Effects of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer on the dynamics of soil microbial biomass in a tropical dryland agroecosystem

Changes in the soil microbial biomass following applications of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer, alone and in combination, were studied for two annual cycles in a rice-lentil crop sequence grown under rainfed tropical dryland conditions. During the two annual cycles the microbial biomass C range (g g^-1) was 146–241 (x = 204), 191–301 (245), 244–382 (305), and 294–440 (365) in control, fertilizer, manure and manure+fertilizer plots, respectively. The corresponding ranges for microbial biomass N (g g^-1) were 16.5–21.0 (19.5), 20.4–38.2 (26.0), 23.0–34.6 (27.0) and 26.2–42.4 (33.3), and for microbial biomass P (g g^-1) 4.4–8.2 (7.0) 6.0–11.2 (9.6), 11.2–22.0 (17.0), and 10.0–25.4 (18.3). The maximum increase in the microbial biomass, due to these inputs was observed under the manure+fertilizer treatment followed, in decreasing order, by manure alone and fertilizer alone. Within individual crop periods the levels of microbial biomass decreased sharply from the seedling to the flowering stage and then increased slightly with crop maturity. The maximum levels of microbial biomass C and P were observed during the summer fallow. The maximum accumulation of microbial biomass N occurred in the early rainy season, immediately after the soil amendments. Microbial biomass C, N, and P were positively related to each other throughout the annual cycle.     

Effects of past and current crop management on soil microbial biomass and activity

Because soil biota is influenced by a number of factors, including land use and management techniques, changing management practices could have significant effects on the soil microbial properties and processes. An experiment was conducted to investigate differences in soil microbiological properties caused by long- and short-term management practices. Intact monolith lysimeters (0.2 m² surface area) were taken from two sites of the same soil type that had been under long-term organic or conventional crop management and were then subjected to the same 2.5-year crop rotation [winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize (Zea mais L.), lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), and rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera)] and two fertilizer regimes (following common organic and conventional practices). Soil samples were taken after crop harvest and analyzed for microbial biomass C and N, microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, arginine deaminase activity, and dehydrogenase activity), and total C and N. The incorporation of the green manure stimulated growth and activity of the microbial communities in soils of both management histories. Soil microbial properties did not show any differences between organically and conventionally fertilized soils, indicating that crop rotation and plant type had a larger influence on the microbial biomass and enzyme activities than fertilization. Initial differences in microbial biomass declined, while the effects of farm management history were still evident in enzyme activities and total C and N. Links between enzyme activities and microbial biomass C varied depending on treatment, indicating differences in microbial community composition.     

Carbon availability and microbial biomass in soil under an irrigated wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizer treatments

Seasonal changes in carbon availability and microbial biomass were studied in soil under an irrigated wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizter treatments over the past 10 years. Treatments included N-100 and N-200 (urea at 100 and 200kgNha^–1 year^–1, respectively), FYM-16 and FYM-32 (farmyard manure at 16 and 32tha^–1 year^–1, respectively) and a control (unfertilized). Aerobically mineralizable carbon (AMC; C mineralized after 10 days aerobic incubation at 30°C) increased (13–16%) under wheat at both rates of urea whereas under maize it increased (22%) only with the lower rate of urea. Farmyard manure also increased the content of soil AMC under both crops, the effect being two- to threefold higher under wheat than under maize. Urea application caused an 32–78% increase in the specific respiratory activity (SRA) under wheat but caused an 11–50% decrease during the maize season. Farmyard manure also resulted in a higher SRA under both crops but only at the higher application rate. Under wheat, microbial biomass C (MBC) decreased in urea-treated plots but showed a slight increase at the higher rate of FYM. During the maize season, MBC was higher under both urea (42–46%) and FYM (36–47%) treatments as compared to the control. Microbial biomass turnover rate was highest for FYM-32 (2.08), followed by FYM-16 and urea treatments (1.35–1.49); control plots showed a turnover rate of 0.82. The higher AMC and SRA during the active growth period of wheat than that of maize indicated that root-derived C from wheat was higher in amount and more easily degradable. Received: 16 April 1996     

