Nitrogen mineralization in soils from Michigan's Saginaw valley and thumb region

Abstract

An accurate estimate of nitrogen (N) mineralized during the growing season is needed for agronomically and environmentally sound N fertilizer recommendations. The objective of this study was to evaluate mineralization potential (N_o) of the predominate soil series in the Saginaw Valley and Thumb region of Michigan with the goal of utilizing this information to formulate N fertilizer recommendations. Air‐dried samples representing 17 sites were incubated and NO₃ and NH₄ produced were measured periodically. These data were used to determine N‐mineralization potential (N_o) utilizing exponential and hyperbolic models. The initial hypothesis for this study was the existence of a unique N_o value for each soil series. If this were the case, then this measurement could be used to formulate soil series specific N recommendations. Results show there is as much variability in N_o values within soil series as between soil series. Consequently, utilizing a single N_ovalue for a soil series in formulating N recommendations is not practical.     

N-Umsatz von verschiedenem Pflanzenmaterial im Boden in Gefäß- und Feldversuchen

Turnover of nitrogen of different plant material in the soil in pot and field trials In pot and field trials, effects of various plant materials like green rape, sugar beet leaves, potato foliage, straw of wheat, maize, or field beans, on the turnover of N in the soil (mineralization, N_min-concentrations, NO₃-leaching) and on yield and N uptake by some crops was tested in relation to mineral N fertilizer application. In both experiments, widely corresponding results were obtained: Irrespective of the N contents of the plant material, biological immobilization of N always was combined with beginning mineralization (pot trial: decrease of NO₃ leaching in late fall). Green rape (C/N = 12/1) showed already after 4 weeks in the field trial a marked net mineralization (N_min) of 20–30% of the added nitrogen which was quantitatively reflected in higher removals of N. Beet leaves (C/N = 20/1) were decomposed at a much slower rate in combination with an increase in N removals of subsequent crops by 6-20 % depending on the rate of mineral fertilizer application. All types of straw (CM = 57-8611) and potato foliage (CM = 73/1) caused a marked biological immobilization of N which resulted in reduced N removals depending on turnover rate (potato foliage: fast, wheat straw: slow) and N contents of the organic material. Different plant residues (straw, leaves) were applicated on a harvested field with cereal to test comparatively one part of the total value of different preceding crops; at onset of vegetation the N_min-contents in soil, depending on the climatic conditions during the non-growing season for mineralization, were analyzed.     

A rapid procedure for estimating nitrogen mineralization in manured soil

 A routine soil testing procedure for soil N mineralization is needed that is rapid and precise. Not accounting for N mineralization can result in the over-application of N, especially in soils with a history of manure application. Our objectives were to compare results from a recently proposed rapid laboratory procedure with: (1) long-term N mineralization under standard laboratory conditions, and (2) actual forage N uptake from soil receiving dairy cattle (Bos taurus) manure in a 2-year field study. The rapid procedure is based on the quantity of CO₂-C evolved during 24 h under optimum laboratory conditions following the rewetting of dried soil. Dairy cattle manure was surface applied beginning in 1992 at annual rates of 0, 112, 224, or 448 kg N ha^–1 to field plots on a Windthorst fine sandy loam soil (fine, mixed, thermic Udic Paleustalf) near Stephenville, Texas (32°N, 98°W). Results of the one-day CO₂ procedure were highly correlated with soil N mineralized from samples collected in March of 1995 (P=0.004) and 1996 (P<0.001) and with forage N uptake (P<0.001) both years of the study. Residual inorganic N in the same soil samples was poorly correlated with soil N mineralization and forage N uptake. Received: 23 February 2000     

