F. Azam

Nitrification and denitrification as sources of atmospheric nitrous oxide – role of oxidizable carbon and applied nitrogen

Abstract. Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to study the influence of easily oxidizable C (glucose) and mineral N (NH4+ and NO3–) on N2O emission, evolution of CO2 and consumption of O2. A flush of N2O was always observed during the first few hours after the start of soil incubation, which was significantly higher with NH4+ compared to NO3– applications. The increase in N2O emission was attributed mainly to enhanced soil respiration and subsequent O2 limitation at the microsite level. Application of NH4+ helped to develop denitrifying populations since subsequent additions of NO3– and a C source significantly enhanced N2O emissions. In soils treated with NH4+, N2O emissions declined rapidly, which was related to decreasing concentrations of easily oxidizable C. Addition of glucose in different amounts and pre-incubation of soil for different lengths of time (to create variation in the amount of easily oxidizable C) changed the pattern of N2O emissions, which was ascribed to changes in soil respiration.

Comparative effects of organic and inorganic nitrogen sources applied to a flooded soil on rice yield and availability of N

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) sources on the yield and N uptake of rice from applied and native soil-N. The residual effect of these N sources on a succeeding wheat crop was also studied. Organic N was applied in the form of 15N-labelled Sesbania aculeata L., a legume, and inorganic N in the form of 15N-labelled ammonium sulphate. The two sources were applied to the soil separately or together at the time of transplanting rice.Recovery of N by rice from both the applied sources was quite low but both sources caused significant increases in biomass and N yield of rice. Maximum increase was recorded in soil treated with organic N. The residual value of the two materials as source of N for wheat was not significant; the wheat took up only a small fraction of the N initially applied. Loss of N occurred from both applied N sources, the losses being more from inorganic N.Both applied N sources caused a substantial increase in the availability of soil-N to rice and wheat; most of this increase was due to organic N and was attributed to the so-called ‘priming’ effect or ANI (added nitrogen interaction) of the applied material.

Carbon availability and microbial biomass in soil under an irrigated wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizer treatments

Abstract Seasonal changes in carbon availability and microbial biomass were studied in soil under an irrigated wheat-maize cropping system receiving different fertilizter treatments over the past 10 years. Treatments included N-100 and N-200 (urea at 100 and 200kgNha–1 year–1, respectively), FYM-16 and FYM-32 (farmyard manure at 16 and 32tha–1 year–1, respectively) and a control (unfertilized). Aerobically mineralizable carbon (AMC; C mineralized after 10 days aerobic incubation at 30°C) increased (13–16%) under wheat at both rates of urea whereas under maize it increased (22%) only with the lower rate of urea. Farmyard manure also increased the content of soil AMC under both crops, the effect being two- to threefold higher under wheat than under maize. Urea application caused an 32–78% increase in the specific respiratory activity (SRA) under wheat but caused an 11–50% decrease during the maize season. Farmyard manure also resulted in a higher SRA under both crops but only at the higher application rate. Under wheat, microbial biomass C (MBC) decreased in urea-treated plots but showed a slight increase at the higher rate of FYM. During the maize season, MBC was higher under both urea (42–46%) and FYM (36–47%) treatments as compared to the control. Microbial biomass turnover rate was highest for FYM-32 (2.08), followed by FYM-16 and urea treatments (1.35–1.49); control plots showed a turnover rate of 0.82. The higher AMC and SRA during the active growth period of wheat than that of maize indicated that root-derived C from wheat was higher in amount and more easily degradable.

Microbial biomass and mineralization-immobilization of nitrogen in some agricultural soils

SummaryThe chloroform fumigation-incubation method (CFIM) was used to measure the microbial biomass of 17 agricultural soils from Punjab Pakistan which represented different agricultural soil series. The biomass C was used to calculate biomass N and the changes occurring in NH4+-N and NO3−-N content of soils were studied during the turnover of microbial biomass or added C source. Mineral N released in fumigated-incubated soils and biomass N calculated from biomass C was correlated with some N availability indexes.The soils contained 427–1240 kg C as biomass which represented 1.2%–6.9% of the total organic C in the soils studied. Calculations based on biomass C showed that the soils contained 64–186 kg N ha−1 as microbial biomass. Immobilization of NCO3−-N was observed in different soils during the turnover of microbial biomass and any net increase in mineral N content of fumigated incubated soils was attributed entirely to NH4+-N.Biomass N calculated from biomass C showed non-significant correlation with different N availability indexes whereas mineral N accumulated in fumigated-incubated soils showed highly significant correlations with other indexes including N uptake by plants.

