Nitrogen mineralization in soil from perennial grassland measured through long-term laboratory incubations

2002 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. COLLINS ◽  
D. W. ALLINSON
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Nitrogen Mineralization ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Mineralization Potential ◽  
Perennial Grassland ◽  
N Mineralization Potential

Under perennial grasslands, nitrogen contained in organic matter becomes available at varying rates via mineralization throughout the growing season. The amount of N present at any given time indicates only the quantity immediately present, and does not include N which has already been removed either by leaching or uptake into the plant system, nor the N which will become available as organic matter breaks down over time. Long-term aerobic laboratory incubation methods have been used successfully to estimate potential N mineralization under various cropping conditions. They had not been used successfully, however, to estimate potential N availability under perennial grassland.In this research, soil samples from two long-term perennial grassland sites were taken before and after N fertilizer application at rates of 0, 175, 350 and 525 kg/ha. The soils were incubated in the laboratory at 35 °C and were eluted at 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 22 and 30-week intervals, the length of time prescribed for determining N mineralization potential. Because a plateau had not been reached, incubation was allowed to continue for 198 weeks and 148 weeks for the pre- and post-N samples, respectively. Total N was high, as was soil organic matter in both sets of soil samples. Nitrogen mineralization potential was underestimated after 30 weeks of incubation, and overestimated after 148 weeks. The closest agreement between N measured and the estimated N mineralization potential, came after 198 weeks of incubation. This study confirmed the high N-supplying capacity of soil under long-term perennial grasslands. It also indicated that the recommended 30-week period needed to estimate N mineralization potential under other cropping systems was insufficient for a perennial grassland soil. Cumulative differences in N mineralization were found with varying rates of N fertilizer application, but these differences were rarely seen on an individual weekly basis, nor were they significant at the termination of the experiment. The response to N application differed by site.

Influence of sampling date and substrate on nitrogen mineralization: comparison of laboratory-incubation and buried-bag methods for two Massachusetts forest soils

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1895-1900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D. Boone
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Laboratory Incubation ◽  
Mineralization Potential ◽  
Organic Horizons ◽  
N Mineralization Potential

Nitrogen (N) mineralization potential and net N mineralization insitu were measured monthly over 7 months for the forest floor horizons (Oi, Oe, Oa) and mineral soil (0–15 cm) of a pine stand and the mineral soil (0–15 cm) of a maple stand in Massachusetts, United States. In all cases, N mineralization potential per unit organic matter (anaerobic laboratory incubation) varied significantly by sampling month but was unrelated to the seasonal pattern for net N mineralization (buried-bag method). The organic horizons in the pine stand exhibited the most variable N mineralization potential, with the Oe horizon having more than a fourfold seasonal range. For the pine stand the Oe horizon also had the highest N mineralization potential (per unit organic matter) and the highest net N mineralization insitu (per unit area). In general, temporal and depth-wise variability should be considered when sites are assessed with respect to the pool of mineralizable N.

scholarly journals Integrating Management of Soil Nitrogen and Weeds

Weed Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam E. Wortman ◽  
Adam S. Davis ◽  
Brian J. Schutte ◽  
John L. Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Soil Class ◽  
Mineralization Potential ◽  
Fertilizer Rates ◽  
N Mineralization Potential