有机肥和化肥长期配合施用对土壤及不同粒级供氮特性的影响

通过间隙淋洗培养试验 ,研究水旱轮作下有机肥与化肥长期配合施用后土壤及不同粒级中氮的矿化特性。结果表明 ,经 14年 2 9茬连续施肥后土壤氮素矿化势明显增加 ,不同处理间的顺序为 :猪粪 化肥 (3 10mgkg- 1) >秸秆 化肥 (2 98mgkg- 1) >化肥 (2 76mgkg- 1) >对照 (2 0 4mgkg- 1)。长期施肥对土壤氮素矿化速率常数影响较小 ,反映了在相同土壤条件下有机氮矿化的共性。经 16周连续培养各处理土壤氮素的矿化率均在 17%左右。土壤不同粒级中氮的矿化量和矿化势均为 0～ 2 μm >2～ 10 μm >50～ 10 0 μm >10～ 50 μm ,有机肥与化肥长期配合施用显著增加了 0～ 2和 2～ 10 μm粒级氮的矿化势和矿化量。与盆栽试验结果相比 ,培养过程矿化释放的氮明显高于同期土壤的供氮量 ,表明在使用矿化氮评价土壤供氮能力时必须加以矫正。     

Nitrogen release from air‐dried biosolids for fertilizer value

Mineral‐N production by air‐dried biosolids was measured in an Australian tenosol type soil with two moisture conditions over 70 days, using a controlled laboratory incubation procedure. The biosolids were from both air‐drying pans and stockpiles. Inorganic‐N components (NH₄‐N, NO₃‐N and NO₂‐N) were present in all biosolids, with higher concentrations in samples from air‐drying pans compared with stockpiles of 1 yr age. Nevertheless, significant production of NO₃‐N occurred in moist soil amended with all air‐dried biosolids. In contrast, saturated soil amended with air‐dried biosolids generally showed a net loss of inorganic‐N compounds during incubation, presumably owing to denitrification. In the saturated soil, only biosolids from air‐drying pans provided NO₃‐N production from existing NH₄‐N. The results indicated that biosolids from air‐drying pans provided the most robust production of NO₃‐N, compared with aged material from the stockpiles, owing to the reduced N content and increased stability of the organic fraction in stored biosolids. However, the rates of N‐mineralization in the tenosol soil were substantially lower than reported for more fertile soil types and most of the organic‐N content of the biosolids remained undegraded by day 70. The biosolids thus may substantially remain to provide improved properties of soil, such as structure and water‐holding capacity. The results suggest that anaerobically digested biosolids from air‐drying pans are potentially highly consistent products that could be effective replacements for inorganic‐N fertilizer in agricultural production.     

Study of the Potentially Mineralized Nitrogen Content and Nitrogen Supply by Soil Incubation Method in a Long-Term Field Experiment in East Hungary

The formation and fate of soluble nitrogen (N) forms and their response to organic-matter mineralization is not obvious yet, and results are often inconsistent despite intensive research. The available N supply of the soil is very important for plant nutrition and environmentally sound N fertilization. The determination of actual N supply is very important for sustainable agriculture in Hungary, especially in acidic sandy soils, which are very sensitive to environmental effects and inefficient human treatment. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provide further information about N mineralization processes and organic–mineral interactions of soil. To establish the potentially mineralized N content and available N supply of soil, a biological (incubation) method was carried out an acidic brown forest soil of the Nyírlugos long-term field experiment in Hungary. The incubation was carried out in the laboratory with differently treated soils of the long-term field experiment to investigate the effect of treatments on N mineralization processes of soil. The incubation period was 16 weeks long. The pH and the easily soluble mineralized and organic N fractions of soil were measured periodically from leached solution (0.01 M calcium chloride; CaCl₂). The leaching process was repeated after 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 16 weeks. The potentially mineralized N content of soil and the actual rate of N mineralization were calculated from periodically collected data. The results of the incubation method can be summarized as follows: the kinetics of incubation of 0.01 M CaCl₂ soluble organic N is similar to mineral N; 0.01 M CaCl₂–soluble N fractions were mainly in inorganic forms in the incubation period but the content of the organic form was significant too; and the mineralization rate is greater where the microbiological activity of the soil is expressed and the soil properties are more favored as a result of applied treatments.     