Denitrification and total fertilizer-N losses from an irrigated cotton field

Abstract In a 2-year field study, denitrification loss was measured from an irrigated sandy-clay loam under cotton receiving urea-N at 158–173 kg ha–1. An acetylene inhibition-soil core method was employed for the direct measurement of denitrification, considering also the N2O entrapped in the soil. Taking into account the N2O evolved from soil cores and that entrapped in the soil, a total of 65.7 kg N ha–1 and 64.4 kg N ha–1 was lost due to denitrification during the 1995 and 1996 cotton-growing seasons, respectively. Most (>70%) of the denitrification loss occurred during June–August, a period characterized by high soil temperatures and heavy monsoon rains. On average, 35% of the denitrification-N2O was found entrapped in the soil and the amount of entrapped N2O was significantly correlated with head space N2O concentration and with water-filled pore space. 15N-balance during the 1996 growing season revealed a loss of 71.8 kg N ha–1. It was concluded that a substantial proportion of the fertilizer-N applied to irrigated cotton is lost under the semiarid subtropical climatic conditions prevailing in the Central Punjab region of Pakistan and that denitrification is the major N loss process under irrigated cotton in this region.

Availability of soil and fertilizer nitrogen to wetland rice following wheat straw amendment

SummaryA pot experiment was conducted to study the availability of soil and fertilizer N to wetland rice as influenced by wheat straw amendment (organic amendment) and to establish the relative significance of the two sources in affecting crop yield. Straw was incorporated in soil at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% before transplanting rice. Inorganic N as 15N-ammonium sulphate was applied at 30, 60, and 90 μg g-1 soil either alone or together with wheat straw in different combinations. After harvesting the rice, the plant and soil samples were analyzed for total N and 15N. Straw incorporation significantly decreased the dry matter and N yield of rice, the decrease being greater with higher rates of straw. The reduction in crop yield following the straw incorporation was attributed mainly to a decrease in the uptake of soil N rather than fertilizer N. The harmful effects of organic matter amendment were mitigated by higher levels of mineral N addition. The uptake of applied N increased and its losses decreased due to the straw incorporation. Mineral N applied alone or together with organic amendment substantially increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N. The increase was attributed to a real added N interaction.

Interaction of 15N-labelled ammonium nitrogen with native soil nitrogen during incubation and growth of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract A laboratory incubation experiment and a pot experiment on maize (Zea mays L.) were madee to study the interaction with native soil N of 15N-labelled ammonium applied at 25. 50. 100 or 200 μ g N g−1 soil. Incubation of soil for 4 weeks showed a significant enhancement in mineralization of native N (added nitrogen interaction. ANI) due to applied N and the effect increased with increased rate of application. The ANI occurred only during the first week of incubation and its extent was not affected significantly during the subsequent 3 weeks of incubation. The ANI was not observed in the pot experiment at any concentration of applied NH4-N and was assumed to be due to the absence of root-driven immobilization and pool substitution in maize. Root growth showed a negative response to increased amounts of N addition. However. N uptake efficiency of plants (as revealed by total plant N) increased significantly at increasing rates of applied N but without the occurrence of ANI. Heavy losses of applied N occurred both in the incubation study (20 30%) as well as plant experiment (47–83%); the losses being more as the rate of applied N increased.

