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Dissimilar Nitrifying Capacities of Soils in Relation to Losses of Applied Nitrogen
Author(s) -
Clark Francis E.,
Beard William E.,
Smith Donald H.
Publication year - 1960
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1960.03615995002400010022x
Subject(s) - nitrification , soil water , incubation , nitrogen , urea , chemistry , arable land , environmental chemistry , soil ph , nitrifying bacteria , alkali soil , agronomy , soil science , environmental science , ecology , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , agriculture
Forty‐one soil lots from arable fields were found to vary widely in their nitrifying capacities when given an initial treatment of 400 ppm. of urea N and then incubated under standard conditions in the laboratory. Mineral N deficits exceeding 25% of the N applied were noted for poorly buffered soils which accumulated NO 2 ‐ during incubation and which were initially acid in reaction or could achieve acidity during the course of nitrification of the added urea. Nitrogen deficits following treatment with KNO 2 were directly linked to initial soil pH values; they occurred in acid but not in alkaline soil. Conversion of the added NO 2 ‐ to NO 3 ‐ did not change the reaction of initially alkaline soils nor was it accompanied by the development of any significant N deficit. The data are believed to support the hypothesis that the instability or reactivity of nitrous acid in soil is at times responsible for large losses of gaseous N from fully aerobic soils.