Organic manure stimulates biological activity and barley growth in soil subject to secondary salinization

A pot experiment was performed to compare the impact of organic manure on soil enzymatic activity, respiration rate and the growth of two barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) differing in their salt tolerance under a simulated salinized environment. A plastic pot with a hole (2 cm in diameter) in the center of bottom was filled with an anthropogenic (paddy) soil and placed in a porcelain container containing NaCl solution (3.0 g L⁻¹) such that a secondary salinization process was simulated via upward capillary water movement along the soil profile. A treatment with neither organic manure nor simulated soil salinization was taken as a control (CK1). The organic manure was applied either inside or outside rhizobag made of nylon cloth (40 μm of pore size). The soil was treated with: 20 g kg⁻¹ rice straw (RS), 20 g kg⁻¹ pig manure (PM), or 10 g kg⁻¹ rice straw plus 10 g kg⁻¹ pig manure (RS+PM). No organic manure was added in an additional control treatment (CK2). The results indicated that the placement of organic manure both inside and outside rihzobags significantly increased the activity of urease, alkaline phosphatase and dehydrogenase, as well as respiration rate in both rhizosphere and bulk soils. Also, nutrient uptake by barley plants was enhanced in the treatments with organic manure amended either inside or outside rhizobags. The activity of these enzymes along with the respiration rate was higher in rhizosphere than in non-rhizosphere when organic manure was supplied inside rhizobags, while the opposite was found in the case of manure incorporated outside rhizobags. Among all the treatments, RS+PM treatment had most significant stimulating effects on enzymatic and microbial activity and shoot dry weight of barley, followed by PM and RS. Moreover, more significant stimulating effects on both enzyme activity and plant growth were achieved in the treatments with manure amended inside rhizobags than outside rhizobags. The results of the present study confirmed the view that incorporation of organic manure especially into soil-root zones is an effective low-input agro-technological approach to enhancing soil fertility and minimizing phytotoxicity induced by secondary salinization.     

Examination of microbial biomass in beech forest moder profiles

Microbial biomass C, ATP, and substrate-induced respiration were measured in the organic layers and the mineral A horizon of three beech forest soils with moder humus differing in Ca and Mg supply. Analyses of variance showed that horizon-specific differences explained most of the variance in the three microbial parameters. All three were significantly interrelated, with Spearman rank correlation coefficients of between 0.86 and 0.93. However, differences in the decline of these parameters with depth led to horizon-specific differences in their ratios. Thus, the ratios were not markedly interrelated. The mean ATP: microbial C ratio was 5.2 mol ATP g^-1 C in the L 2 layer, 19.5 in the F layers, and 9.6 in the H and A horizons. The ratio of substrate-induced respiration to microbial C varied between 39.3 and 82.2 O₂h^-1 g^-1 C in the F1 layers and between 5.3 and 32.1 l in the other layers. It is concluded that the use of different parameters can help to analyze both horizonand site-specific differences in microbial performance.     

Seasonal variations of soil microbial biomass and activity in warm- and cool-season turfgrass systems

Plant growth can be an important factor regulating seasonal variations of soil microbial biomass and activity. We investigated soil microbial biomass, microbial respiration, net N mineralization, and soil enzyme activity in turfgrass systems of three cool-season species (tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., and creeping bentgrass, Agrostis palustris L.) and three warm-season species (centipedegrass, Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro.) Hack, zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steud, and bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.). Microbial biomass and respiration were higher in warm- than the cool-season turfgrass systems, but net N mineralization was generally lower in warm-season turfgrass systems. Soil microbial biomass C and N varied seasonally, being lower in September and higher in May and December, independent of turfgrass physiological types. Seasonal variations in microbial respiration, net N mineralization, and cellulase activity were also similar between warm- and cool-season turfgrass systems. The lower microbial biomass and activity in September were associated with lower soil available N, possibly caused by turfgrass competition for this resource. Microbial biomass and activity (i.e., microbial respiration and net N mineralization determined in a laboratory incubation experiment) increased in soil samples collected during late fall and winter when turfgrasses grew slowly and their competition for soil N was weak. These results suggest that N availability rather than climate is the primary determinant of seasonal dynamics of soil microbial biomass and activity in turfgrass systems, located in the humid and warm region.     

