Effects of soil properties and trace metals on urease activities of calcareous soils

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between urease activity and some physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of soils from central Iran. Inhibitory effects of Cr, Cd, and Pb on urease activity were also studied. Results indicated that no significant difference was observed between urease activity of field-moist and air-dried soils. Soil organic C and total N correlated highly significantly with urease activity, with r values of 0.899*** and 0.797***, respectively. There was also a significant correlation between urease activity and the number of bacteria grown on urea-agar media, with r value of 0.470*. A significant negative correlation (r =–0.492*) was observed between urease activity and electrical conductivity of saturation paste extracts. There were no significant correlations between urease activity and soil textural properties, pH, calcium carbonate equivalent, cation exchange capacity, and populations of soil bacteria on nutrient agar and population of soil fungi on potato dextrose agar. Both Cd and Pb inhibited urease activity to a similar extent and to a greater extent than did Cr.     

豆科牧草根际土壤脲酶活性的研究

研究结果表明:土壤脲酶活性与养分含量呈极显著相关,可作为评价土壤肥力的生物学指标;脲酶活性的垂直分布随土层深度而递减;土壤脲酶活性数量随作物生长与根系生物量的增强而增加,与土壤微生物数量显著相关;根际土壤脲酶活性高于近根际土壤;不同种类豆科牧草,根际土壤脲酶活性存在明显差异。深根豆科牧草苜蓿、草木樨可留给深层土壤大量根系残留物,从而有利于提高土壤深层脲酶活性与综合供肥能力。     

杀灭菊酯对亚热带果园红壤脲酶活性的生态毒理效应

通过模拟方法,系统研究杀灭菊酯对亚热带果园红壤脲酶活性的影响。结果表明:杀灭菊酯对土壤脲酶活性表现出先激活后抑制趋势,处理前3 d土壤脲酶活性升高,处理3 d后土壤脲酶活性受到抑制,7 d后低于对照水平;激活、抑制程度与处理浓度呈正相关。底物(尿素)浓度饱和前,土壤脲酶活性随尿素浓度增加而升高。模型U=β0 β1×C能较好拟合土壤脲酶活性(U)和尿素浓度(C)、杀灭菊酯浓度(C)之间关系,揭示出土壤酶促反应过程存在吸附-解吸的机制,证实不同肥力土壤脲酶活性受杀灭菊酯影响差异较大,高肥力土壤对土壤脲酶活性具有一定的缓冲作用,受杀灭菊酯影响较小。     

Short-term assay of soil urease activity using colorimetric determination of ammonium

Summary A rapid assay for soil urease in the absence of bacteriostatic agents has been developed. The method comprises incubation of soil with an aqueous or buffered urea solution, extraction of ammonium with 1 N KCl and 0.01 NHCl and colorimetric NH₄ ⁺ determination by a modified indophenol reaction. The method is characterized by high sensitivity and stability of the coloured complex formed. Measurements obtained by this method showed that no change in urease activity occurred when field-moist samples of soils were stored at –20°C for as long as 5 months. Air-drying of field-moist soil samples may lead to an increase in urease activity.     

Influence of tillage systems on biological properties of a Typic Argiudoll soil under continuous maize in central Argentina

Farmers are increasingly using zero tillage in Central Argentina to replace other tillage systems. Intensive tillage decreases soil organic matter content and causes physical degradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate changes in some soil biological properties induced by different tillage systems. A 6 year experiment in which continuous maize (Zea mays L.) was grown using three tillage systems (conventional tillage, reduced tillage and zero tillage) was carried out at Córdoba Province, Argentina, on a Typic Argiudoll. Variations in total organic C content, microbial biomass C, metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and the proportion of the organic C present in the microbial biomass were evaluated at two sampling depths (0–5 and 5–15 cm). Additional samples from a nearby site (undisturbed grassland) were also taken and considered as a control. Concentrations of soil organic C and microbial biomass C were higher under zero tillage as compared with conventional tillage, at the 0–5 cm soil depth. Differences were not evident among tillage systems at the 5–15 cm soil depth. An analysis of the microbial biomass C content, in relation to the organic C, revealed higher values at the 0–5 cm soil depth only for those systems which provoke less disturbance of the soil (i.e. reduced tillage and zero tillage). Significantly greater amounts of CO₂---C were released from zero tillage and reduced tillage soils than from conventionally tilled soils. This release was positively correlated with microbial biomass C. qCO₂ values were not significantly different between tillage systems. Zero tillage proved to be more efficient in the conservation of organic C and microbial biomass C. The tillage system's impact on respiration was due to its effect on the microbial biomass.     