Comparative Study on Disturbed and Undisturbed Soil Sample Incubation for Estimating Soil Nitrogen-Supplying Capacity

Application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers without knowing the N-supplying capacity of soils may lead to low N use efficiency, uneconomical crop production, and pollution of the environment. Based on the results from pot experiments treated with soil initial nitrate leaching and native soil, long-term alternate leaching aerobic incubation was conducted to study the disturbed and undisturbed soil N-supplying capacity of surface soil samples in 11 sites with different fertilities on the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that the entire indexes and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) uptake N with soil initial nitrate leaching showed a better correlation than that without soil initial nitrate leaching. Except the correlation coefficients for soil initial nitrate (NO₃ ^?)-N and mineral N extracted by calcium chloride (CaCl₂) before aerobic incubation with ryegrass uptake without soil initial nitrate leaching, the correlation coefficients for soil initial NO₃ ^?-N and mineral N extracted by CaCl₂ before aerobic incubation with ryegrass uptake with soil initial nitrate leaching and those for mineralizable N extracted by aerobic incubation, soil initial mineral N and mineralizable N extracted by aerobic incubation, potentially mineralizable N (N₀) and soil initial mineral N + N₀ with ryegrass uptake N under the two cases in disturbed treatment were all higher than those in undisturbed treatment. We concluded that NO₃ ^?-N in soil extracted by CaCl₂ before aerobic incubation can reflect soil N-supplying capacity but cannot reflect soil potential N-supplying capacity. Without soil initial nitrate leaching, the effect of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples incubated under laboratory conditions for estimating soil N-supplying capacity was not good; however, with soil initial nitrate leaching, this method could give better results for soil N-supplying capacity. Based on the results from pot experiments treated with soil initial nitrate leaching and native soil, the mineralization of disturbed soil samples can give provide better results for predicting soil N-supplying capacity for in situ structure soil conditions on the Loess Plateau than undisturbed soil samples.     

Simulation of soil freezing-thawing cycles under typical winter conditions: implications for nitrogen mineralization

Purpose

Seasonal freezing-thawing cycles (FTCs) are common phenomena in middle- and high-latitude regions that may have a strong effect on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization. As yet, little information is available about N mineralization of cultivated soils affected by FTCs, especially during non-growing seasons. It is proposed that N transformation of boreal farmland soil should be well responsive to FTCs because their microbial community and physiochemical characteristics are easily influenced by human agricultural activities. To examine this hypothesis, laboratory simulation experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of different amplitudes, frequencies, and moisture regimes of FCTs on soil N mineralization dynamics, to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms influencing the effect of FTCs on soil N availability during the non-growing season.

Materials and methods

In a laboratory simulation study, cultivated black soil (BL) and brown soil (BR) (Haplic Phaeozems and Haplic Luvisols, respectively; World Reference Base for Soil Resources 1988) were collected from two provincial experimental stations to assess the dynamics of N mineralization under four FTC factors (five levels for freezing temperature, two levels for thawing temperature, five levels for freezing-thawing frequency, and three levels for soil moisture regime).

Results and discussion

There were marked variations in inorganic N pools, microbial biomass N (MBN), and net N mineralization rate (NNMR) for both soils during the FTCs. In both soils, ammonium N (NH₄-N) and nitrate N (NO₃-N) concentrations, as well as NNMR, significantly increased with the decrease in freezing temperature, but the opposite was observed for MBN. However, fluctuating thawing temperature had no significant influence on the available N forms measured. As FTCs’ frequency increased, the NH₄-N, NO₃-N concentrations, and NNMR substantially decreased in both soils, while the MBN concentration initially increased and then declined, reaching the peak at the sixth FTC. The available N fractions in both soils had different response patterns as soil water content rose, showing a considerable increase of NH₄-N, a distinct decrease of NO₃-N, a steady increase for NNMR, and an initial increase followed by a decreasing trend for MBN.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that FTCs during the non-growing season in temperate regions can accelerate N mineralization via increases in freezing-thawing amplitude and freezing-thawing duration. Therefore, there is a potential risk of N losses over the early spring thawing period.