Soil microbial biomass and activity in organic tomato farming systems: Effects of organic inputs and straw mulching

Organic farming is rapidly expanding worldwide. Plant growth in organic systems greatly depends on the functions performed by soil microbes, particularly in nutrient supply. However, the linkages between soil microbes and nutrient availability in organically managed soils are not well understood. We conducted a long-term field experiment to examine microbial biomass and activity, and nutrient availability under four management regimes with different organic inputs. The experiment was initiated in 1997 by employing different practices of organic farming in a coastal sandy soil in Clinton, NC, USA. Organic practices were designed by applying organic substrates with different C and N availability, either in the presence or absence of wheat-straw mulch. The organic substrates used included composted cotton gin trash (CGT), animal manure (AM) and rye/vetch green manure (RV). A commercial synthetic fertilizer (SF) was used as a conventional control. Results obtained in both 2001 and 2002 showed that microbial biomass and microbial activity were generally higher in organically than conventionally managed soils with CGT being most effective. The CGT additions increased soil microbial biomass C and activity by 103-151% and 88-170% over a period of two years, respectively, leading to a 182-285% increase in potentially mineralizable N, compared to the SF control. Straw mulching further enhanced microbial biomass, activity, and potential N availability by 42, 64, and 30%, respectively, relative to non-mulched soils, likely via improving C and water availability for soil microbes. The findings that microbial properties and N availability for plants differed under different organic input regimes suggest the need for effective residue managements in organic tomato farming systems.     

Microbial biomass turnover and enzyme activities following the application of farmyard manure to field soils with and without previous long-term applications

Summary We studied the build-up and turnover of microbial biomass following the addition of farmyard manure to an unmanured soil and to soils from a long-term experiment in which different levels of farmyard manure had been applied for the last 23 years. The application of farmyard manure at 15–90 t ha^-1 to previously unmanured soil increased the microbial biomass during the first 3 months of incubation but a gradual decline occurred with further incubation for up to 12 months. Microbial biomass C was positively correlated with soil organic C and ranged from 1.8% to 2.2% of organic C after 12 months of farmyard manure applications. Biomass turnover increased with the application of farmyard manure, ranging from 0.81 to 0.87 year^-1 with various levels of manure. Amendment of soils from the long-term manure experiment with various levels of farmyard manure led to a build-up and decline in biomass C as seen in the unmanured soils, but biomass C was higher in all treatments compared to the corresponding unmanured soil treatments. Biomass turnover was greater compared to the unmanured soil treatments and it decreased with increasing levels of farmyard manure. The average soil respiratory activity increased with increasing levels of farmyard manure, but respiratory activity per unit of biomass C decreased with increasing levels of manure. Enzyme activities were greater in long-term manured soils compared to unmanured soils amended with various levels of manure. There was a significant correlation between biomass C and enzyme activities.     

