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Amino acid and peptide dynamics in horticultural soils under conventional and organic management strategies

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Free amino acids (FAAs) and peptides, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) comprise key pools in terrestrial soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles. A comparative study of organic and conventional arable farming systems was conducted in Shanghai, China to determine the influence of management practices on characterization of AA and peptide dynamics.

Materials and methods

Soils from an accredited organic farm (OS), transitional farm (TS), and neighboring conventionally managed farm (CS) were sampled from agricultural areas in Shanghai, China, and the AA and peptide behavior of top soils were evaluated by 14C labeled techniques.

Results and discussion

Results showed that organic management resulted in significant increases (P < 0.05) in AA and peptide rate acquisition, possibly due to higher soil organic C (SOC) and soil respiration in OS, compared to TS and CS. The half-life of valine (Val), valine-proline-proline (Val-Pro-Pro), glutamate (Glu), and glutamate-phenylalanine (Glu-Phe) averaged across the three soils (OS, TS, and CS) was 10.6 ± 2.3, 9.4 ± 2.2, 7.1 ± 1.9, and 6.7 ± 1.5 h, respectively. The relative AA and peptide C amounts partitioned into respiration (15–32% of total) versus biomass production (68–85% of total C) was also affected by management strategy and generally followed the order CS>TS>OS; OS was significantly different from TS and CS; however, a significant difference was not detected between TS and CS. We hypothesize that AA and peptide mineralization acts as a purely biological process, as CHCl3 fumigation and autoclaving resulted in no observable mineralization. Results showed that AA and peptide addition to soil resulted in rapid N mineralization and subsequent NO −3 –N production, which followed a progression based on soil N mineralization rate of OS>TS>CS. AAs and peptides were only weakly sorbed onto the soil solid phase; however, our results suggested that this did not limit soil bioavailability.

Conclusions

The results of our study indicated that soil management regimes have a substantial effect on AA and peptide behavior (mineralization, microbial uptake, and sorption, among other attributes) in horticultural production systems. Therefore, we propose that SOC and total microbial activity are likely key determinants governing AA and peptide behavior in horticultural soils.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-437, KZCX2-YW-T07), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40971180, 40801098), National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the ministry of Science and Technology of China (2008BAD95B02) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan, 410125, China

    Tida Ge, Hongzhao Yuan, Hongling Qin & Chengli Tong

  2. School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China

    Tida Ge & Danfeng Huang

  3. School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography, Bangor University, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    Paula Roberts & Davey L. Jones

Authors
  1. Tida Ge
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  2. Hongzhao Yuan
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  3. Paula Roberts
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  4. Davey L. Jones
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  5. Hongling Qin
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  6. Chengli Tong
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  7. Danfeng Huang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tida Ge, Davey L. Jones or Danfeng Huang.

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Responsible editor: Thomas DeLuca

Tida Ge and Hongzhao Yuan contributed equally to this work.

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Ge, T., Yuan, H., Roberts, P. et al. Amino acid and peptide dynamics in horticultural soils under conventional and organic management strategies. J Soils Sediments 12, 323–333 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0457-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0457-x

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