     

长期施肥对土壤氮矿化的影响

Two field experiments were conducted in Jiashan and Yuhang towns of Zhejiang Province, China, to study the feasibility of predicting N status of rice using canopy spectral reflectance. The canopy spectral reflectance of rice grown with different levels of N inputs was determined at several important growth stages. Statistical analyses showed that as a result of the different levels of N supply, there were significant differences in the N concentrations of canopy leaves at different growth stages. Since spectral reflectance measurements showed that the N status of rice was related to reflectance in the visible and NIR （near-infrared） ranges, observations for rice in 1 nm bandwidths were then converted to bandwidths in the visible and NIR spectral regions with IKONOS （space imaging） bandwidths and vegetation indices being used to predict the N status of rice. The results indicated that canopy reflectance measurements converted to ratio vegetation index （RVI） and normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） for simulated IKONOS bands provided a better prediction of rice N status than the reflectance measurements in the simulated IKONOS bands themselves. The precision of the developed regression models using RVI and NDVI proved to be very high with R2 ranging from 0.82 to 0.94, and when validated with experimental data from a different site, the results were satisfactory with R2 ranging from 0.55 to 0.70. Thus, the results showed that theoretically it should be possible to monitor N status using remotely sensed data.     

Studies of nitrogen immobilization and mineralization in calcareous soils—II: Mineralization of immobilized nitrogen from soil fractions of different particle size and density

¹⁵NO^?₃ was immobilized in a calcareous sandy soil and a calcareous clay soil each incubated with glucose and wheat straw. Net mineralization of organic-¹⁵N was more rapid in the sandy soil, irrespective of C amendment, and in soils amended with glucose. Intermittent drying and wetting of soils during incubation stimulated mineralization of ¹⁵N-labelled and native soil organic-N in all treatments. The availability (percentage mineralization) of recently-immobilized ¹⁵N consistently exceeded that of the native soil N. Ratios of the availability of labelled and unlabelled N were similar in the sandy and clay soils but varied according to C amendment, drying and wetting cycle and incubation period.Changes in the distribution of immobilized N amongst soil extracts and soil fractions of different particle size and density were determined during periods of net N mineralization. In straw-amended soils, the organic-¹⁵N of a light fraction, sp.gr. < 1.59, decomposed relatively rapidly during the late mineralization period. Decreases of organic ¹⁵N of the fine clay fraction were also recorded. In glucose-amended soils, net N mineralization was accompanied by significant decreases in the concentrations of organic-¹⁵N of the silt and fine clay fractions.Drying and rewetting of soils hastened or magnified changes occurring in the organic-¹⁵N of soil fractions, but qualitatively, the pattern of change was similar to that observed with soils incubated under uniformly-moist conditions.The percentage distribution of labelled and unlabelled N suggested that in the long term, the silt fraction will accumulate an increasing proportion of the more stable nitrogenous residues.     

Protein breakdown represents a major bottleneck in nitrogen cycling in grassland soils

Proteins represent the dominant input of organic N into most ecosystems and they also constitute the largest store of N in soil organic matter. The extracellular protease mediated breakdown of proteins to amino acids therefore represents a key step regulating N cycling in soil. In this study we investigated the influence of a range of environmental factors on the rate of protein mineralization in a grazed grassland and fallow agricultural soil. The protein turnover rates were directly compared to the rates of amino acid mineralization under the same conditions. Uniformly ¹⁴C-labelled soluble protein and amino acids were added to soil and the rate of ¹⁴CO₂ evolution determined over 30 d. Our results indicate that the primary phase of protein mineralization was approximately 20 ± 3 fold slower that the rate of amino acid mineralization. The addition of large amounts of inorganic NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ to the soil did not repress the rate of protein mineralization suggesting that available N does not directly affect protease activity in the short term. Whilst protein mineralization was strongly temperature sensitive, the presence of plants and the addition of humic and tannic acids had relatively little influence on the rate of soluble protein degradation in this fertile grassland soil. Our results suggests that the extracellular protease mediated cleavage of proteins to amino acids rather than breakdown of amino acids to NH₄⁺ represents the limiting step in soil N cycling.     