Knowledge of the soil nitrogen (N) supply and the N mineralization potential of the soil combined with an understanding of weed-crop competition in response to soil nutrient levels may be used to optimize N fertilizer rates to increase the competitive advantage of crop species. A greenhouse study (2006) and field studies (2007 to 2008) in Illinois and Nebraska were conducted to quantify the growth and interference of maize and velvetleaf in response to varying synthetic N fertilizer rates in soils with high and low N mineralization potential. Natural soils were classified as having “low mineralization potential” (LMP), while soils amended with composted manure were classified as having “high mineralization potential” (HMP). Maize and velvetleaf were grown in monoculture or in mixture in both LMP and HMP soils and fertilized with zero, medium, or full locally recommended N rate. In the greenhouse, velvetleaf interference in maize with respect to plant biomass increased as N rate increased in the HMP soil, whereas increasing N rate in the LMP soil reduced velvetleaf interference. In contrast, velvetleaf interference in maize decreased as N rate increased regardless of soil class in the field experiment. With respect to grain yield, velvetleaf interference in maize was unaffected by N rate or soil class. In both greenhouse and field experiments, velvetleaf biomass was greater in the HMP soil class, whereas maize interference in velvetleaf was generally greater in the LMP soil class. While soil N levels influenced weed-crop interference in the greenhouse, the results of the field study demonstrate the difficulty of controlling soil nutrient dynamics in the field and support a maize fertilization strategy independent of weed N use considerations.

scholarly journals Influence of long-term mineral fertilization on metal contents and properties of soil samples taken from different locations in Hesse, Germany

SOIL ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Czarnecki ◽  
R.-A. Düring
Keyword(s):  
Cation Exchange ◽  
Cation Exchange Capacity ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Metal Contents

Abstract. Essential and non-essential metals occur in soils as a result of weathering, industrial processes, fertilization, and atmospheric deposition. Badly adapted cultivation of agricultural soils (declining pH value, application of unsuitable fertilizers) can enhance the mobility of metals and thereby increase their concentrations in agricultural products. As the enrichment of metals in soils occurs over long time periods, monitoring of the long-term impact of fertilization is necessary to assess metal accumulation in agricultural soils. The main objective of this study was to test the effects of different mineral fertilizer variations on soil properties (pH, Corg, and cation exchange capacity (CEC)) and pseudo-total and mobile metal contents of soils after 14 years of fertilizer application and to determine residual effects of the fertilization 8 years after cessation of fertilizer treatment. Soil samples were taken from a field experiment which was carried out at four different locations (210, 260, 360, and 620 m above sea level) in Hesse, Germany. During the study, a significant decrease in soil pH and an evident increase in soil carbon content and cation exchange capacity with fertilization were determined. The CEC of the soils was closely related to their organic C contents. Moreover, pseudo- and mobile metal (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn) contents in the soils increased due to application of 14 years of mineral fertilizer treatments (N, P, NP, and NPK) when compared to control plots. Eight years after termination of the fertilization in the soil samples taken from soil profiles of the fertilized plots (NPK) for monitoring the residual effects of the fertilizer application, a decrease of 82.6, 54.2, 48.5, 74.4, and 56.9% in pseudo-total Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn contents, respectively, was determined.

scholarly journals Effect of 50 Years of No-Tillage, Stubble Retention, and Nitrogen Fertilization on Soil Respiration, Easily Extractable Glomalin, and Nitrogen Mineralization

Agronomy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Pramod Jha ◽  
Kuntal M. Hati ◽  
Ram C. Dalal ◽  
Yash P. Dang ◽  
Peter M. Kopittke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Stubble Retention ◽  
No Till

In subtropical regions, we have an incomplete understanding of how long-term tillage, stubble, and nitrogen (N) fertilizer management affects soil biological functioning. We examined a subtropical site managed for 50 years using varying tillage (conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT)), stubble management (stubble burning (SB) and stubble retention (SR)), and N fertilization (0 (N0), 30 (N30), and 90 (N90) kg ha−1 y−1) to assess their impact on soil microbial respiration, easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEGRSP), and N mineralization. A significant three-way tillage × stubble × N fertilizer interaction was observed for soil respiration, with NT+SB+N0 treatments generally releasing the highest amounts of CO2 over the incubation period (1135 mg/kg), and NT+SR+N0 treatments releasing the lowest (528 mg/kg). In contrast, a significant stubble × N interaction was observed for both EEGRSP and N mineralization, with the highest concentrations of both EEGRSP (2.66 ± 0.86 g kg−1) and N mineralization (30.7 mg/kg) observed in SR+N90 treatments. Furthermore, N mineralization was also positively correlated with EEGRSP (R2 = 0.76, p < 0.001), indicating that EEGRSP can potentially be used as an index of soil N availability. Overall, this study has shown that SR and N fertilization have a positive impact on soil biological functioning.

