Potential for nitrogen mineralization in central Alberta soils

Incubation experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between N mineralization potential of soils and yield or N uptake of barley grain. In addition, the effect of soil type and soil depth on N mineralization potential was investigated. In an experiment with 39 cultivated surface soil samples varying in organic C from 1.5 to 8.6%, the amount of mineralized N (as determined by the incubation method of Stanford and Smith, 1972) ranged from 34 to 111 mg N kg^?1 over a 12-week period but the correlation coefficient between mineralized N and soil organic C was only 0.49^**. Mineralized N was not correlated with grain yield or N uptake (r = 0.29 or 0.32, respectively), but there was a fairly close correlation between soil NO₃-N at sowing and yield (r = 0.79^**) or N uptake of barley grain (r = 0.82^**). Combining soil NO₃-N at sowing and mineralized N on incubation did not improve correlation. In the other experiment with just two soils, the mineralized N sharply decreased with increasing soil depth.     

Critical soil level of zinc for wheat grown in alkaline soils

Wheat plants were grown to study the effect of Zn application in a screen house experiment involving 19 alkaline soils having a range of DTPA extractable Zn and widely divergent physical and chemical properties. Soil Zn was positively correlated with organic carbon, clay, Olsen's P and Bray's per cent yield (r = 0.54^*, 0.67^**, 0.54^* and 0.84^**) respectively. There was a significant increase in the leaf, grain and total dry matter yield of plants due to Zn fertilization but no such effect was obvious in stem. Concentration of Zn in different plant parts increased significantly with its application in all the soils irrespective of the initial Zn status. Statistical method indicated 0.65 mg kg^–1 as the critical level of Zn in alkaline soils below which responses to Zn fertilization may be expected in case of wheat.     

Ammonia volatilization from point-placed urea in upland,sandy soils

The upland fertilization practice in Africa of placing N fertilizer below the soil surface near the plant might be facilitated through use of urea supergranules (USG). Since little is known about N losses from point-placed urea on light-textured African soils, laboratory studies were conducted in a forced-draft system to determine (a) the influence of soil properties on ammonia loss from USG and (b) to compare N loss from USG with that from broadcast N sources. Ammonia loss from 1.1 g USG placed at a 4-cm soil depth ranged from 2.9 to 62% of the added N on six light-textured soils. Ammonia loss was correlated with soil clay content (r = –0.93^**) but not with pH. A more detailed study on a soil from Niger revealed significantly less ammonia loss from either surfaced applied urea (18%) or surface-applied calcium ammonium nitrate (7%) than from USG placed at a 4-cm depth (67%). Amendment of surface-applied urea with 1.7% phenyl phosphorodiamidate (PPD), a urease inhibitor, essentially eliminated ammonia loss (1.9%). An¹⁵N balance confirmed that ammonia volatilization was the major loss mechanism for all N sources. The results suggest that point-placed urea may be prone to ammonia volatilization loss on light-textured African soils moistened by frequent light rainfall. In such cases, broadcast application of urea, CAN, or urea amended with PPD may be less prone to N loss.     

The influence of soil properties on the effectiveness of phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) in reducing ammonia volatilization from surface applied urea