Production of urease by microbial activity in soils under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Summary Several workers have reported that O₂ has little, if any, effect on hydrolysis of urea by soil urease, but others have reported that it has a marked effect, hydrolysis being significantly faster in soils under aerobic conditions than in O₂-depleted soils. In studies to account for these divergent results, we found that whereas plant residues and other readily decomposable organic materials markedly stimulated microbial production of urease in soils under aerobic conditions, they did not greatly stimulate production of urease in soils under anaerobic conditions. We also found that although anaerobic conditions retarded production of urease by soil microorganisms, they did not inhibit hydrolysis of urea by soil urease. These observations suggest that the divergent findings concerning the effect of O₂ on hydrolysis of urea by soil urease may have resulted from differences in the amounts of readily decomposable organic materials in the soils studied.     

Meta-analysis of experimental warming on soil invertase and urease activities

Soil enzymes are regulate terrestrial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, and how the activity of these enzymes are affected by soil warming duration is unclear. In the study, the effect of experimental soil warming duration (<2 years and >2 years) on invertase and urease activities were examined by meta-analysis. Soil warming increased invertase activity by 22% (<2 years) and 16% (>2 years), respectively, while they increased urease by 29% and 9%. Meta-analysis of soil warming experiments found that warming by less than 1.5°C increased invertase by 22%, while warming it by more than 1.5°C increased invertase by 29%; the corresponding increases in urease were 16% and 8%. These effects of experiment warming differed among ecosystem types, with warming-induced increases being greatest in forest ecosystem. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that invertase and urease become less responsive to warming over longer periods and invertase with greater warming-responsiveness than urease activity.     

The effect of phenyl phosphorodiamidate on urease activity and ammonia volatilization in flooded rice

Summary The behaviour of urease activity, ammoniacal N concentrations and pH in flood water and that of ammonia flux was investigated in a water-logged soil either in the presence or in the absence of rice and with three different treatments (control, urea and urea + phenyl phosphorodiamidate). In the presence of the phenyl phosphorodiamidate (PPD), that is a urease inhibitor, increases in ammoniacal N concentrations and in ammonia evolution were delayed but not eliminated. The degradation and/or the inactivation of PPD might have occurred, thus removing the inhibition of the enzyme activity.     

Influence of irrigation with pulp and paper mill effluent on soil chemical and microbiological properties

Summary Irrigation of sugarcane crops with combined pulp and paper mill effluent increased soil pH, organic C, N, P, and K. Over a period of 15 years effluent application increased exchangeable Na by 4.5-fold compared with control soil (well-water irrigated), which ultimately elevated the Na adsorption ratio of the soils. The combined effluent irrigation increased the soil populations of bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, rhizobia, and yeasts. The populations of soil microorganisms were higher after 15 years of effluent treatment, followed by 3, 2, and 1 year of effluent treatment; these populations were directly proportional to soil organic C and to the available nutrient status of the soils. Regular monitoring of microflora showed a considerable change in the populations from one sampling month to another. Soil samples, including the control, collected in May (summer) showed maximum counts of bacteria, fungi, rhizobia, and yeasts.     

Influence of soil properties on microbial populations, activity and biomass in humid subtropical mountainous ecosystems of India

 Microbial populations, biomass, soil respiration and enzyme activities were determined in slightly acid organic soils of major mountainous humid subtropical terrestrial ecosystems, along a soil fertility gradient, in order to evaluate the influence of soil properties on microbial populations, activity and biomass and to understand the dynamics of the microbial biomass in degraded ecosystems and mature forest. Although the population of fungi was highest in the undisturbed forest (Sacred Grove), soil respiration was lowest in the 7-year-old regrowth and in natural grassland (approximately 373 μg g^–1 h^–1). Dehydrogenase and urease activities were high in "jhum" fallow, and among the forest stands they were highest in the 7-year-old regrowth. Microbial biomass C (MBC) depended mainly on the organic C status of the soil. The MBC values were generally higher in mature forest than in natural grassland, 1-year-old jhum fallow and the 4-year-old alder plantation. The MBC values obtained by the chloroform-fumigation-incubation technique (330–1656 μg g^–1) did not vary significantly from those obtained by the chloroform-fumigation-extraction technique (408–1684 μg g^–1), however, the values correlated positively (P<0.001). The enzyme activities, soil respiration, bacterial and fungal populations and microbial biomass was greatly influenced by several soil properties, particularly the levels of nutrients. The soil nutrient status, microbial populations, soil respiration and dehydrogenase activity were greater in Sacred Grove, while urease activity was greater in grassland. Received: 14 October 1998     

