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Phytotron Experiments to Evaluate the Effect of Growing Plants on Denitrification
Author(s) -
Haider K.,
Mosier A.,
Heinemeyer O.
Publication year - 1985
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/sssaj1985.03615995004900030022x
Subject(s) - phytotron , denitrification , rhizosphere , agronomy , environmental science , soil water , fertilizer , biomass (ecology) , carbon fibers , growing season , mollisol , nitrogen , carbon sequestration , chemistry , soil science , biology , mathematics , organic chemistry , genetics , algorithm , composite number , bacteria
The amount and availability of plant rhizosphere carbon deposits and their influence on microbial denitrification in soil are not clearly defined. To evaluate this possibly important facet of fertilizer N loss from agricultural soils a study was conducted to simultaneously quantify the carbon fixed by plants and the fate of fertilizer nitrogen applied to the soil during a plant growing season. Corn ( Zea mays ) or wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) was grown in a phytotron under a continuous supply of 14 CO 2 in 15 N fertilized soil. The results of the studies show that denitrification was not stimulated in soils planted with corn or wheat compared to unplanted soil. About 60% of the root biomass carbon could be found in the soil as rhizodeposited carbon at the termination of the experiments. Only 5 to 7% of this carbon was, however, extractable with water or 2 M Na 2 SO 4 . This suggests that even though a sufficient quantity of carbon was deposited in the soil by the plants that the carbon was not available for denitrification.