TY - JOUR
T1 - Nitrogen mineralization and microbial biomass dynamics in different tropical soils amended with contrasting organic resources
AU - Omari, Richard Ansong
AU - Bellingrath-Kimura, Dorothea Sonoko
AU - Fujii, Yoshiharu
AU - Sarkodee-Addo, Elsie
AU - Sarpong, Kwame Appiah
AU - Oikawa, Yosei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - The use of location-specific and underutilized organic residues (OR) as soil amendments in small-holder agro-ecosystems is promising. Six ORs (Leucaena leucocephala, Centrosema pubescens, Gliricidia sepium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Azadirachta indica, and Theobroma cacao) were amended to three tropical soils each at 24 mg g−1 dry soil in 120-day incubation study to estimate their nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial biomass carbon (C) dynamics. Inorganic N contents varied among ORs, soil type and incubation days. Regardless of soil type, Gliricidia had the highest inorganic N among the studied ORs. Mineralization rate of 1.4 to 1.5 mg N kg−1 soil day−1 was observed for Lego and Tec soils, respectively, and was twice higher than Nya soil. However, Nya soil released higher inorganic N than Tec and Lego soils, implying high N mineralization efficiency in the former. Consistent soil pH increase was respectively observed for Theobroma and Pueraria treatments in all soils. Moreover, Theobroma and Pueraria amendments showed the highest soil microbial biomass C (MBC) at the end of the incubation. The assessed soil properties likely affected by the dominant edaphic factors and management influenced differences in MBC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) while OR quality indices controlled N mineralization. Thus, we conclude that soil properties and OR type are important factors for optimal utilization of organic resources.
AB - The use of location-specific and underutilized organic residues (OR) as soil amendments in small-holder agro-ecosystems is promising. Six ORs (Leucaena leucocephala, Centrosema pubescens, Gliricidia sepium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Azadirachta indica, and Theobroma cacao) were amended to three tropical soils each at 24 mg g−1 dry soil in 120-day incubation study to estimate their nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial biomass carbon (C) dynamics. Inorganic N contents varied among ORs, soil type and incubation days. Regardless of soil type, Gliricidia had the highest inorganic N among the studied ORs. Mineralization rate of 1.4 to 1.5 mg N kg−1 soil day−1 was observed for Lego and Tec soils, respectively, and was twice higher than Nya soil. However, Nya soil released higher inorganic N than Tec and Lego soils, implying high N mineralization efficiency in the former. Consistent soil pH increase was respectively observed for Theobroma and Pueraria treatments in all soils. Moreover, Theobroma and Pueraria amendments showed the highest soil microbial biomass C (MBC) at the end of the incubation. The assessed soil properties likely affected by the dominant edaphic factors and management influenced differences in MBC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) while OR quality indices controlled N mineralization. Thus, we conclude that soil properties and OR type are important factors for optimal utilization of organic resources.
KW - Agro-ecological zone
KW - Microbial biomass
KW - Nitrogen mineralization
KW - Organic carbon
KW - Organic residues
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086868105&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/soilsystems2040063
DO - 10.3390/soilsystems2040063
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85086868105
SN - 2571-8789
VL - 2
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Soil Systems
JF - Soil Systems
IS - 4
M1 - 63
ER -