Urea can be an inefficient N source due to rapid hydrolysis by soil urease leading to NH₃ volatilization. The current study investigated the effect of the urease inhibitor phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) incorporated at two concentrations (0.5% and 1% w/w) within the fertilizer granule on NH₃ volatilization from surface applied urea. The daily rates of NH₃ loss from 20 soils of widely differing properties from Northern Ireland were measured over 14 days using ventilated enclosures under simulated spring conditions. Cumulative loss rates were calculated and fitted to a logistic model from which total NH₃ loss (Amax) and the time to maximum rate of loss (Tmax) were determined. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis related the effectiveness of PPD in reducing NH₃ volatilization from urea to soil properties.The total cumulative loss of ammonia from unamended urea varied from 0.37 to 29.2% depending on soil type. Ammonia volatilization appeared to be greatest on a soil with a high pH (R² = 0.65), a low titratable acidity (TA) (R² = 0.63) and a soil that was drying out (R² = 0.50). Soil pH was negatively correlated with TA (r = –0.826, P < 0.001) suggesting that soils with a low TA may have received recent lime. Including cation exchange capacity (CEC) and % N as well as pH-KCl in the multiple linear regression equation explained 86% of the variance.The effectiveness of PPD in reducing Amax varied between 0% to 91% depending on soil type, the average over all 20 soils being 30 and 36% for 0.5% and 1% PPD respectively. The most important soil properties influencing the effectiveness of the urease inhibitor were soil pH-H₂O and TA accounting for 33% and 29% of the variance respectively. PPD was less effective on a soil with a high pH and low TA. These were the soil conditions that led to high NH₃ volatilization from unamended urea and may explain why PPD had limited success in reducing ammonia loss on these soils. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that 75% of the variation in the % inhibition of NH₃ loss by PPD could be significantly accounted for by pH-H₂O, initial soil NO ₃ ^- -N concentration, % moisture content and % moisture loss.The delay in Tmax by PPD ranged from 0.19 to 7.93 days, the average over all 20 soils being 2.5 and 2.8 days for 0.5% and 1% PPD respectively. TA, % moisture content, urease activity and CEC were soil properties that significantly explained 83% of the variation in the % delay in Tmax by PPD in multiple linear regression analysis. However, none of these soil properties were significant on their own. As urea hydrolysis occurs rapidly in soil, delaying Tmax under field conditions would increase the chance of rain falling to move the urea below the soil surface and reduce NH₃ volatilization. A urease inhibitor should be more effective than PPD on soils with a high pH and low TA to be successful in reducing high NH₃ losses.     

Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) to zinc fertilization and its critical level in soils of semi-arid tropics

In a greenhouse experiment the response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) to zinc fertilization was examined using 27 soils from the semi-arid tropics. The critical level of DTPA extractable soil Zn was evaluated. Zinc additions to the soil increased the dry matter yield of six weeks old plant shoot, grain and straw significantly at the 5 mg kg^–1 level, but tended to decrease it at the 10 mg kg^–1 level.The DTPA extractable Zn of the soils ranged from 0.28 to 1.75 ppm and was negatively correlated at 1 per cent level with pH (r = – 0.81) and positively with organic carbon (r = 0.79) and Olsen's P (r = 0.63). The per cent yield increase or decrease over zero zinc ranged from 67 to – 16 in respect of grain yield and was positively correlated with available Zn (r = 0.86^**). Zinc concentration in plants was greatly increased with the application of Zn and accumulation of Zn was higher in grain than straw. The critical level of available zinc in soil below which plant response to Zn fertilization may be expected was 0.48 mg Zn kg^–1 soil. Soils between 0.48 to 0.70 mg kg^–1 of DTPA extractable Zn appear boarderline and a negative response to applied Zn was observed in soils of high Zn category. The results show the suitability of DTPA soil test for demarcating soils on the basis of plant response to zinc fertilization.     

Critical levels of Mn in coarse textured rice soils in India for predicting response of barley to Mn application

Green house studies of 20 soils, having a range in DTPA extractable Mn, were made to determine the critical deficiency level of Mn for predicting response of barley to Mn application. Soil Mn was significantly related with both Bray's per cent dry matter yeild (r = 0.70^**) and Mn uptake (r = 0.65^**). Soil application of 25 mg Mn kg^–1 soil significantly increased yield. Both graphical and statistical models of Cate and Nelson indicated the critical level to be 2.05 mg kg^–1 soil of DTPA extractable Mn. The critical Mn deficiency level in 45 day barley plants was 18.6 mg kg^–1 dry matter. The predictability of soil and plant critical Mn level was 91 and 80 per cent respectively.     

