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Effects of varying static and changing moisture contents during incubation on ammonia and nitrate levels in soil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. M. Ekpete
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, S.W. 7
A. H. Cornfield
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, S.W. 7

Extract

The effects of varying static and changing moisture contents on mineralization of nitrogen after incubation (28° C.) for 3, 6 and 12 weeks were studied.

Mineral-nitrogen, accounted for entirely by nitrate, increased with increasing static moisture content up to 40-50% water-holding capacity (W.H.C). With further increasing moisture up to waterlogging, both mineral-nitrogen and nitrate decreased, the latter to negative values, indicating disappearance of nitrate originally present in the soil. Ammonia accumulated only at moisture contents above 50 % W.H.C. and its extent of accumulation increased with moisture content.

When soils with moisture contents of 10-50% W.H.C. during an initial 6-week period were changed to waterlogging for a second 6-week period, mineralnitrogen and nitrate accumulation decreased with increasing initial moisture in comparison with soils left at initial moisture contents for the second period.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1966

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