Soil microbial biomass and activity under a potato crop fertilised with N with and without C

Summary A range of soil microbiological parameters were measured at intervals throughout the growing season of a potato crop. Treatments applied to the soil at sowing were zero N fertilisation of N fertilisation at 120 kg N ha^–1, either alone or supplemented with straw or sucrose at 1200 kg C ha^–1. C and N flushes determined by fumigation-incubation and fumigation-extraction, and substrate-induced respiration, were measured as indicators of microbial biomass. Microbial activity was measured as respiration (CO₂ production) and dehydrogenase activity (formazan production). The greatest effects were obtained from the addition of N plus sucrose. Both biomass size and activity were significantly stimulated for up to 25 days after incorporation, with the magnitude of the effects consistently diminishing over time. By 125 days after planting, there was no detectable legacy from any of the treatmentson any of the biomass parameters that were measured, and all values had reverted to those prevalent at planting. There was no consistent effect from adding N, either alone or supplemented with straw, on any of the biomass parameters. There was no evidence for crop-induced stimulation of the biomass. The experiment demonstrates that biomass is only influenced where the quantity, quality, and rate of incorporation of C into the soil is appropriate, in this case, only by adding C as a pulse of sucrose.     

不同碳氮比有机肥对有机农业土壤微生物生物量的影响

有机肥能提高土壤微生物活性, 改善土壤品质。碳氮比是影响有机肥肥效的重要因素。本试验以无肥处理为对照(CK), 设置4个有机肥碳氮比处理(20︰1、15︰1、10︰1、5︰1), 在温室中进行茄子盆栽试验, 定期采集土壤样品, 用熏蒸提取法测定土壤微生物生物量碳(SMBC)、氮(SMBN), 研究等氮条件下不同碳氮比有机肥料对土壤生物活性的影响。试验结果表明, 不同碳氮比的有机肥均能提高土壤的SMBC和SMBN含量, 具体表现为SMBC: 20︰1>10︰1≈15︰1>5︰1>CK, SMBN: 15︰1>10︰1>20︰1>5︰1>CK。SMBC/SMBN的比率反映土壤氮素生物活性, 其值越低, 生物活性越大, 氮素损失越少, 本试验SMBC/SMBN表现为: 15︰1<10︰1<20︰1≈5︰1相似文献   

绿肥压青对粉垄稻田土壤微生物量碳和有机碳累积矿化量的影响

绿肥压青还田是调控现代集约化稻田土壤逆境的重要手段,为评估绿肥压青下粉垄耕作对稻田土壤微生物量碳和土壤有机碳累积矿化量的影响,设置早稻粉垄耕作与常规耕作2种耕作模式,不施肥和同等肥力条件下施化肥、单倍绿肥配施化肥和双倍绿肥配施化肥4种施肥处理,晚稻免耕常规施用化肥,开展双季稻周年大田应用试验。结果表明:单倍绿肥压青下,粉垄耕作能提高稻田土壤微生物量碳含量,可达常规耕作的2倍,能有效增加微生物对土壤碳素的利用率。增加绿肥压青量会提高粉垄耕作稻田土壤有机碳累积矿化量和矿化潜力,与施用化肥相比,单倍绿肥压青下早晚稻分别增加1.6%～32.8%和0.6%～16.6%,双倍绿肥压青下分别增加58.6%～70.9%和29.6%～38.4%。粉垄单倍绿肥压青会降低免耕晚稻齐穗期、收获期土壤呼吸强度,较常规耕作分别降低33.4%和38.7%,较粉垄耕作其他处理降低8.5%～31.4%。单倍绿肥压青下粉垄稻田土壤代谢商较常规耕作累积降低65.5%,与常耕相比,粉垄双倍绿肥压青和粉垄单一化肥的土壤代谢商分别累积增加20.3%和159.2%,粉垄双倍绿肥压青可有效缓解土壤代谢商的提升。微生物量碳含量与有机碳矿化激发效应呈负相关,绿肥压青还田下相关系数达0.44;累积矿化量和代谢商呈极显著正相关,粉垄耕作下相关系数达0.59。可见,绿肥粉垄耦合的模式可作为一种增加稻田土壤微生物量碳含量、减少部分生育时期土壤呼吸强度,增强土壤碳库稳定性及碳固持的重要调控技术措施。     