Critical manganese deficiency level for soybean grown in Ustochrepts

A greenhouse study with 15 soils, having a range in DTPA extractable Mn, was conducted to determine the critical deficiency level of Mn in Ustochrepts for predicting response of soybean to Mn application. Soil application of 10 mg Mn kg^–1 soil significantly increased the dry matter yield in deficient soils. Soil Mn was significantly related with Bray's per cent yield (r = 0.72^**) and Mn uptake (r = 0.75^**). Both graphical and statistical models of Cate and Nelson indicated the critical level to be 3.3 mg kg^–1 soil of DTPA extractable Mn. Critical Mn deficiency level in recently matured terminal leaflet blade at V6 growth stage in soybean plant was 22.0µg g^–1 dry matter. The predictability of soil and plant critical Mn level was 87 per cent.     

Solubilization of soil organic N by alkaline-hydrolysing N fertilizers

Interactions between¹⁵N-labelled fertilizers applied at concentrations representative of the fertilizer microsite and the solubility of the nitrogenous component of soil organic matter were investigated in laboratory experiments. Soil organic N was solubilized in a-irradiated soil due to addition of NH_3(aq), and the fertilizer-induced loss of unlabelled total N in the extracted soil (TU_s) increased with increasing N fertilizer concentration and soil pH. TU_s was linearly correlated with ammoniacal-N concentration and the pH of the fertilized soil within the range of 7.5-10 (r = 0.94).Total organic N in the soil extract (OT_e) increased rapidly up to day 14 following addition of 2000 mg urea-N kg^–1 soil, but was then stable up to day 28. OT_e of a range of soils increased from between 5 and 148 to between 15 and 368 mg N kg^–1 soil after application of 1045 mg NH₃-N kg^–1 soil. While up to 25% of the organic N was solubilized by the fertilizer in nine soils, the change in total organic N in the extracts (OT_e) of three soils was not significant. The highest OT_e of 399 mg N kg^–1 soil (35.4% of soil organic N) was measured after application of 2000 mg NH₃-N kg^–1 soil.pH and OT_e decreased in the order of NH_3(aq) > urea > di-ammonium phosphate > ammonium sulphate at equivalent rates of N addition. A negative OT_e was measured following application of ammonium sulphate. OT_e was correlated with the pH of the fertilized soil but not ammoniacal-N concentration for different N fertilizer sources.     

Predicting N mineralized in a Georgia Coastal Plain field

The N mineralized from soil organic matter provides an important portion of N available for crop production. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of spatial variability in N mineralization potential in a field and to evaluate three different methods that might be used to estimate this variability. The three methods tested included predicting the N mineralized from surface soil properties as well as from a biological and a chemical procedure. Three soils varying in N mineralization potential were selected for the study from a field in the Georgia Coastal Plain. The N mineralized from these soils was determined by an N balance of unfertilized and cropped plots. The amount of N mineralized could not be reliably predicted from surface soil organic C, although surface soil clay concentration was positively correlated with the N mineralized. The N mineralized that was predicted using mineralization parameters determined by aerobic incubation, adjusted daily for soil water content and temperature, was approximately 50% of the field measurements of N mineralized. The values of NH₄-N extracted with hot 2 M KCl were related significantly to N mineralized in the field (r²= 0.60) and also to the zero order rate constant of mineralization, k₀ (r²= 0.77), determined from the N mineralized in the aerobic laboratory incubation.     

Agricultural use of three organic residues: effect on orange production and on properties of a soil of the ‘Comarca Costa de Huelva’ (SW Spain)

