Ammonium oxidizer numbers,potential and actual oxidation rates in two swedish arable soils

Summary The number of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria was measured with the most probable number (MPN) method while potential ammonium oxidation rates were determined with a chlorate inhibition technique in two arable soils. A new method for measuring actual in situ ammonium oxidation in soil cores is presented.One soil was cropped for 4 years with one of four crop-fertilizer combinations: Unfertilized lucerne ley, unfertilized barley, nitrate-fertilized grass ley, or nitrate-fertilized barley. The highest ammonium oxidizer numbers and potential rates were found in the grass ley. The unfertilized barley had one-third the number and activity of the grass ley. Actual rates were in general 5–25 times lower than potential rates.The other soil was that undergoing a 27-year-old field trial with a fallow and four different cropping treatments: No addition, nitrate, nitrate + straw, or manure. Ammonium oxidizer numbers were highest in the manure and straw treatments. MPN numbers and potential rates were lowest in the fallow treatment. Typical specific potential rates were 30 ng N oxidized cell^–1 h^–1. Actual rates were in general 40 times lower than potential rates.Actual ammonium oxidation measurements seem to correspond to actual in situ activity at the moment of sampling, whereas the MPN technique and the potential measurements reflect events that occurred weeks to months before the sampling.