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Effect of sodium chloride on denitrification in glucose amended soil treated with ammonium and nitrate nitrogen
Author(s) -
Azam F.,
Müller C.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.200321163
Subject(s) - denitrifying bacteria , chemistry , denitrification , ammonium , sodium , incubation , zoology , nitrate , nitrogen , environmental chemistry , ammonium chloride , sodium nitrate , chloride , inorganic chemistry , biochemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Laboratory incubations were conducted to study the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on denitrification and respiratory gases (CO 2 , O 2 ) from soil treated with ammonium or nitrate and incubated at 20 % moisture. The same samples were assayed for denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) after incubation at 40 % moisture with glucose and NO 3 – . Under aerobic conditions (20 % water content), a flush of activity was observed at 6 hours after start of incubation and subsided to negligible levels at 12 hours. Sodium chloride significantly depressed N 2 O and CO 2 emissions and O 2 consumption. Significantly more loss of N 2 O occurred from NH 4 + ‐ than NO 3 – ‐treated soil at all NaCl levels and was attributed to higher microbial activity. A highly significant positive correlation was obtained between N 2 O emission and respiratory gases. The respiratory quotient (CO 2 evolved/O 2 ) was higher for NH 4 + ‐treated soil and decreased with the amount of NaCl. At 40 % moisture, N 2 O emissions were higher than at 20 % and peaked at 37 hours followed by a sharp decrease. Short‐term incubations of soil with NH 4 + or NO 3 – did not have an effect on denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) while NaCl had a positive effect, particularly in previously NO 3 – ‐treated soil.