Disposal of urban, agricultural and industrial organic residues impliesan increasing problem because of all the economic and environmentalrepercussions involved. One of the most adequate ways of managing this problemis the agricultural use of these wastes as organic amendments. Three organicresidues (AC, olive mill waste water sludge compost; MWC, municipal solid wastecompost; and PS, paper mill sludge) were used in a 3-year field experimentinvolving orange production. The effect of their application on crop productionand on soil quality was investigated. Soil samples (0–20 cm depth)collected 11 months after the last soil amendment were analysed for: pH and EC,Kjeldahl-N, available-P, available-K, total organic carbon, humic substances,dehydrogenase, phosphatase, -glucosidase, urease andbenzoyl-argininamidehydrolysing protease (BAA-protease) activities. Generally, the application of the MWC and PSincreased orange yield when compared to control. Moreover, total organic carbonand humic substances significantly increased in soils treated with all theorganic amendments. Organic fertilisation increased the Kjeldahl-N andavailable-P contents of the soil. The application of the organic residues also causedsignificant increases in dehydrogenase, -glucosidase, urease andBAA-protease activities of the soil. Significant positive correlations (p <0.01) between these enzymatic activities and total organic carbon were foundforall treatments. Significant positive correlation between dehydrogenase, urease,-glucosidase, and BAA-protease and orange yield was also found. However,a clear inhibition of phosphatase activity was observed in soils treated withPS. The results indicate that the repeated application to the soil of moderateamounts of organic amendments has positive effects on the chemical andbiochemical properties of the soil, as well as on the orange yield.     

Efficiency of fall-applied urea for barley: Influence of date of application

Fall application of N fertilizers is often inferior to spring application for increasing yields of spring-sown cereal grains. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of date of application on efficiency of fall-applied N. Fall application dates were related to recovery of fall-applied N as mineral N in soil in spring, and related to yield and N uptake for spring-sown barley. Urea at a rate of 50 or 56 kg N ha^–1 was incorporated into the soil to a depth of 10 cm. There were 2 or 3 application dates in the fall and one in the spring at sowing. Linear regression indicated recovery of fall-applied N as soil mineral N in spring increased from 30% with urea added on 19 September to 79% with addition on 6 November, but the predictability was low (r = 0.54^**). Increase in grain yield, expressed as relative efficiency of fall- versus spring-applied N, was only 23% on 19 September but rose to 76% by 6 November (r = 0.68^**). Results were similar for N uptake in grain. Other approaches to predicting the relative efficiency of fall- versus spring-applied N for yield increase were based on fall soil temperature at 5 cm depth, instead of fall calendar date. Soil temperature on the day of N application gave inferior correlation (r = –0.55^**), but the use of number of days from application to first day of 0°C soil temperature gave a fairly close correlation (r = –0.77^**). Soil degree-days accumulated from application to first day of 0°C soil temperature gave a similarly close correlation (r = –0.78^**). In all, the efficiency of fall-applied urea was markedly increased by delaying the application into the late fall; and calendar date, number of days or soil degree-days from application to soil freezing all predicted the efficiency fairly well.(Contribution No. 599)     

Binding of cadmium,copper, and zinc to humic substances originating from municipal solid waste compost

The application of municipal solid waste (MSW) compost increases both the trace metal loading and the organic matter in the soil. To characterize the quality and metal-binding capacity of the compost OM, we extracted humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) from mature MSW compost and analyzed them for elemental composition, acid-titratable functional groups, total metal content, and structural components (by ¹³C NMR). HA constituted 67% of all extracted humic substances and differed significantly from HAs of cultivated lands: The compost HA exhibited smaller molecular size, a higher N content, and lower aromaticity due to large amounts of saturated aliphatic components. Metal complexation studies of the extracted HA and FA were performed by equilibrium dialysis titration. The complexing capacity (CC) was highest for Cu: CC_HA = 3357 and CC_FA = 5221 μmol Cu g⁻¹ of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at pH 5. Zn and Cd were bound (at pH 7) in smaller concentrations: CC_HA(Zn) = 2167, CC_FA(Zn) = 2809, CC_HA(Cd) = 2386, and CC_FA(Cd) = 2468 μmol metal g⁻¹ of DOC. Stability constants for binding on the strongest sites (pK_int) were determined as pK_intHA = 6.6 and pK_intFA = 7.3 for Cu at pH 5; and pK_intHA = 8.0 and pK_intFA = 6.4 for Cd at pH 7. Since these measured parameters fall within the ranges of values obtained for soil humic substances, we conclude that in soils with little organic matter, compost addition will significantly increase the amount of highly reactive organic complexing agents for trace metals in the soil.     