The effects of cultivation on the composition of organic-matter and structural stability of soils

Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 975 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Golchin ◽  
P Clarke ◽  
JM Oades ◽  
JO Skjemstad
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Organic Materials ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Modulus Of Rupture ◽  
Dispersible Clay ◽  
Different Soils

Soil samples were obtained from the surface horizons of five untilled sites and adjacent sites under short- and long-term cultivation. The soil samples were fractionated based on density and organic materials were concentrated in various fractions which enabled comparative chemical composition of the organic materials in cultivated and uncultivated sites by solid-state C-13 CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. Changes in the nature of organic carbon with cultivation were different in different soils and resulted from variations in the chemistry of carbon inputs to the soils and a greater extent of decomposition of organic materials in cultivated soils. Differences in the chemical composition of organic carbon between cultivated and uncultivated soils resided mostly in organic materials occluded within aggregates, whereas the chemistry of organic matter associated with clay particles showed only small changes. The results indicate a faster decomposition of O-alkyl C in the cultivated soils. Wet aggregate stability, mechanically dispersible clay and modulus of rupture tests were used to assess the effects of cultivation on structural stability of soils. In four of five soils, the virgin sites and sites which had been under long-term pasture had a greater aggregate stability than the cultivated sites. Neither total organic matter nor total O-alkyl C content was closely correlated with aggregate stability, suggesting that only a part of soil carbon or carbohydrate is involved in aggregate stability. The fractions of carbon and O-alkyl C present in the form of particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates were better correlated with aggregate stability (r = 0.86** and 0.88**, respectively). Cultivation was not the dominant factor influencing water-dispersible clay across the range of soil types used in this study. The amount of dispersible clay was a function of total clay content and the percentage of clay dispersed was controlled by factors such as clay mineralogy, CaCO3 and organic matter content of soils. The tendency of different soils for hard-setting and crusting, as a result of structural collapse, was reflected in the modulus of rupture (MOR). The cultivated sites had significantly higher MOR than their non-tilled counterparts. The soils studied had different MOR due to differences in their physical and chemical properties.

Nitrogen-mineralization potential of meadow soils

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Régis R. Simard ◽  
Adrien N'dayegamiye
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Mineralization Rate ◽  
Total N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Gompertz Equation ◽  
Mineralizable N ◽  
Mineralization Potential ◽  
Potential Mineralization

An understanding of the mineralization factors in contrasting cultivated soils is necessary for accurate predictions of plant-available N. The objective of this work was to determine the N-mineralization potential and mathematical models that can properly describe the dynamics of the mineralization process in 20 meadow soils from Quebec. The mineralization was monitored over 55.4 wk in a laboratory incubation at 20 °C with intermittent leaching. The cumulative mineralization curves in most soils were characterized by definite lags or a sigmoidal pattern and near-linear release with time after 20 wk. The data were best described by the Gompertz equation; first-order models were inadequate. The total amount of mineralizable N and the potential mineralization rate were very closely correlated with the total amounts of C or N (r > 0.73; P < 0.01). The clay content was also correlated with these mineralization parameters and significantly improved the prediction of the cumulative and potential N-mineralization rate estimated from the total N or C content of soils. The relationships with other soil characteristics such as soil pH and available nutrient contents were weak but significant. The results of this study suggest that textural classes be added in the correction for organic matter content to improve the precision in N-fertilizer recommendation and in soil-quality classifications based on potential mineralization rate. Key words: Soil quality, potentially mineralizable N, Gompertz equation, soil organic matter, soil texture, C, N

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