Effect of soil CO2 concentration on microbial biomass

The effect of increasing soil CO₂ concentration was studied in six different soils. The soils were incubated in ambient air (0.05 vol.% CO₂) or in air enriched with CO₂ (up to 5.0 vol.% CO₂). Carbon dioxide evolution, microbial biomass, growth or death rate quotients and glucose decay rate were measured at 6, 12 and 24 h of CO₂ exposure. The decrease in soil respiration ranged from 7% to 78% and was followed by a decrease in microbial biomass by 10–60% in most cases. High CO₂ treatments did not affect glucose decay rate but the portion of C_gluc mineralized to CO₂ was lowered and a larger portion of C_gluc remained in soils. This carbon was not utilized by soil microorganisms. Received: 30 August 1996     

Environmental conditions rather than microbial inoculum composition determine the bacterial composition,microbial biomass and enzymatic activity of reconstructed soil microbial communities

The composition of microbial communities and the level of enzymatic activity in the soil are both important indicators of soil quality, but the mechanisms by which a soil bacterial community is generated and maintained are not yet fully understood. Two soil samples were collected from the same location, but each had been subjected to a different long-term fertilization treatment and was characterized by different microbial diversity, biomass and physicochemical properties. These samples were γ-sterilized and swap inoculated. Non-sterilized soil samples along with sterilized and inoculated soil samples were incubated for eight months before their nutrient content, microbial biomass, enzymatic activity and bacterial composition were analyzed. Total phosphorus, and potassium concentrations along with the overall organic matter content of the non-sterilized soil were all equal to those of the same soil that had been sterilized and self/swap inoculated. Additionally, the microbial biomass carbon concentration was not affected by the specific inoculum and varied only by soil type. The activities of catalase, invertase, urease, protease, acid phosphatase and phytase were smaller in the sterilized soils that had been inoculated with organisms from chemical fertilizer amended soil (NPK) when compared to sterilized soil inoculated with organisms from manure and chemical fertilizer amended soil (NPKM) and non-sterilized soil samples. Bacterial 16S rRNA examined by 454-pyrosequencing revealed that the composition of bacterial community reconstructed by immigrant microbial inoculum in the soil was mainly influenced by its physicochemical properties, although the microbial inoculum contained different abundances of bacterial taxa. For example, the pH of the soil was the dominant factor in reconstructing a new bacterial community. Taken together, these results demonstrated that both soil microbial composition and functionality were primarily determined by soil properties rather than the microbial inoculum, which contributed to our understanding of how soil microbial communities are generated and maintained.     

Size and activity of soil microbial communities in long-term experimental grassland plots treated with manure and inorganic fertilizers

We determined the size, activity, and affinity of the microbial community for glucose in soils from long-term experimental grassland plots. The plots had been treated annually with either farmyard manure, inorganic NPK fertilizers, farmyard manure+inorganic NPK fertilizers, (NH₄)₂SO₄ only, or no experimental amendment sine 1897. The largest biomass and activity differences were between the (NH₄)₂SO₄-treated soil, which was very acid, and the rest, which were nearer neutral. In the (NH₄)₂SO₄-treated soil, the biomass C to organic C ratio was small, but overall the community had high respiratory activity per unit of biomass (qCO₂) and high overall affinity for glucose (low K _m). The effects of the manure treatment were a greater biomass C and a lower overall glucose affinity than in the control plot. In the presence farmyard manure, NPK led to smaller biomass and a lower biomass to organic C ratio while having no significant effect on either glucose K _m or qCO₂. In the absence of farmyard manure, NPK led to significantly greater glucose affinity but had no significant effect on the biomass, the biomass C to organic C ratio or qCO₂.     