Phosphorus supplying capacity of heavily fertilized soils I. Phosphorus adsorption characteristics and phosphorus fractionation

Studies were conducted to investigate the P sorption characteristics and P fractions in eight intensively fertilized soils collected from southern and central Norway. Adsorption of P at the initial P concentrations in the soil solution was very high in the Særheim clay loam soil which contained high amounts of organic C and clay. Adsorption data were fitted well to the classical Langmuir equation. The P affinity constant (k), adsorption maximum (b) and maximum buffer capacity (mbc) calculated from this equation differed considerably among soils. The P affinity constant (r=0.96,p=0.01) and maximum buffer capacity (r=0.97,p=0.01) were highly and positively correlated to organic C. None of the soil parameters were related to adsorption maximum. Phosphorus desorption from the heavily fertilized soils varied widely and depended on the initial P status of the soil and soil texture. The ratio between desorbed P and total P was significantly correlated to sorption parameters. Multiple regression analysis showed that total P positively and organic C negatively affected P desorption in the soils. Iron-P was a major P sink in these soils and it was related to clay content (r=0.69,p=0.1) and organic P (r=0.76,p=0.0.5), but it did not relate to average P removed per harvest (RPH). Calcium-P and Al-P were not related to any of the soil parameters but these fractions were the major contributors to RPH as expressed by a multiple regression equation: RPH=0.397+0.0016 × Ca-P + 0.0012 × Al-P (r=0.84,p=0.05). High content of inorganic fractions shows that most of the residual P may be plant available, albeit at reduced rate with time, in these soils but the availability will depend on soil types.     

Organic amendments affect biochemical properties of a subtemperate soil of the Indian Himalayas

Evaluation of suitable organic amendments is prerequisite for sustainable agricultural growth in the northwestern Himalayan ecosystem. The effect of organic amendment applications on the activity of exocellular enzymes were examined on a silty clay loam soil of a subtemperate hill-agro ecosystem. The treatments involved addition of equivalent amounts of N through mineral fertilizer (MF) and two organic inputs, composted cattle manure (CM) and vermicomposts (VC), at four different doses. Soil enzymatic activities and fertility at crop harvest were measured after continuous 3 years of application, and its residual effects were also studied. In comparison with the control, CM and VC addition increased soil organic carbon (OC) by 54% and 52% at application rate equivalent to recommended dose, respectively, whereas there was a 12% increase following MF treatment. Bulk density of CM- and VC-treated soil were 1.16 and 1.14 Mg m⁻³, respectively, compared with 1.32 Mg m⁻³ in control after 3 years. Dehydrogenase activity was higher in the CM treatments by 44–204%, and by 22–108% in VC treatments than in control. The addition of CM and VC caused different responses in hydrolase enzymes. Protease and cellulase activity increased in both organic treatments significantly across treatments. However, urease and alkaline phosphatase activity was more influenced by application of CM compared with VC. β-glucosidase activity was higher in MF treatment and was at par with the highest rate of organic amendment application. Increase in phosphatase activity is attributed to soil pH and microbial stimulation by organic C and is correlated with the increase in dehydrogenase activity (R ² = 0.923). Differences in activities of all evaluated enzymes were narrowed down in residual treatments compared with control without much change in the trend. Composted CM was found more suitable for sustaining quality of subtemperate soils.     

Assessing nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter using anion exchange membranes

A simple method to assess differences in potential contribution of organic nitrogen mineralization to plant available N among soils may be useful in fertility research as well as routine soil testing. We deployed a method to assess mineralizable soil organic N using anion exchange membrane (AEM) burial. The method is based on a simple closed incubation system in which strips of AEM are buried directly in soil to adsorb NO ₃ ^- released from organic matter. An index of mineralization was obtained using the amount of NO ₃ ^- adsorbed on an AEM strip removed at the end of each incubation. The same incubation system but using 0.001M CaCl₂ solution to extract NO_3-N was used as the reference method. The mineralization indices obtained from both methods were compared with each other and with plant uptake. A total of 74 soils from across Saskatchewan were used in the study to provide a range of soil properties. Correlations between test values and N uptake by plants in two separate experiments showed the 2 week AEM incubation to be more closely correlated with plant N uptake (r² = 0.86^**** and 0.57^****, respectively) than the reference method (r² = 0.60^**** and 0.48^****, respectively).With this method, we were able to determine the influence of different tillage systems and landscape positions on mineralizable N. The results showed that the NO ₃ ^- released from soil organic matter and accumulated on the AEM reflected the expected effect of three different tillage systems and two landscape positions on mineralizable N. Cropping systems with continuous alfalfa (Medicago sativa) showed higher N release from soil organic matter than a canola (Brassica napus)-lentil (Lens culinaris)-barley (Hordeum vulgare) rotation did. Higher N mineralization was found in the lower slope positions of the landscape where organic matter contents are highest. Direct burial of AEM appears to be a simple and effective method of including a measure of N mineralization in a soil test.     

