in a low-humus B_t-horizon of a udalf. Pots of only 5-cm depth were found to be most suitable for the experiments when using the acetylene inhibition method. Almost homogeneous soil compaction between 1.1 and 1.6g soil cm^–3 was achieved by a Proctor tamper. Water tensions were adjusted by means of ceramic plates on which negative pressure was applied. No denitrification was detected in unplanted pots. With planted pots and increasing bulk density denitrification increased more in pots with 14-day-old plants than in pots with 7-day-old plants. With 14-day-old plants N₂O emission pot^–1 increased steadily from 2 mol at D _b 1.1 to 8 mol at D _b 1.6, when soil moisture was adjusted to pF 1.5, although root growth was impaired by higher bulk density. From an experiment with different bulk densities and water tensions it could be deduced that the air-filled porosity ultimately determined the rate of denitrification. When low water tension was applied for a longer period, water tension had an overriding effect on total denitrification. Denitrification intensity, however, i.e. the amount of N₂O g^–1 root fresh weight, was highest when low water tension was accompanied by high bulk density. The results suggest that the increase in denitrification intensity at oxygen stress is partly due to higher root exudation.     

Geochemistry of Manganese in Neutral to Alkaline Soils of Punjab,Northwest India and Its Availability to Wheat and Rice Plants

Manganese (Mn) release in 18 soil–water suspensions after their equilibration for 24 and 240 h periods at 25°C was studied in a laboratory experiment. Total dissolved Mn released into the soil solution was observed to increase from a range of 0.03–0.41 mg L^?1 (mean = 0.13 mg L^?1) to a range of 0.45–44.44 mg L^?1 (mean = 22.40 mg L^?1) with the increase in incubation periods from 24 to 240 h, respectively. The increase in Mn released was observed to be related with the redox potential (pe) induced by incubation conditions. After 24 h of equilibration period, pe of soil–water suspension ranged from ?1.75 to 0.77 (mean = ?0.24). Increasing the incubation period to 240 h, pe of soil–water suspensions declined in the range of ?4.49 to ?2.74 (mean = ?3.29). Laboratory results of redox pe and corresponding dissolved manganese concentrations of some soil–water equilibrated systems were compared with the leaf Mn content in wheat and rice plants grown in the fields, from where soil samples were collected for laboratory experiment. These results demonstrated that decline in pe due to longer equilibration period (240 h) of soil–water systems in the laboratory experiment or keeping standing water for a couple of weeks in the fields for cultivation of rice crop results in higher release of Mn and eventually its higher uptake in rice than in wheat plants. Leaf manganese content in rice ranged from 94 to 185 mg kg^?1, which was markedly higher than its range from 25 to 62 mg kg^?1 found in the wheat grown at 10 different sites. Pourbaix diagrams were drawn for different soil–water systems containing carbonate, phosphate, or sulfate along with manganese. The presence of carbonate and phosphate anions along with manganese oxides minerals in the soil–water systems of all soils results in its precipitation as MnCO₃ and MnHPO₄, respectively, in both oxidized and reduced soil field environment. In Punjab, wheat and rice crops are generally cultivated on soils heavily fertilized with P fertilizers. The presence of phosphate anion with manganese oxides minerals in the soil–water systems of all soils results in the precipitation MnHPO₄ in both oxidized and reduced soil field environment. Thus, in P-fertilized soil, MnHPO₄ compound is even more predominant than aqueous Mn²⁺ and its solubility actually controlled the availability of Mn²⁺ to plants.     

Evaluation of denitrification losses by the acetylene inhibition technique in a permanent ryegrass field (Lolium perenne L.) fertilized with animal slurry or ammonium nitrate

In a field experiment, the effect of animal slurry, (with and without the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide on total denitrification losses estimated by the C₂H₂ inhibition technique was measured over 2 years (1989–1990). During this period, four different plots (each with four replicates) were fertilized six times with 150 kg N ha^-1 in the form of cattle-pig slurry or NH₄NO₃. Soil samples (0–20 cm) were analysed at regular intervals for NH _inf4 ^sup+ and NO _inf3 ^sup– concentrations. The soil water content was determined gravimetrically. During the first year (1989) total denitrification losses from unfertilized, mineral-fertilized, and animal slurry-amended plots (with or without dicyandiamide) were estimated as 0.2, 3.1, 0.7, and 0.6 kg N ha^-1, respectively. During the second year (1990) the denitrification losses were 0.4, 1.3, 0.7, and 0.7 kg N ha^-1, respectively. There was a clear relationship between the NO _inf3 ^sup– concentration or soil water content and the denitrification rate. The results are siteund experiment-specific and cannot be generalized so far.