Abstract
N2-fixing blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria), besides enriching soils with N and organic carbon, may modify a number of chemical and electro-chemical properties of the soils resulting in a change in availability of some micronutrient elements. Keeping this in view, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of growth and subsequent decomposition of blue-green algae on changes in the different forms of Fe and Mn in four soils under submerged condition. A mixed algal culture containing Anabaena, Nostoc, Cylindrospermum, and Tolypothrix was used as inoculum. It was allowed to grow for 2 months, after which the soils were sequentially extracted with (i) M NH4OAc (pH 7.0), (ii) M K4P2O7, (iii) 0.1 M NH2OH.HCl (pH 2.0), (iv) 0.2 M (NH4)2C2O4 (pH 3.0) and (v) 0.1 M ascorbic acid to obtain water-soluble plus exchangeable, organically bound, easily reducible, amorphous oxides-and crystalline oxides-bound forms of Fe and Mn, respectively, both during the growth as well as the subsequent in-situ decomposition of the algal biomass in soils. Iron and Mn in the extracts were estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
The results showed that growth of blue-green algae in submerged rice soils caused a decrease in the NH4OAc-extractable forms of Fe and Mn with concomitant increases in all the other four determined forms of the elements. Such decreases and/or increases in different forms of Fe and Mn in soils were explained as being due to release of O2, addition of organic matter and liberation of extracellular organic compounds by the blue-green algae during their growth. The decomposition of algal biomass resulted in an increase in the NH4OAc-, K4P2O7- and (NH4)2C2O4-extractable forms of Fe and Mn with a simultaneous decrease in the NH2OH · HCl- and ascorbic acid-extractable forms. Development of strong reducing conditions and formation of organic acids with chelating properties were suggested as being the cause of the above changes. The implication of these changes in the forms of Fe and Mn for the Fe and Mn nutrition of rice plants were discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aiyer R S, Salahudeen S and Venkataraman G S 1972 Long-term algalization field trial with high yielding varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L). Indian J. Agric. Sci. 42, 380–383.
De P K 1939 The role of blue-green algae in nitrogen fixation in rice fields. Proc. Royal Soc. Lond. 127B, 121–139.
Dutta D, Mandal B and Mandal L N 1989 Decrease in availability of zinc and copper in acidic to near neutral soils on submergence. Soil Sci. 147, 187–195.
Forno D A, Yoshida S and Asher C J 1975 Zinc deficiency in rice. I. Soil factors associated with the deficiency. Plant and Soil 42, 537–550.
Fuller W H and Rogers R N 1952 Utilization of the P of algal cells as measured by the Neubauer technique. Soil Sci. 79, 417–429.
Gotoh S and Patrick W HJr. 1974 Transformation of iron in a waterlogged soil as influenced by redox potential and pH. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 38, 66–71.
Harrison W H and Aiyer P A S 1913 The gases of swamp rice soils: Their composition and their relation to the crop. Mem. Dep. Agric. India (Chem. Ser.), 3, 65–106.
Hazra G C, Mandal B and Mandal L N 1987 Distribution of zinc fractions and their transformation in submerged rice soils. Plant and Soil 104, 175–181.
International Rice Research Institute, 1970 Annual Report, Los Baños, Philippines.
Katyal J C and Carter M F 1989 Effect of airflow rate, leaching and presubmergence on ammonia volatilization and apparent denitrification loss of nitrogen from a submerged soil. Soil Sci. 147, 116–125.
Kerby N W, Niven G W, Rowell P and Stewart W D P 1987 Ammonia and amino acid production by Cyanobacteria. In Algal Biotechnology. Eds. T Stadleret al. pp 277–286. Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd. UK.
Lindsay W L 1979 Chemical Equilibria in Soils. Wiley, New York. 449 p.
Mandal L N 1961 Transformation of iron and manganese in waterlogged rice soils. Soil Sci. 91, 121–126.
Mandal L N and Mandal B 1986 Zinc fractions in soils in relation to zinc nutrition of lowland rice. Soil Sci. 142, 141–148.
Mandal L N and Mitra R R 1982 Transformation of iron and manganese in rice soils under different moisture regimes and organic matter applications. Plant and Soil 69, 45–56.
Mikkelsen D S, De Datta S K and Obcemea W N 1978 Ammonia volatilization losses from flooded rice soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 42, 725–730.
Motomura S 1961 Dissolution of iron compounds in soils by milk vetch extract. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr 7, 54–60.
Nagarajah S, Neue H V and Alberto M C R 1989 Effect of Sesbania, Azolla, and rice straw incorporation on the kinetics of NH4, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and P in some flooded rice soils. Plant and Soil 116, 37–48.
Ponnamperuma F N 1965 Dynamic aspects of flooded soils and the nutrition of the rice plant. In The Mineral Nutrition of the Rice Plant. pp 295–328. Proc. Symp. Int. Rice Res. Inst. February, 1964. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, MD.
Ponnamperuma F N 1972 The chemistry of submerged soils. Adv. Agron. 24, 29–96.
Reddy C N and Patrick W HJr. 1977 Effect of redox potential on stability of Zn and Cu chelates in flooded soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 41, 729–732.
Roger P A and Kulasooriya S A 1980 Blue-green algae and rice. The International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines. 112 p.
Roger P A and Watanabe I 1986 Technologies for utilizing biological nitrogen fixation in wetland rice: Potentialities, current usage and limiting factors. Fert. Res. 9, 39–77.
Saha K C and Mandal L N 1979 Effect of algal growth on the availability of P, Fe and Mn in rice soils. Plant and Soil 52, 139–149.
Saha K C, Panigrahi B C and Singh P K 1982 Blue-green algae or Azolla additions on the nitrogen and phosphorus availability and redox potential of a flooded rice soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 23–25.
Sajwan K S and Lindsay W L 1986 Effect of redox on zinc deficiency in paddy rice. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50, 1264–1269.
Shuman L M 1985 Fractionation method for soil microelements. Soil Sci. 127, 10–17.
Thenabadu M W 1983 Effect of straw incorporation on the soil solution kinetics and nutrients status of 3 soils and the growth and yield of wetland rice. In Terminal Report, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines. pp 44–59.
Vaidya B S, Patel I M and Jani V M 1970 Secretion of a highly reducing substance by algae in media and its possible role in crop physiology. Sci. Cult. 37, 383–384.
Vorm P D Jvan der and Diest Avan 1979 Aspects of the Fe-and Mn-nutrition of rice plants. Plant and Soil 51, 233–246.
Venkataraman G S 1981 Blue-green algae for rice production. FAO Soil Bull. No. 46, Rome.
Walkley A and Black A I 1934 An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci. 37, 29–38.
Yodkeaw M and De Datta S K 1989 Effects of organic matter and water regime on the kinetics of iron and manganese in two high pH rice soils. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 35, 323–335.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Das, S.C., Mandal, B. & Mandal, L.N. Effect of growth and subsequent decomposition of blue-green algae on the transformation of iron and manganese in submerged soils. Plant Soil 138, 75–84 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011810
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011810