Relationships of soil respiration to microbial biomass, substrate availability and clay content

The roles of microbial biomass (MBC) and substrate supply as well as their interaction with clay content in determining soil respiration rate were studied using a range of soils with contrasting properties. Total organic C (TOC), water-soluble organic carbon, 0.5 M K₂SO₄-extractable organic C and 33.3 mM KMnO₄-oxidisable organic carbon were determined as C availability indices. For air-dried soils, these indices showed close relationship with flush of CO₂ production following rewetting of the soils. In comparison, MBC determined with the chloroform fumigation-extraction technique had relatively weaker correlation with soil respiration rate. After 7 d pre-incubation, soil respiration was still closely correlated with the C availability indices in the pre-incubated soils, but poorly correlated with MBC determined with three different techniques—chloroform fumigation extraction, substrate-induced respiration, and chloroform fumigation-incubation methods. Results of multiple regression analyses, together with the above observations, suggested that soil respiration under favourable temperature and moisture conditions was principally determined by substrate supply rather than by the pool size of MBC. The specific respiratory activity of microorganisms (CO₂-C/MBC) following rewetting of air-dried soils or after 7 d pre-incubation was positively correlated with substrate availability, but negatively correlated with microbial pool size. Clay content had no significant effect on CO₂ production rate, relative C mineralization rate (CO₂-C/TOC) and specific respiratory activity of MBC during the first week incubation of rewetted dry soils. However, significant protective effect of clay on C mineralization was shown for the pre-incubated soils. These results suggested that the protective effect of clay on soil organic matter decomposition became significant as the substrate supply and microbial demand approached to an equilibrium state. Thereafter, soil respiration would be dependent on the replenishment of the labile substrate from the bulk organic C pool.     

Influence of polychlorinated biphenyls on microbial biomass and its activity in grassland soil

Microbial biomass content, soil respiration and biomass specific respiration rate were measured in two parts of an area polluted by a municipal waste incinerator [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from combustion processes]. The soils in the studied parts differed significantly only in their levels of PCBs. The concentration of PCBs found in a control plot (4.4 ng g^-1 soil) can be regarded as a background value while the polluted plot contained an increased amount of PCBs (14.0 ng g^-1 soil). A significantly lower microbial biomass (decreased by 23%, based on the chloroform-fumigation extraction technique) and a lower specific respiration rate (decreased by 14%) were observed in the polluted plot in comparison with the control plot at the end of experimental period (1992–1994). Furthermore, a lower ability of microorganisms in the polluted plot to convert available C_org into new biomass was found in laboratory incubations with glucose-amended samples.     

Size and activity of the soil microbial biomass under grass and arable management

 The effects of 5 years of continuous grass/clover (Cont grass/clover) or grass (Cont grass) pasture or 5 years of annual grass under conventional (Ann grass CT) or zero tillage (Ann grass ZT) were compared with that of 5 years of continuous barley (LT arable) on a site which had previously been under arable crops for 11 years. For added comparison, a long-term grass/clover pasture site (LT past) nearby was also sampled. Soil organic C (C_org) content followed the order LT arable=Ann grass CT<Ann grass ZT<Cont grass=Cont grass/clover<LTpast. Trends with treatment for microbial biomass C (C_mic), basal respiration, flourescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolytic activity, arginine ammonification rate and the activities of dehydrogenase, protease, histidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzymes were broadly similar to those for C_org. For C_mic, FDA hydrolysis, arginine ammonification and the activities of histidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase, the percentage increase caused by 5 years of continuous pasture (in comparison with LT arable) was 100–180%, which was considerably greater than that for organic C (i.e. 60%). The microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂) was higher for the two treatments which were mouldboard ploughed annually (LT arable and Ann grass CT) than for the undisturbed sites. At the undisturbed sites, C_org declined markedly with depth (0–15 cm) and there was a similar stratification in the size and activity of C_mic and enzyme activity. The microbial quotient (C_mic/C_org) declined with depth whilst qCO₂ tended to increase, reflecting a decrease in the proportion of readily available substrate with depth. Received: 7 July 1998     

