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The rates of nitrification of peat soils in British Guiana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

H. Paul  and
M. A. A. Shariff
H. Paul
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, British Quiana
M. A. A. Shariff
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, British Quiana
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Extract

A study has been made of some of the nitrogen fractions of the pegasse soils of British Guiana in virgin and exhausted conditions, that is, before and after cropping.

1. Preliminary field experiments on the virgin and exhausted soils adduced strong evidence in support of the complaints made by farmers that the productivity in yields of the pegasse soils after continuous cropping for a comparatively short period is considerably impaired.

2. The virgin soil showed an appreciable amount of nitrate nitrogen, while the exhausted sample indicated no nitrate. The latter soil, on the other hand, contained a higher amount of ammonia nitrogen measured by KCl extraction than the former soil.

3. Nitrification studies with added ammonium salts indicated that under optimum conditions the nitrifying power of the exhausted soil was extremely low. Additions of sodium nitrate indicated that the nitrate was partially reduced to ammonia by the worn-out pegasse soil. The virgin pegasse, on the other hand, showed an appreciable rate of nitrification.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , August 1954 , pp. 377 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954

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References

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