Short- and long-term effects of heavy metals on urease activity in soils

Summary The inhibitory effects of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc on urease activity of five different soils during two different periods were investigated, in order to obtain information on the change in heavy metal toxicity with time. The results are presented graphically as logistic dose-response curves. When the ecological dose range was used as a measure of toxicity this value decreased significantly only for copper in the sandy soil. Considering toxicity as the ecological dose-50% (ED50) value, toxicity tended to increase over 1 1/2 years for cadmium, copper and zinc. For nickel and lead, however, the toxicity stabilized in all soils, except in sand and clay. The average ED 50 value of zinc varied between 100 and 300 mg kg^–1 and its toxicity was highest. It is emphasized that these data may help to set limits for the heavy-metal pollution of soils.     

Characterization of humus-protease complexes extracted from soil

Pyrophosphate (140 mM, pH 7.1) extracts of two arable soils and one pasture soil were ultrafiltrated separating the extracted material into three fractions: A_I with nominal molecular weight (nmw) > 100 kD, A_II with nmw between 10 kD and 100 kD and R with nmw < 10 kD. Protease activity was determined in the fractions by using three different substrates: N-benzoyl-l-argininamide (BAA), specific for trypsin; N-benzyloxy-carbonyl-l-phenylalanyl l-leucine (ZPL), specific for carboxypeptidases; and casein, essentially a non-specific substrate. The derivative fractions were also analysed for their amino acid N and humic (HA) and fulvic (FA) acid contents. The organic matter of extracts and derivative fractions obtained from the pasture soil was analysed by isoelectric focusing (IEF) and that of fractions analysed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC). Activities of the extract were monitored for their thermal stability and those of the extract and derivative fractions for their optimal pH.Due to the mechanical disintegrating action of sodium pyrophosphate over the humic substances during the fractionation process the amount of total organic C and FA in the fractions was ranked as R > A_II > A_I. The lowest amino acid N/organic C was found in the R fraction, whereas A_II fraction was rich in humic acids, carbohydrates and amino acid N and A_I fraction showed the lowest carbohydrate content. At least 70% of the total BAA- and ZPL-hydrolysing activity was associated to particles with nmw higher than 10 kD and at least 30% of these activities were present in particles with nmw higher 100 kD. Casein-hydrolysing activity was quite evenly distributed among the three fractions (A_I, A_II and R). The extracted protease-organic complexes were resistant to thermal denaturation and some of them showed optimal activity at pH values higher than 10 as a result of the polyanionic characteristics of the humic material surrounding enzyme molecules and of the presence of alkaline protease. Comparison of data obtained in Py-GC analyses and in protease activity suggests that BAA-hydrolysing activity was associated to a highly condensed humic matter and ZPL-hydrolysing activity to less resistant humic substances, while at least some of the extracted casein-hydrolysing activity was present as glyco-proteins not associated to humus. BAA-hydrolysing activity was probably inhibited by fresh organic matter of carbohydrate origin whereas lignin derived organic matter probably inhibited ZPL- and casein-hydrolysing activity.     