Nitrous oxide flux from soil amino acid mineralization

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a greenhouse gas produced during microbial transformation of soil N that has been implicated in global climate warming. Nitrous oxide efflux from N fertilized soils has been modeled using NO₃⁻ content with a limited success, but predicting N₂O production in non-fertilized soils has proven to be much more complex. The present study investigates the contribution of soil amino acid (AA) mineralization to N₂O flux from semi-arid soils. In laboratory incubations (−34 kPa moisture potential), soil mineralization of eleven AAs (100 μg AA-N g⁻¹ soil) promoted a wide range in the production of N₂O (156.0±79.3 ng N₂O-N g⁻¹ soil) during 12 d incubations. Comparison of the δ¹³C content (‰) of the individual AAs and the δ¹³C signature of the respired AA-CO₂-C determined that, with the exception of TYR, all of the AAs were completely mineralized during incubations, allowing for the calculation of a N₂O-N conversion rate from each AA. Next, soils from three different semi-arid vegetation ecosystems with a wide range in total N content were incubated and monitored for CO₂ and N₂O efflux. A model utilizing CO₂ respired from the three soils as a measure of organic matter C mineralization, a preincubation soil AA composition of each soil, and the N₂O-N conversion rate from the AA incubations effectively predicted the range of N₂O production by all three soils. Nitrous oxide flux did not correspond to factors shown to influence anaerobic denitrification, including soil NO₃⁻ contents, soil moisture, oxygen consumption, and CO₂ respiration, suggesting that nitrification and aerobic nitrifier denitrification could be contributing to N₂O production in these soils. Results indicate that quantification of AA mineralization may be useful for predicting N₂O production in soils.     

Plant material addition affects soil nitrous oxide production differently between aerobic and oxygen-limited conditions

It is a common agricultural practice for crop residues to be plowed into the soil or left on the soil surface. Soil addition of crop residues can considerably modify soil microbial activity and net N mineralization, and in general such modifications are negatively related to the C:N ratios of crop residues. Yet, little is known on the impacts of crop residues of different C:N ratios on soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) production under different aeration conditions via nitrification and denitrification. In this study, an 84-day laboratory incubation was conducted under aerobic and O₂-limited conditions and soil N₂O production was measured every 3 days after the addition of plant materials with a wide range of C:N ratios from 14 to 297. Two aerobic conditions were created by adjusting the water content of soil at a bulk density of 1.1 g cm⁻³ to 30% water-filled pore space (WFPS) and 60% WFPS, and two O₂-limited conditions were made by 90% WFPS and fluctuation between 90% and 30% WFPS. Each fluctuation cycle lasted 9 days and soil water content was readjusted to 90% WFPS at the end of each cycle. We also measured microbial respiration activity and net N mineralization periodically (i.e., 3, 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 days) during the incubation and microbial biomass C at the end of incubation. At aerobic conditions, soil amendments of plant materials, regardless of their C:N ratios, all enhanced soil N₂O production. However, net N mineralization was dependent on plant material C:N ratios, being significantly higher or lower than the control for C:N ratios ∼15 and C:N ratios ≥44, respectively. Such inconsistent responses indicated that nitrifiers mediating nitrification and therefore byproduct N₂O production could strongly compete with heterotrophic microbes for NH₄⁺ and therefore net N mineralization was not a good predictor for nitrification-associated N₂O production. Interestingly, plant material additions reduced soil N₂O production by up to ∼95% at O₂-limited conditions, perhaps due to NO₃⁻ limitation. Soil NO₃⁻ production via nitrification could be low at O₂-limited conditions, and soil NO₃⁻ availability could be further reduced due to increases in microbial biomass and thus microbial N assimilation after plant material additions. This NO₃⁻ limitation might enhance N₂O reduction to N₂, by which denitrifiers could harvest more energy from the consumption of limited NO₃⁻. Nonetheless, our results revealed contrasting differences in N₂O production between aerobic and O₂-limited conditions following soil amendments of plant materials.     

