Leaching Methods Can Underestimate Mineralization Potential of Soils

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Aerobic incubations to estimate net nitrogen (N) mineralization typically involve periodic leaching of soil with 0.01 M calcium chloride (CaCl2), so as to remove mineral N that would otherwise be subject to immobilization. A study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of leaching for analysis of exchangeable ammonium (NH4 +)-N and nitrate + nitrite (NO3 + NO2 )-N, relative to conventional extractions using 2 M potassium chloride (KCl). Ten air-dried soils were used, five each from Illinois and Brazil, that had been amended with NH4 +-N (1 g kg−1) and NO3 -N (0.6 g kg−1). Both methods were in good agreement for inorganic N analysis of the Brazilian Oxisols, whereas leaching was significantly lower by 12–48% in recovering exchangeable NH4 +-N from Illinois Alfisols, Mollisols, and Histosols. The potential for underestimating net N mineralization was confirmed by a 12-wk incubation experiment showing 9–86% of mineral N recoveries from three temperate soils as exchangeable NH4 +.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1701-1708
Number of pages8
JournalCommunications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
Volume47
Issue number13-14
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 5 2016

Keywords

  • Biological N availability index
  • N fertilizer requirement
  • mineral N production
  • net mineralization
  • soil incubation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Soil Science

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