ISSN:
1573-5036
Keywords:
drying
;
grassland
;
heating
;
microbial biomass
;
mineralization
;
nitrogen
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract A dwarf bamboo-type grassland soil (Thick High-humic Andosol) was nitrogen-limited for grass despite the presence of a considerable amount of microbial biomass N. By either treatments of air-drying and subsequent heating, the content of mineral N in the soil was increased by 3.7 g N and 11.7 g N m-2, respectively, after a 55-day incubation period. The efficiency of mineralized N for growth of orchardgrass was compared with nitrate-N added just before cultivation. The dry matter content of the grass increased from 81.7 g (control) to 169 g and to 337 g m-2 in the dried and in the heated soils, respectively, when N application was omitted. Of the mineral N released by air-drying and heating of the soil, 84% and 77% were absorbed by the grass, and 30% and 20% was assumed to be derived from microbial biomass, respectively. In contrast the grass apparently absorbed 54–56% of the 5 g nitrate-N m-2 added to the control and the air-dried soils. It was also noted that fungal biomass N had decreased by 1.5–1.9 g m-2 in the control soil after addition of 10 g nitrate-N m-2.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00032416