典型黑土区不同生态系统下土壤团聚体中胡敏酸的结构特征

为了揭示生态系统类型对土壤团聚体中腐殖质分子结构的影响,本研究以黑土区24 a长期定位试验处理下的自然草地(GL)、耕地(CL)和裸地(BL)土壤为研究对象,采用湿筛法将土壤团聚体分为2 mm、2～0.25 mm、0.25～0.053 mm和0.053 mm 4个粒级,运用元素分析、红外光谱和差热分析技术,对团聚体中胡敏酸(HA)的结构性质进行了研究。结果表明,生态系统类型对团聚体中HA的分子结构产生了影响。耕地各级团聚体中HA的O+S含量以及(O+S)/C比值(摩尔比)普遍高于草地相应粒级团聚体,反映了耕地土壤团聚体中HA的氧化程度高于草地;差热分析中,耕地和裸地土壤团聚体中HA的中温放热量低于草地相应粒级团聚体,且二者的热量高/中比值均高于草地,说明耕地和裸地土壤团聚体中HA的芳香性/脂族性高于草地;草地和耕地土壤团聚体中HA在2 920和2 850 cm-1处代表脂族聚亚甲基和末端甲基中C-H伸缩振动的吸收峰明显强于裸地,脂族碳/羧基碳(2 920/1 720)以及脂族碳/芳香碳(2 920/1 620)比值高于后者。与自然草地相比,耕地和裸地生态系统会增强土壤团聚体中HA的缩合度、氧化度和芳香性,提高其分子结构的稳定性。     

Conductimetric determination of soil urease activity

Abstract

A fast and sensitive method to determine urease activity in soils is described. It involves extraction of NH₄‐N with 1 N. KC1 : 0.01 N HC1 and measurement of NH₄ concentration by electroconductivity using a steady state flow system across a membrane. Sampling was done directly from the extracts with an automatic sampler at 40 samples per hour. The detection limit for NH₄‐N was below 0.05 ppm in the extract. Extracts could be stored at room temperature for 17 hours before measuring NH₄. No post‐treatment hydrolysis of urea occured.     

Influence of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments on soil organic matter and soil microbial properties under tropical conditions

 Soil organic matter level, mineralizable C and N, microbial biomass C and dehydrogenase, urease and alkaline phosphatase activities were studied in soils from a field experiment under a pearl millet-wheat cropping sequence receiving inorganic fertilizers and a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments for the last 11 years. The amounts of soil organic matter and mineralizable C and N increased with the application of inorganic fertilizers. However, there were greater increases of these parameters when farmyard manure, wheat straw or Sesbania bispinosa green manure was applied along with inorganic fertilizers. Microbial biomass C increased from 147 mg kg^–1 soil in unfertilized soil to 423 mg kg^–1 soil in soil amended with wheat straw and inorganic fertilizers. The urease and alkaline phosphatase activities of soils increased significantly with a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments. The results indicate that soil organic matter level and soil microbial activities, vital for the nutrient turnover and long-term productivity of the soil, are enhanced by use of organic amendments along with inorganic fertilizers. Received: 6 May 1998     

Influence of estimation procedure on soil organic carbon stock assessment in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract. The purpose of the study was to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock for Flanders, Belgium and to evaluate various methods for assessing SOC stock. The assessment methods first determined the SOC density (C mass per unit area) for pedons in a database of soil properties, and then spatially distributed the SOC density to soil and soil/land use categories on a map. The results showed that the pedon SOC density is influenced by drainage class, texture and land use/land cover. The SOC density estimation method significantly influences results and leads to differences of up to 6% in total estimated SOC stock for Flanders. Use of various spatial distributing methods creates differences of up to 2% in total estimated SOC stock. The largest difference in SOC stock estimate between any combination of assessment methods was 7% (125.6 Tg vs 134.9 Tg). These findings emphasize the importance of complete spatial soil databases of high quality that reduce uncertainty of estimates for use in research examining the role of soils in the C cycle. The results indicate that the need for these databases is greater than the need to standardize methods to determine the spatial distribution of SOC. A map of the distribution of SOC density shows that in Flanders a large proportion of SOC is stored in sandy soils in the north of the territory.     

Regulation of urease production in soil by microbial assimilation of nitrogen

Summary Studies of the effects of different forms of N on urease production in soils amended with organic C showed that although microbial activity, as measured by CO₂ production, was stimulated by the addition of NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^- to C-amended soils (200 mol glucose-C g^–1 soil), urease production was repressed by these forms of N. The addition of L-methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of inorganic N assimilation by microorganisms, relieved the NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^- repression of urease production in C-amended soil. The addition of sodium chlorate, an inhibitor of NO₃ ^- reduction to NH₄ ⁺ by microorganisms, relieved the NO₃ ^- repression of urease production, but did not eliminate the repression associated with NH₄ ⁺. These observations indicate that microbial production of urease in C-amended soils is not directly repressed by NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^-, but by products formed by microbial assimilation of these forms of N. This conclusion is supported by our finding that the biologically active L-isomers of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartate, and glutamine, repressed urease production in C-amended soil, whereas the D-isomers of these amino acids had little or no influence on urease production. This work suggests that urease synthesis by soil microorganisms is controlled by the global N regulon.     

