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Decomposition of pea and maize straw in Pakistani soils along a gradient in salinity

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Abstract

Maize straw and pea straw were added to five Pakistani soils from a gradient in salinity to test the following hypotheses: Increasing salinity at high pH decreases proportionally (1) the decomposition of added straw and (2) the resulting net increase in microbial biomass. In the non-amended control soils, salinity had depressive effects on microbial biomass C, biomass N, but not on biomass P and ergosterol. The ratios microbial biomass C-to-N and biomass C-to-P decreased consistently with increasing salinity. In contrast, the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio was constant in the four soils at pH>8.9, but nearly doubled in the most saline, but least alkaline, soil (pH 8.2). The addition of the maize and pea straw always increased the contents of microbial biomass C, biomass N, biomass P and ergosterol, but without clear effects of salinity. Highest mean contents of microbial biomass C and biomass N were measured at day 0, immediately after the straw was added. Straw amendments increased the CO2 evolution rates of all five soils without any effect of salinity. The same was true for total C and total N in the two fractions of particulate organic matter (POM) 63–400 μm and >400 μm. Lowest percentage of straw-derived CO2-C and highest recoveries of POM-C and POM-N were observed in the maize straw treatment and the reverse in the pea straw treatment. Yield coefficients were calculated for maize and pea straw based on the assumption that the balance gap between CO2 and the amount of POM can be fully assigned to microbial products.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Gabriele Dormann for her skilled technical assistance. Sher Muhammad thanks especially “InWent” and “DAAD” for supplying grants.

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  1. S. Muhammad

    Present address: Department of Soil Science and Soil & Water Conservation, University of Arid Agriculture, Murree Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Biology and Plant Nutrition, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstr. 1a, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany

    S. Muhammad & R. G. Joergensen

  2. Institute of Plant Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 20, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    T. Müller

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Correspondence to R. G. Joergensen.

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Muhammad, S., Müller, T. & Joergensen, R.G. Decomposition of pea and maize straw in Pakistani soils along a gradient in salinity. Biol Fertil Soils 43, 93–101 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0068-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0068-z

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