Nitrogen mineralization,N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O production and soil microbiological properties as affected by long-term applications of sewage sludge composts

A field study was conducted to investigate the long-term effect of surface application of sewage sludge composts vs chemical N fertilizer on total N, total C, soluble organic C, pH, EC, microbial biomass C and N, protease activity, deaminase activity, urease activity, gross and net rates of N mineralization and nitrification, CO₂ evolution, and N₂O production. Soil samples were taken from five depths (0–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, and 40–50 cm) of a long-term experiment at the University of Tokyo, Japan. Three fields have been receiving sewage sludge composted with rice husk (RH), sawdust (SD), or mixed chemical fertilizer NPK (CF), applied at the rate of 240 kg N ha^–1 each in split applications in summer and autumn since 1978. Significantly higher amounts of total N and C and soluble organic C were found in the compost than in the CF treatments up to the 40-cm soil depth, indicating improved soil quality in the former. In the CF treatment, soil pH values were significantly lower and electrical conductivity values were significantly higher than those of compost-treated soils of up to 50 cm depth. Soil microbial biomass C and N, CO₂ evolution, protease, deaminase, and urease activities were significantly higher in the compost than in the CF treatments due to greater availability of organic substrates that stimulated microbial activity. Gross N mineralization rates determined by ¹⁵N dilution technique were eight and five times higher in the SD and RH treatments than in the CF treatment, respectively, probably due to high levels of microbial and enzyme activities. Net N mineralization rates were also significantly higher in the compost treatments and were negative in the CF treatment indicating immobilization. Net nitrification rates were higher in compost treatments and negative in the CF treatment. Nitrous oxide productions from compost treatments were higher than the CF treatment due to the greater availability of mineral N as a result of higher mineralization and nitrification rates and soluble organic C in the former. Most of the measured parameters were highest in the surface soil (0–15 cm) and were significantly higher in the SD treatment than in the RH treatment.     

Microbial biomass and mineralizable nitrogen in solonetzic soils: Influence of gypsum and lime amendments

Microbial biomass-C and -N and net mineralizable C and N were determined in the Ap horizon of several Solonetzic soils receiving gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O), lime, and NH₄NO₃ amendments. The main effect of gypsum, measured in long-term field experiments and laboratory studies, was to reduce soil microbial N by 10–43%, increase the C-to-N ratio of the biomass, and reduce mineralizable N by 10–54% and the resultant N mineralization potential. For the field study, a close relationship (r² = 0.82) was evident between microbial biomass N and the N mineralization potential.Both gypsum and NH₄NO₃ when applied alone or together changed soil chemical properties especially soil pH which decreased from approximately 6.0 to 5.0. Applications of NH₄NO₃ alone, however, did not influence microbial biomass or activity; while combined gypsum and NH₄NO₃ applied together had similar effects as gypsum alone. In the laboratory study, lime additions increased soil pH, microbial biomass and N mineralization. Small amounts of lime mixed with the gypsum, to prevent a drop in soil pH, corrected the deleterious effects of the gypsum on microbial biomass and mineralizable N for one of the Solonetzic soils.The results show the direct effect of gypsum on microbial activities and demonstrate inter-relationships between changes in soil chemistry of Solonetzic soils and microbial biomass and activity.     