Evaluation of levels and methods of zinc application to rice in sodic soils

Field experiments were conducted in zinc-deficient sodic soil to study the effect of levels and methods of zinc fertilization on yield, concentration and uptake of zinc by rice. Zinc was incorporated in the soil at the rate of 0, 5.6, 11.2 and 22.4 kg Zn per ha as zinc sulfate; sprayed on the plants at 1% and 2% zinc sulfate solution; and roots of rice seedlings were dipped in 2% and 4% ZnO suspensions in water. Grain yield, zinc content and its uptake increased in all the experiments up to 22.4 kg Zn per ha. Soil applied zinc was significantly correlated with yield of rice (r = 0.80^**) and zinc uptake (r = 0.89^**). Zinc content in 45-day old plants gave a significantly higher correlation with grain yield (r = 0.84^**) than the zinc content of rice straw and grain at maturity. Roots of rice seedlings dipped in 2% or 4% zinc oxide suspension in water were not only comparable with soil application of Zn at 5.6 and 11.2 kg Zn per ha, but also proved to be more economical for sodic soils showing moderate zinc deficiency.     

Studies on urea hydrolysis in salt affected soils

In laboratory incubation studies, the kinetics of urea hydrolysis was analysed in seven soils widely differing in salinity and sodicity. The effects of the kind of salinity on urea hydrolysis was studied in a non-saline Tulewal Sl soil treated with solutions (100 me/1 to produce ECe values of approximately 10 m mhos/cm) of NaCl, NaSO₄, NaHCO₃ or NaCl + CaCl₂ salts. In another experiment the rates of urea hydrolysis in the soil samples collected from two recently reclaimed salt affected areas were also studied. The results showed considerable variations in the rates of urea hydrolysis in different soils. Urea hydrolysis was considerably delayed with increase in soil pH. The time required for complete hydrolysis to occur varied from 3 to 14 days. Urea hydrolysis seemed to follow first order reaction kinetics. The average time for one half of the hydrolysis to occur (t_1/2) ranged from 0.51 yo 4.55 days. The delay in urea hydrolysis was related to decrease in urease activity with increase in pH, decrease in organic matter (and total N). The Na HCO₃ treatment decreased the activity of urease and hence resulted in the maximum delay in urea hydrolysis followed by NaCl and Na₂SO₄ salts in the ascending order. Urea hydrolysis was faster in recently reclaimed sodic soils than in unreclaimed soils.     

Changes in mineral N, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in different soil depths after surface applications of dairy shed effluent and chemical fertilizer