Seed treatment with growth regulators and crop productivity. I. 2,4-D as an inducer of salinity-tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Experiments were conducted under laboratory and greenhouse conditions to study the effect of 2,4-D on rooting and salinity tolerance of wheat. Seeds of one commercial wheat (Inqalab-91) and three salt-tolerant wheat lines (WL-41, WL-359, and WL-1073 developed through wide hybridization) were included in the study. Preliminary and short-term experiments were conducted to determine the level of 2,4-D (administered through seed soaking for 24.5 h. at 25 °C in the dark) at which the maximum number of roots emerged. Under hydroponic conditions, 2,4-D treatment of seeds caused an increase of 60 to 100% in the number of primary roots. The maximum increase in the number of roots was observed in one of the salt tolerant wheat lines (WL-41). The roots appeared in bunches but showed stunted growth at higher levels of 2,4-D. Dry matter accumulation decreased markedly; the effect was more pronounced in Inqalab-91 which is less tolerant to stress than other wheat lines. In all wheat types, allocation of dry matter to roots relative to shoot increased due to 2,4-D treatment.In soil, seeds treated with different levels of 2,4-D showed a germination delay of 1–3 days. Although the number of primary roots increased, 2,4-D treatment caused a decrease in total dry matter accumulation by plants grown for 40 days. In another experiment, conducted under greenhouse conditions, seed germination and growth of seedlings was significantly retarded in saline compared to that in non-saline (normal) soil. Initially, the pace of germination of treated seeds as well as seedling growth was slower in both soils, but after six weeks, the leaf area of seedlings raised from treated seeds was greater than those raised from untreated seeds. Towards maturity, plants arising from treated seeds developed wider and longer flag leaves leading to enhanced yield. Root biomass decreased in saline soil as compared to normal soil. However, 2,4-D treatment caused a substantial increase in root biomass in saline soil and the roots were harder in texture in wheats other than Inqalab-91. Seed treatment with 2,4-D led to a significant improvement in the number of productive tillers, yield of straw and grain, and grain protein content of all wheats grown in saline soil. Plants grown in normal soil did not show any marked effect of seed treatment on grain yield and other agronomic parameters. The four wheats showed substantial differences for different parameters but the salt tolerant wheat lines performed better compared to the commercial variety Inqalab-91.

Availability of soil and fertilizer nitrogen to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) following rice-straw amendment

SummaryA pot experiment was conducted to study the N availability to wheat and the loss of 15N-labelled fertilizer N as affected by the rate of rice-straw applied. The availability of soil N was also studied. The straw was incorporated in the soil 2 or 4 weeks before a sowing of wheat and allowed to decompose at a moisture content of 60% or 200% of the water-holding capacity. The wheat plants were harvested at maturity and the roots, straw, and grains were analysed for total N and 15N. The soil was analysed for total N and 15N after the harvest to determine the recovery of fertilizer N in the soil-plant system and assess its loss. The dry matter and N yields of wheat were significantly retarded in the soil amended with rice straw. The availability of soil N to wheat was significantly reduced due to the straw application, particularly at high moisture levels during pre-incubation, and was assumed to cause a reduction in the dry matter and N yields of wheat. A significant correlation (r=0.89) was observed between the uptake of soil N and the dry matter yield of wheat with different treatments. In unamended soil 31.44% of the fertilizer N was taken up by the wheat plants while 41.08% of fertilizer N was lost. The plant recovery of fertilizer N from the amended soil averaged 30.78% and the losses averaged 45.55%

Comparison of two versions of the acetylene inhibition/soil core method for measuring denitrification loss from an irrigated wheat field

Abstract Two versions of the acetylene inhibition (AI)/soil core method were compared for the measurement of denitrification loss from an irrigated wheat field receiving urea-N at a rate of 100 kg ha–1. With AI/soil core method A, the denitrification rate was measured by analysing the headspace N2O, followed by estimation of N2O dissolved in the solution phase using Bunsen absorption coefficients. With AI/soil core method B, N2O entrapped in the soil was measured in addition to that released from soil cores into the headspace of incubation vessels. In addition, the two methods were also compared for measurement of the soil respiration rate. Of the total N2O produced, 6–77% (average 40%) remained entrapped in the soil, whereas for CO2, the corresponding figures ranged from 12–65% (average 44%). The amount of the entrapped N2O was significantly correlated with the water-filled pore space (WFPS) and with the N2O concentration in the headspace, whereas CO2 entrapment was dependent on the headspace CO2 concentration but not on the WFPS. Due to the entrapment of N2O and CO2 in soil, the denitrification rate on several (18 of the 41) sampling dates, and soil respiration rate on almost all (27 of the 30) sampling dates were significantly higher with method B compared to method A. Averaged across sampling dates, the denitrification rate measured with method B (0.30 kg N ha–1 day–1) was twice the rate measured with method A, whereas the soil respiration rate measured with method B (34.9 kg C ha–1 day–1) was 1.6 times the rate measured with method A. Results of this study suggest that the N2O and CO2 entrapped in soil should also be measured to ensure the recovery of the gaseous products of denitrification by the soil core method.