Premium
Comparison of Nitrogen and Sulfur Mineralization in Soils
Author(s) -
Tabatabai M. A.,
AlKhafaji A. A.
Publication year - 1980
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/sssaj1980.03615995004400050026x
Subject(s) - mineralization (soil science) , chemistry , soil water , incubation , leaching (pedology) , nitrogen , sulfur , zoology , leachate , mineralogy , environmental chemistry , geology , soil science , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
The relationship between N and S mineralization has not been well understood. In this study, field‐moist soil‐grass beads mixtures were packed in glass columns and leached with 100 ml of 0.01 M KCl and incubated at 20 or 35°C. The leaching procedure was repeated every 2 weeks for a total of 26 weeks. The leachates were analyzed for mineral N and S. Expressed as percentages of soil organic N, the total amounts of N mineralized at 20°C ranged from 1.8 to 6.7 (avg = 3.8%) and, at 35°C, ranged from 8.3 to 26.8 (avg = 16.6%). Expressed as percentages of soil organic S, the total amounts of S mineralized at 20 and 35°C ranged from 3.5 to 13.3 (avg = 7.8%) and from 8.9 to 34.9 (avg = 22.8%), respectively. Results indicate that organic S is depleted faster than organic N. The cumulative amounts of N and S mineralized in each of the 12 soils studied were linear with time of incubation. The rates (µg/g soil/week) of N and S mineralized at 20°C ranged from 1.7 to 4.2 (avg = 2.9) and from 0.5 to 1.2 (avg = 0.8), respectively. At 35°C, the rates of N and S mineralized ranged from 7.7 to 17.0 (avg = 12.5) and from 1.6 to 3.5 (avg = 2.5). The ratios of N/S mineralized during 26 weeks of incubation at 20 and 35°C ranged from 2.4 to 4.4 (avg = 3.5) and from 3.4 to 6.1 (avg = 5.0). At 35°C, the ratios of N/S mineralized were significantly correlated with soil pH. Rates of S mineralization, however, were significantly, but negatively, correlated with soil pH. The average Q 10 of N mineralization of the soils was 3.0, and that of S mineralization was 1.9. The amounts of N and S mineralized during 26 weeks of inclubation were significantly correlated at 20°C ( r = 0.95***) and at 35°C ( r = 0.79**).