Summary
Nitrification of soil N in 8 mineral and 2 histosols having a wide range in pH (3.4 to 8.6), organic C (1.22 to 22.70%) and total N (0.09 to 1.20%) was studied by measuring nitrate fromation under aerobic incubation of the soil samples at 30°C for 4 weeks. The amounts of NO3-N produced in the soils varied from 0 to 123 μg/g of soil. Soil N in the two acid sulfate soils and one other acid soil did not nitrify under conditions that stimulate nitrification. Soils having pH more than 6.0 nitrified at a rapid rate and released NO3-N ranging from 98 to 123 μg/g. The two organic soils differed considerably in their capacity to nitrify though the total amounts of mineral N released were similar in these soils. The amounts of NO3-N formed in the soils was highly positively correlated with the soil pH but was not significantly correlated with the organic C of total N content of the soils. Statistical analysis also showed that nitrate formation was not significantly correlated with soil pH in soils having pH higher than 6.0.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avnemelech Y 1971 Nitrate transformation in peat. Soil Sci. 111, 113–118.
Bremner J M 1965 Inorganic forms of nitrogen.In Methods of Soil Analysis Part 2, Agron. 9. Ed. C. A. Black, pp. 1149–1178. Am. Soc. Agron, Madison, Wisconsin.
Focht D D 1979 Microbial kinetics of nitrogen losses in flooded soils.In Nitrogen and Rice, pp 119–134. IRRI, Los Baños, Philippines.
Focht D D and Verstraete W 1977 Biochemical ecology of nitrification and denitrification.In Advances in Microbial Ecology, Vol. 1, Ed. M. Alexander. pp 135–214. Plenum Press, New York.
Guthrie T F and Duxbury J M 1978 Nitrogen mineralization and denitrification in organic soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 908–912.
Isirimah N O and Keeney D R 1973 Nitrogen transformations in aerobic and waterlogged Histosols. Soil Sci. 115, 123–129.
Sahrawat K L 1979 Nitrogen losses in rice soils. Fert. News 24, 38–48.
Sahrawat K L 1980 Soil and fertilizer nitrogen transformations under alternate flooding and drying moisture regimes. Plant and Soil 55, 225–233.
Sahrawat K L 1980 Nitrogen mineralization in acid sulfate soils. Plant and Soil 57, 143–146.
Sahrawat K L 1981 Ammonification in air-dried tropical lowland Histosols. Soil Biol. Biochem. 13, 323–324.
Terry R E 1980 Nitrogen mineralization in Florida Histosols. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 44, 747–750.
Terry R E and Tate R L III 1980 Denitrification as a pathway for nitrate removal from organic soils. Soil Sci. 129, 162–166.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sahrawat, K.L. Nitrification in some tropical soils. Plant Soil 65, 281–286 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374659
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374659