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of surface applications of dairy shed effluent (DSE) (effluent collected from a dairy milking shed and consists of dung, urine and water) or chemical fertilizer (NH₄Cl) on N dynamics, microbial biomass C and N and extracellular enzyme activities (protease, deaminase and urease) in different soil depths. The DSE and NH₄Cl were applied to pasture soil at an equivalent rate of 200 kg N ha^–1in May and November 1996, as autumn and late spring applications, respectively. Soil samples taken from different soil depths following the autumn application were analyzed for inorganic N, microbial biomass C and N and enzyme activities, while soil samples taken following the late spring application were analyzed for inorganic N only. The soil NH₄ ⁺concentration, soluble organic C, protease, deaminase and urease activities, and microbial biomass C and N significantly increased in the 0–5 cm soil depth soon after the application of DSE. During the first 30 days, the soluble organic C, microbial C and N and protease activity also increased in the 10–20 cm, while there was no such increase in deaminase and urease activities below 10 cm soil depth. After day 30, the microbial and enzyme activities decreased in the surface as well as in the sub-surface layers possibly due to the exhaustion of the available carbon substrates but remained higher compared to the NH₄Cl and control. The NH₄Cl application, due to lack of organic substrates, had no effect on soluble organic C, protease or urease activities and biomass C. However, it did increase the deaminase activity and microbial biomass N. The NO₃ ^– concentration in lower soil depths of NH₄Cl treated soils was significantly higher than those in the DSE and control. This indicates that possible NO₃ ^– leaching were more after NH₄Cl addition than after DSE. N applied in autumn had higher potential for leaching than that applied in late spring because of increased drainage, lower pasture growth and N uptake during the winter period. Being a source of organic N, DSE showed better performance in maintaining higher pasture yield and N uptake than the NH₄Cl and the control. Pasture yield and N uptake were always higher following the spring application than the autumn application because of the optimal environmental condition during summer. These results showed that soil treated with DSE had higher enzyme activities and microbial biomass than soil treated with chemical fertilizers and this may result in longer availability of N for plant uptake and reduce the risk of N leaching losses.     

Comparison of P- availability from monocalcium and diammonium phosphates using a mechanistic nutrient uptake model

Calcium and ammonium phosphates are the most commonly used phosphate fertilizers. Since they differ in some chemical aspects it is important to compare their ability for supplying P to plant roots in different soils. The objective of this research was to compare the predicted effectiveness of monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) for supply of P to maize in 13 soils. Phosphorus was applied at rates varying with soil from 50 to 400 mg kg^–1. Thirty days later P, Ca, pH, and Al were measured in the soil solution and in the solid phase. We calculated buffer power (b) and effective diffusion coefficient (D_e) for P, and used them, together with solution P (C_li), in the Barber-Cushman mechanistic nutrient model to predict P uptake. Monocalcium phosphate and DAP were similarly effective in supplying P to plant roots. Predicted P uptake differed between fertilizers in only three soils, and maximum differences between fertilizers in C_li or resin-exchangeable P (C_si) in any one soil were always less than 30%. The determinations most highly correlated with predicted P uptake were D_e (r = 0.93^**) and C_li (r = 0.60^*). Resin-exchangeable P was not significantly correlated with C_li, D_e, b or P uptake. Calcium, Al, and pH varied with source of P and soil: soils treated with DAP had lower extractable Al, lower Al in solution, and higher soil pH than soils where MCP was applied. Monocalcium phosphate increased extractable Ca whereas DAP did not affect it.Contribution of Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn. Purdue Journal Paper No. 12094. Received 0000.     

Effects of drying and rewetting on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in soils and incorporated residues

An understanding of nitrogen mineralization from residues and soil organic matter is important to understand the quantity of N available from the soil for crop production. The objective of this study was to determine effects of repeated wetting and drying of soils on rates of N mineralization. The study compared mineralization rates in three kaolinitic, low organic matter soils, utilizing cotton leaves or compost as residues. One set of treatments was subjected to repeated drying and rewetting, whereas the other was kept at constant moisture content. Mineralized N was measured by leaching with 0.01 M CaCl₂ periodically, for 185 days. Rates of C mineralization were measured in the treatment containers by periodic measurement of CO₂ respiration rates. In constant moisture conditions, soils with cotton leaf residue mineralized between 25% and 40% of N applied as residue, whereas soils with compost mineralized between 3.8% and 9.3%. In fluctuating moisture conditions, soils with cotton leaf residue mineralized between –1.3% and 6.9%, whereas soils with compost mineralized from 1.6% to 3.3%. Moisture effect was not significant in soils without residue, with soils mineralizing between 16 and 47 mg N kg^–1. Carbon mineralization rates were not significantly affected by moisture. Both residue and soil type affected rates of C mineralization.