Dissolved soil organic nitrogen and carbon in a Norway spruce stand and an adjacent clear-cut

 The aims of this study were to characterize dissolved soil organic N (DON) and C (DOC) in a coniferous stand and an adjacent clear-cut, and to evaluate the importance of DON in N leaching. The study was carried out in a Norway spruce stand and a clear-cutting treatment in the same forest stand. Concentrations of DON in soil solution were monitored for 5 years after clear-cutting with gravity lysimeters. In the Norway spruce stand DON comprised 62–83% of the total N in soil solution over the 5-year period. The concentrations of DON in the clear-cut were higher than in the forest stand, but the proportion of total N was lower. To characterize dissolved organic matter, soil samples were aerobically incubated for 6 weeks in the laboratory, and the quantity, molecular size distribution and chemical nature of both DON and DOC were determined from water extracts made before and after the incubation. In the soil samples from the Norway spruce stand, C-rich compounds with a high C/N ratio and large molecular size were formed. In contrast, after the incubation the major carriers of DON in soil samples from the clear-cut were N-rich organic compounds with a low C/N ratio and a small molecular size. The distribution of different chemical fractions of DOC in soil did not differ much whether recovered from the Norway spruce stand or the clear-cut. It was (from highest to lowest concentration): hydrophobic acids>hydrophilic acids>phenols>hydrophilic neutrals. A major part of DON was also carried by these fractions. During incubation the concentration of N-containing hydrophilic acids increased, especially in the soil from the clearcut. In soil samples from the Norway spruce stand, the rate of net N mineralization was low and no NO₃ was formed, whilst the rate of net N mineralization was high and net nitrification was intensive in soil from the clear-cut. Received: 12 June 2000     

Dynamic of different C and N fractions in a Cambisol under five year succession fallow in Saxony (Germany)

The dynamic of different soil C and N fractions in a Cambisol under succession fallow was investigated from June 1996 until May 2001. Mineral soil samples (0 – 10 and 10 – 30 cm) were analyzed for their concentrations of organic C (C_org), total N (N_t), hot water extractable C and N (HWC and HWN), and KCl extractable C and N (C_org(KCl), N_org(KCl), NH₄⁺‐N, NO₃^–‐N). The values of all C and N fractions revealed a distinct depth gradient. While the concentrations of C_org increased after set aside significantly from 7.7 to 8.9 g kg^–1 at 0 – 10 cm, those at 10 – 30 cm depth decreased from 7.2 to 6.1 g kg^–1. N_t remained rather constant throughout the whole observation period. The HWC concentrations increased from 0.33 to 0.49 g kg^–1, while HWN decreased slightly at 0 – 10 cm with time. In contrast, both HWC and HWN increased at 10 – 30 cm soil depth. HWC showed close significant correlations to C_org, and HWN to N_t as well as to NH₄⁺‐N and NO₃^–‐N, respectively. In comparison to hot water‐extractable C and N, C_org(KCl) and N_org(KCl) accounted only about one tenth of those and showed a decreasing trend with time of succession. C : N ratio of the KCl fraction was in the same order of magnitude as the HWC : HWN ratio, except the last phase of the experiment where hot water extract values increased above 10.     

应重视硝态氮同化过程在降低土壤硝酸盐浓度中的作用

在保证生产力条件下,采取合理的氮肥管理措施降低土壤硝态氮浓度对降低氮污染至关重要。当前,应用硝化抑制剂能够有效延缓铵态氮的硝化速率,进而降低土壤硝态氮淋溶损失和氮氧化物排放,但是其缺点显而易见:促进氨挥发并引起硝化抑制剂污染。好氧条件下,土壤硝态氮净变化量取决于产生(硝化)和消耗(硝态氮同化)的量。但是,一直以来,受微生物优先利用铵态氮这一传统观点的影响,人们普遍认为农田土壤微生物较少利用硝态氮,很大程度上忽视了对硝态氮同化过程的研究。该过程独具优势,它将硝态氮转变为微生物生物量氮进行短期储存并发生再矿化,具有保氮功能且环境友好。加入特定的碳源可以提高硝态氮同化这已是不争的事实,未来应加强硝态氮同化降低土壤硝酸盐累积方面的研究:(1)外源碳影响硝态氮同化的微生物驱动机制是什么?(2)怎样才能操控硝态氮同化和再矿化过程,使得作物氮需求和土壤氮供应相匹配,进而降低氮损失?(3)在碳源充足的条件下,反硝化作用亦会增强,如何才能做到在提高硝态氮同化的同时避免反硝化氮损失?     

