Preferential nitrate immobilization in alkaline soils

Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
Author(s):  
IJ Rochester ◽  
GA Constable ◽  
DA Macleod

The literature pertaining to N immobilization indicates that ammonium is immobilized in preference to nitrate. Our previous research in an alkaline clay soil has indicated substantial immobilization of nitrate. To verify the preference for immobilization of nitrate or ammonium by the microbial biomass in this and other soil types, the immobilization of ammonium and nitrate from applications of ammonium sulfate and potassium nitrate following the addition of cotton crop stubble was monitored in six soils. The preference for ammonium or nitrate immobilization was highly correlated with each soil's pH, C/N ratio and its nitrification capacity. Nitrate was immobilized in preference to ammonium in neutral and alkaline soils; ammonium was preferentially immobilized in acid soils. No assimilation of nitrate (or nitrification) occurred in the most acid soil. Similarly, little assimilation of ammonium occurred in the most alkaline soil. Two physiological pathways, the nitrate assimilation pathway and the ammonium assimilation pathway, appear to operate concurrently; the dominance of one pathway over the other is indicated by soil pH. The addition of a nitrification inhibitor to an alkaline soil enhanced the immobilization of ammonium. Recovery of 15N confirmed that N was not denitrified, but was biologically immobilized. The immobilization of 1 5 ~ and the apparent immobilization of N were similar in magnitude. The identification of preferential nitrate immobilization has profound biological significance for the cycling of N in alkaline soils.

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Ridley ◽  
WJ Slattery ◽  
KR Helyar ◽  
A Cowling

Soil samples to a depth of 60 cm were collected from adjacent, 39-year-old, phalaris-based and annual pasture fields on an acid soil at Rutherglen, north-eastern Victoria. The fields had similar histories of fertiliser application and stock enterprise. Minimum net acid addition rates were determined under both pasture types, and the soil under annual pasture showed greater acidification. Carbon cycle acid addition contributed 1.3 1 and 1.36 kmol H+/ha.year to net acid addition on annual and phalaris pastures, respectively. Because slow alkaline soil reactions in the field contribute to buffering capacity on an acid soil and lead to underestimation of net acid addition rate and nitrate leaching, estimates of such reactions were made for both pasture types. If correct assumptions were used nitrate leaching was substantial under both pasture types but was reduced by 1.01 kmol H+/ha.year under phalaris pasture. This suggests that perennial grass based pastures can be used to reduce acidification on pastoral soils. Alkali addition to counteract net acidification may be necessary on acid soils to maintain management options for growing aluminium-sensitive species.


1986 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Howieson ◽  
MA Ewing

Several strains of Rhizobium meliloti that originated from acid soils in Sardinia, Italy, were markedly superior in colonizing a moderately acid loamy sand (pH 5.0 in 1:5 0.01 M CaCl2) than two Australian commercial inoculant strains (U45 and CC169), and a group of strains that originated from alkaline soils in Syria and Iraq. Six Medicago hosts also varied greatly in their ability to achieve nodulation in this soil. M. polymorpha and M. murex were far superior in this respect to M. littoralis, M. truncatula and M. tornata. The most acid-tolerant strains of R. meliloti, WSM419 and WSM413, were able to nodulate a high proportion of plants of M. polymorpha and M. murex sown in the second year between 11 and 20 cm from the point of introduction of the rhizobia into the soil the previous year. It is suggested that these more saprophytically competent isolates of R. meliloti, combined with the species of Medicago more able to nodulate readily in acid soil, will extend the range of soils suitable for successful regenerative growth of these species.


2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Conn ◽  
Mario Tenuta ◽  
George Lazarovits