Effect of organic matter and urease inhibitors on urea hydrolysis and immobilization of urea nitrogen in an alkaline soil

Summary Laboratory incubation experiments with ¹⁵N-labelled urea were conducted on a Aquic Udifluvent Belgian soil amended with barley straw, in, order to study the influence of three urease inhibitors, hydroquinone, phenyl phosphorodiamidate and N-(n-butyl) phosphorothioic triamide on urea hydrolysis and N transformations. The results demonstrated that the urea was hydrolyzed more rapidly when the soil was amended with ground barley straw. A pronounced inhibition of urease inhibitors occurred with the urea hydrolysis, but it was decreased by increasing the soil organic C content. A severe N immobilization (about 82–100% of the applied urea) occurred in soil samples that were rich in organic C. The addition of urease inhibitors increased urea-N immobilization by 5–30%. N-(n-butyl) phosphorothioic triamide had a stronger effect than the other two inhibitors when they were applied at the rate of 1%. However, the inhibitors decreased N immobilization when the soil was amended with barley straw.     

新疆绿洲农田不同开垦年限土壤有机碳及不同粒径土壤颗粒有机碳变化

研究不同开垦年限新疆绿洲农田土壤有机碳及不同粒径土壤颗粒有机碳的变化规律,评价长期垦殖对新疆绿洲农田土壤有机碳的影响。以相应未开垦地为对照,选取南北疆兰州湾、31团和普惠农场三个典型绿洲不同开垦年限土壤为研究对象,应用物理分组方法研究不同粒径土壤颗粒中有机碳含量及分布。结果表明:(1)开垦有利于新疆绿洲农田土壤总有机碳的积累,开垦初期(0～5a)增加迅速,年均增加0·5gkg-1,10a后增加趋于平缓。(2)垦殖增加了不同粒径土壤颗粒有机碳的含量,砂粒有机碳在垦殖10a间达到最大值后趋于相对稳定的水平;粉砂粒和黏粒有机碳随垦殖年限延长增加。(3)开垦提高了POC/MOC值,表现为开垦初期(0～5a)增加迅速,10a左右达到最大值后开始下降。研究说明,新疆绿洲区域未开垦地开垦增加了土壤总有机碳和不同粒径土壤颗粒有机碳含量,随垦殖年限延长,粉砂粒和黏粒有机碳成为绿洲农田土壤主要碳库,土壤自身生产力存在下降可能,土壤质量存在潜在退化风险。     

城郊土壤不透水表面有土壤机碳转化及其相关性质的研究

Installation of impervious surface in urban area prevents the exchange of material and energy between soil and other environmental counterparts, thereby resulting in negative effects on soil function and urban environment. Soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth in Nanjing City, China, in which seven sites were selected for urban open soils, and fourteen sites with similar parent material were selected for the impervious-covered soils, to examine the effect of impervious surface on soil properties and microbial activities, and to determine the most important soil properties associated with soil organic carbon （SOC） transformation in the urban soils covered by impervious surfaces. Soil organic carbon and water-soluble organic carbon （WSOC） concentrations, potential carbon （C） and nitrogen （N） mineralization rates, basal respiration, and physicochemical properties with respect to C transformation were measured. Installation of impervious surface severely affected soil physicochemical properties and microbial activities, e.g., it significantly decreased total N contents, potential C mineralization and basal respiration rate （P 〈 0.01）, while increased pH, clay and Olsen-P concentrations. Soil organic carbon in the sealed soils at 0-20 cm was 2.35 kg m-2, which was significantly lower than the value of 4.52 kg m-2 in the open soils （P 〈 0.05）. Canonical correlation analysis showed WSOC played a major role in determining SOC transformation in the impervious-covered soil, and it was highly correlated with total N content and potential C mineralization rate. These findings demonstrate that installation of impervious surface in urban area, which will result in decreases of SOC and total N concentrations and soil microbial activities, has certain negative consequences for soil fertility and long-term storage of SOC.