Mineralization of nitrogen in fertilizer-acidified lime-amended soils

Summary The application of NH _inf4 ^su+ -based fertilizers to soils slowly lowers soil pH, which in turn decreases nitrification rates. Under these conditions nitrification and N mineralization may be reduced. We therefore investigated the impact of liming fertilizer-acidified soils on nitrification and N mineralization. Soil samples were collected in the spring of 1987 from a field experiment, initiated in 1980, investigating N, tillage, and residue management under continuous corn (Zea mays L.). The pH values (CaCl₂) in the surface soil originally ranged from 6.0 to 6.5. After 6 years the N fertilizer and tillage treatments had reduced the soil pH to values that ranged between 3.7 and 6.2. Incubation treatments included two liming rates (unlimed or SMP-determined lime requirement), two ¹⁵N-labeled fertilizer rates (0 or 20 g N m^-2), and three replicates. Field-moist soil was mixed with lime and packed by original depth into columns. Labeled-¹⁵N ammonium sulfate in solution was surface-applied and columns were leached with 1.5 pore volumes of deionized water every 7 days over a 70-day period. Nitrification occurred in all pH treatments, suggesting that a ferilizer-acidified soil must contain a low-pH tolerant nitrifier population. Liming increased soil pH values (CaCl₂) from 3.7 to 6.2, and increased by 10% (1.5 g N m^-2) the amount of soil-derived NO₃ ^--N that moved through the columns. This increase was the result of enhanced movement of soil-derived NO₃ ^--N through the columns during the first 14 days of incubation. After the initial 14-day period, the limed and unlimed treatments had similar amounts of soil N leaching through the soil columns. Lime increased the nitrification rates and stimulated the early movement of fertilizer-derived NO₃ ^--N through the soil.     

Effects of salts and moisture content on N2O emission and nitrogen dynamics in Yellow soil and Andosol in model experiments

 The effects of salt type and its concentration on nitrification, N mineralization and N₂O emission were examined under two levels of moisture content in Yellow soil and Andosol samples as simulated to agriculture under arid/semi-arid conditions and under heavy application of fertilizer in a glass-house, respectively. The salt mixtures were composed of chlorides (NaCl and NH₄Cl) or sulphates [Na₂SO₄ and (NH₄)₂SO₄] and were added at various concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 M as in the soil solution). These salts were added to non-saline Yellow soil at different moisture contents (45 or 40 and 65% of maximum water-holding capacity; WHC) and their effects on the changes in mineral N (NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^–-N) concentration as well as N₂O emission were examined periodically during laboratory incubation. We also measured urease activities to know the effect of salts on N mineralization. Furthermore, Ca(NO₃)₂ solution was added at various concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.8 M as in the soil solution) to a non-saline Andosol taken from the subsurface layer in a glass-house and incubated at different moisture contents (50% and 70% of WHC) to examine their effects on changes in mineral N. Nitrification was inhibited by high, but remained unaffected by low, salt concentrations. These phenomena were shown in both the model experiments. It was considered that the salinity level for inhibition of nitrification was an electric conductivity (1 : 5) of 1 dS m^–1. This level was independent of the type of salts or soil, and was not affected by soil moisture content. The critical level of salts for urease activities was about 2 dS m^–1. The emission rate of N₂O was maximum at the beginning of the incubation period and stabilized at a low level after an initial peak. There was no significant difference in N₂O emission among the treatments at different salt concentrations, while higher moisture level enhanced N₂O emission remarkably. Received: 29 July 1998