In previous studies, liquid swine manure (LSM) was sometimes shown to reduce Verticillium wilt of potato caused by Verticillium dahliae. We also observed that microsclerotia of this fungus died within 1 day, or between 3 and 6 weeks, after addition of LSM to some acid soils and within 1 week in some alkaline soils. In this study, we demonstrated that a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mixture with an identical concentration of VFAs as that found in an effective LSM reduced germination in an acid soil (pH 5.1) to the same extent as the LSM after 1 day of exposure. Germination was reduced by 45, 75, and 90% in the 10, 20, and 40% ([wt/wt] soil moisture) treatments, respectively, with the latter being equivalent to an application of 80 hl/ha. Addition to this acid soil of 19 LSMs (30% [wt/wt] soil moisture) collected from different producers resulted in complete kill of microsclerotia with 12 manures. Effective manures had a total concentration of nonionized forms of VFAs in soil solution of 2.7 mM or higher. In some acid soils (pH 5.8), addition of LSM (40% [wt/wt] soil moisture) did not kill microsclerotia until 3 to 6 weeks later. Here, a reduction in viability of microsclerotia was attributed to the accumulation of 0.06 mM nitrous acid in the soil solution at 4 weeks. When an LSM was added (40% [wt/wt] soil moisture) to an alkaline soil (pH 7.9) where VFAs are not toxic, microsclerotia germination was reduced by 80% after 1 week. Here the pH increased to 8.9 and the concentration of ammonia reached 30 mM in the soil solution. An ammonium chloride solution having an equivalent concentration of ammonium as the manure was shown to have the same spectrum of toxicity as the manure in assays ranging from pH 7 to 9, both in solutions and above the solutions. At pH 9, the concentration of ammonia reached 18 mM and 100% mortality of microsclerotia occurred. Thus, in acid soils, LSM can kill microsclerotia of V. dahliae by VFA and/or nitrous acid toxicity and in alkaline soils by ammonia toxicity. In order to take advantage of these mechanisms for disease reduction, the manure chemical composition, rate of addition, and soil characteristics need to be determined for each instance of use.


2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Brennan ◽  
M. D. A. Bolland

The effectiveness of zinc, as either zinc sulfate (ZnSO4.7H2O, 22.4% Zn) or zinc oxide (ZnO; 80% Zn) applied to an acid sand or an alkaline sandy clay, at producing wheat shoots was compared in a glasshouse experiment using yield of 50-day-old wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. The fertilisers were applied as fine powders and mixed through the soil. Both fertilisers were equally effective in the acid soil, but the oxide was about half as effective as the sulfate in the alkaline soil; about twice the amount of zinc as the oxide was required to produce the same yield as zinc added as the sulfate. The amount of zinc required to produce 90% of the maximum yield was 38 µg Zn/pot for both sources of zinc in the acid soil, and 100 µg Zn/pot for the sulfate source and 250 µg Zn/pot for the oxide source for the alkaline soil. Critical zinc, which is the zinc concentration in the youngest emerged leaf that was related to 90% of the maximum yield of shoots, was about 13 mg/kg for both sources of zinc and both soils. Zinc oxide may be less effective at producing wheat shoots than zinc sulfate in alkaline soils of south-western Australia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Dantas Lopes ◽  
Jingjie Hao ◽  
Daniel P Schachtman

ABSTRACT Soil pH is a major factor shaping bulk soil microbial communities. However, it is unclear whether the belowground microbial habitats shaped by plants (e.g. rhizosphere and root endosphere) are also affected by soil pH. We investigated this question by comparing the microbial communities associated with plants growing in neutral and strongly alkaline soils in the Sandhills, which is the largest sand dune complex in the northern hemisphere. Bulk soil, rhizosphere and root endosphere DNA were extracted from multiple plant species and analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results showed that rhizosphere, root endosphere and bulk soil microbiomes were different in the contrasting soil pH ranges. The strongest impact of plant species on the belowground microbiomes was in alkaline soils, suggesting a greater selective effect under alkali stress. Evaluation of soil chemical components showed that in addition to soil pH, cation exchange capacity also had a strong impact on shaping bulk soil microbial communities. This study extends our knowledge regarding the importance of pH to microbial ecology showing that root endosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities were also influenced by this soil component, and highlights the important role that plants play particularly in shaping the belowground microbiomes in alkaline soils.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. PENNEY ◽  
M. NYBORG ◽  
P. B. HOYT ◽  
W. A. RICE ◽  
B. SIEMENS ◽  
...  

The amount of cultivated acid soil in Alberta and northeastern British Columbia was estimated from pH values of farm samples analyzed by the Alberta Soil Testing Laboratory, and the effect of soil acidity on crops was assessed from field experiments on 28 typical acid soils. The field experiments consisted of two cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and one cultivar each of rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown with and without lime for 2 yr. There are about 30,000 ha of soils with a pH of 5.0 or less where soil acidity seriously restricts yields of all four crop species. There are approximately 300,000 ha with a soil pH of 5.1–5.5 where liming will on the average increase yields of alfalfa by 100%, yields of barley by 10–15%, and yields of rapeseed and red clover by 5–10%. There are a further 1,600,000 ha where soil pH ranges from 5.6 to 6.0 and liming will increase yields of alfalfa by approximately 50% and yields of barley, rapeseed and red clover by at least 4–5%.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Maru ◽  
Osumanu Ahmed Haruna ◽  
Walter Charles Primus

The excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in sustaining high rice yields due to N dynamics in tropical acid soils not only is economically unsustainable but also causes environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to coapply biochar and urea to improve soil chemical properties and productivity of rice. Biochar (5 t ha−1) and different rates of urea (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0% of recommended N application) were evaluated in both pot and field trials. Selected soil chemical properties, rice plants growth variables, nutrient use efficiency, and yield were determined using standard procedures. Coapplication of biochar with 100% and 75% urea recommendation rates significantly increased nutrients availability (especially P and K) and their use efficiency in both pot and field trials. These treatments also significantly increased rice growth variables and grain yield. Coapplication of biochar and urea application at 75% of the recommended rate can be used to improve soil chemical properties and productivity and reduce urea use by 25%.


1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Reddy ◽  
E. M. D'Angelo

Wetlands support several aerobic and anaerobic biogeochemical processes that regulate removal/retention of pollutants, which has encouraged the intentional use of wetlands for pollutant abatement. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief review of key processes regulating pollutant removal and identify potential indicators that can be measured to evaluate treatment efficiency. Carbon and toxic organic compound removal efficiency can be determined by measuring soil or water oxygen demand, microbial biomass, soil Eh and pH. Similarly, nitrate removal can be predicted by dissolved organic C and microbial biomass. Phosphorus retention can be described by the availability of reactive Fe and Al in acid soils and Ca and Mg in alkaline soils. Relationships between soil processes and indicators are useful tools to transfer mechanistic information between diverse types of wetland treatment systems.


Archaea ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yendi E. Navarro-Noya ◽  
César Valenzuela-Encinas ◽  
Alonso Sandoval-Yuriar ◽  
Norma G. Jiménez-Bueno ◽  
Rodolfo Marsch ◽  
...  

In this study the archaeal communities in extreme saline-alkaline soils of the former lake Texcoco, Mexico, with electrolytic conductivities (EC) ranging from 0.7 to 157.2 dS/m and pH from 8.5 to 10.5 were explored. Archaeal communities in the 0.7 dS/m pH 8.5 soil had the lowest alpha diversity values and were dominated by a limited number of phylotypes belonging to the mesophilic CandidatusNitrososphaera. Diversity and species richness were higher in the soils with EC between 9.0 and 157.2 dS/m. The majority of OTUs detected in the hypersaline soil were members of the Halobacteriaceae family. Novel phylogenetic branches in the Halobacteriales class were detected in the soil, and more abundantly in soil with the higher pH (10.5), indicating that unknown and uncharacterized Archaea can be found in this soil. Thirteen different genera of the Halobacteriaceae family were identified and were distributed differently between the soils.Halobiforma,Halostagnicola,Haloterrigena, andNatronomonaswere found in all soil samples. Methanogenic archaea were found only in soil with pH between 10.0 and 10.3. Retrieved methanogenic archaea belonged to the Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales orders. The comparison of the archaeal community structures considering phylogenetic information (UniFrac distances) clearly clustered the communities by pH.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Yang ◽  
Jingjing Li ◽  
Yingjun Zhang

Background Soil aggregate-size classes, structural units of soil, are the important factors regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover. However, the processes of litter C mineralization and storage in different aggregates-size classes are poorly understood, especially in the highly alkaline soils of north China. Here, we ask how four different aggregate sizes influence rates of C release (Cr) and SOC storage (Cs) in response to three types of plant litter added to an un-grazed natural grassland. Methods Highly alkaline soil samples were separated into four dry aggregate classes of different sizes (2–4, 1–2, 0.25–1, and <0.25 mm). Three types of dry dead plant litter (leaf, stem, and all standing dead aboveground litter) of Leymus chinensis were added to each of the four aggregate class samples. Litter mass loss rate, Cr, and Cs were measured periodically during the 56-day incubation. Results The results showed that the mass loss in 1–2 mm aggregates was significantly greater than that in other size classes of soil aggregates on both day 28 and day 56. Macro-aggregates (1–2 mm) had the highest Cr of all treatments, whereas 0.25–1 mm aggregates had the lowest. In addition, a significant negative relationship was found between Cs/Cr and soil pH. After incubation for 28 and 56 days, the Cs was also highest in the 1–2 mm aggregates, which implied that the macro-aggregates had not only a higher CO2 release capacity, but also a greater litter C storage capacity than the micro-aggregates in the highly alkaline soils of north China.


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