Salinity and sodicity effects on respiration and microbial biomass of soil

An understanding of the effects of salinity and sodicity on soil carbon (C) stocks and fluxes is critical in environmental management, as the areal extents of salinity and sodicity are predicted to increase. The effects of salinity and sodicity on the soil microbial biomass (SMB) and soil respiration were assessed over 12weeks under controlled conditions by subjecting disturbed soil samples from a vegetated soil profile to leaching with one of six salt solutions; a combination of low-salinity (0.5dSm⁻¹), mid-salinity (10dSm⁻¹), or high-salinity (30dSm⁻¹), with either low-sodicity (sodium adsorption ratio, SAR, 1), or high-sodicity (SAR 30) to give six treatments: control (low-salinity low-sodicity); low-salinity high-sodicity; mid-salinity low-sodicity; mid-salinity high-sodicity; high-salinity low-sodicity; and high-salinity high-sodicity. Soil respiration rate was highest (56–80mg CO₂-C kg⁻¹ soil) in the low-salinity treatments and lowest (1–5mg CO₂-C kg⁻¹ soil) in the mid-salinity treatments, while the SMB was highest in the high-salinity treatments (459–565mg kg⁻¹ soil) and lowest in the low-salinity treatments (158–172mg kg⁻¹ soil). This was attributed to increased substrate availability with high salt concentrations through either increased dispersion of soil aggregates or dissolution or hydrolysis of soil organic matter, which may offset some of the stresses placed on the microbial population from high salt concentrations. The apparent disparity in trends in respiration and the SMB may be due to an induced shift in the microbial population, from one dominated by more active microorganisms to one dominated by less active microorganisms.     

Carbon fluxes from plants to soil and dynamics of microbial immobilization under plastic film mulching and fertilizer application using 13C pulse-labeling

Plastic film mulching and fertilizer application have improved soil fertility and sustainable agricultural development in China. However, there is limited information on carbon (C) fluxes from plants to soil, and dynamics of microbial immobilization where these practices have been employed. The objectives of this study were to quantify the photosynthesized C transported from maize to soil, and to assess the effect of mulching (with or without plastic film mulching) and fertilizer (no fertilizer control, medium-level organic manure, and high-level organic manure) application on the dynamics of microbial C sequestration. We used in-situ ¹³C pulse-labeling of maize planted at an experimental site in Liaoning Province, China. We found, on average, from 12% to 15% of net fixed ¹³C was translocated belowground up to 15 days after labeling. More than 60% of ¹³C retained in soil was incorporated into microbial biomass C on the 1st day, but only less than 27% on the 15th day after labeling. Treatments that combined organic manure application with mulching showed the greatest proportion of photosynthesized ¹³C incorporated belowground and the largest amount of microbial biomass C derived from rhizodeposits. These results demonstrate that organic manure application coupled with plastic film mulching facilitates photosynthesized C sequestration belowground and enhances soil microbial activity during the maize seedling stage.     

Organic matter, microbial biomass and enzyme activity of soils under different crop rotations in the tropics

Soil organic matter level, soil microbial biomass C, ninhydrin-N, C mineralization, and dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity were studied in soils under different crop rotations for 6 years. Inclusion of a green manure crop of Sesbania aculeata in the rotation improved soil organic matter status and led to an increase in soil microbial biomass, soil enzyme activity and soil respiratory activity. Microbial biomass C increased from 192 mg kg^–1 soil in a pearl millet-wheat-fallow rotation to 256 mg kg^–1 soil in a pearl millet-wheat-green manure rotation. Inclusion of an oilseed crop such as sunflower or mustard led to a decrease in soil microbial biomass, C mineralization and soil enzyme activity. There was a good correlation between microbial biomass C, ninhydrin-N and dehydrogenase activity. The alkaline phosphatase activity of the soil under different crop rotations was little affected. The results indicate the green manuring improved the organic matter status of the soil and soil microbial activity vital for the nutrient turnover and long-term productivity of the soil. Received: 7 January 1996