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Denitrification and nitrogen immobilization as affected by organic matter and different forms of nitrogen added to an anaerobic water-sediment system

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Abstract

The effects of wheat straw and different forms of N on denitrification and N immobilization were studied in an anaerobic water-sediment system. The water-sediment system was supplemented with various combinations of wheat straw and 15N-labelled and unlabelled (NH4)2SO4 or KNO3, and incubated anaerobically at 30°C for 10 days. 15N-labelled and unlabelled NO sup-inf3 , NO sup-inf2 , NH sup+inf4 , and organic N were determined in the water-sediment system. The gases evolved (N2, CO2, N2O, and CH4) were analyzed by gas chromatography at regular intervals. Larger quantities of 15N2−N and organic 15N were formed in wheat straw-amended systems than in non-amended systems. Trends in CO2 production were similar to those of N2−N evolution. The evolution of N2O and CH4 was negligible. Denitrification processes accounted for about 22 and 71% of the added 15NO sup-inf3 −N in the absence and presence of wheat straw, respectively. The corresponding denitrification rates were 3.4 and 12.4 μg 15Ng-1 dry sediment day-1. In systems amended with 15NO sup-inf3 −N and 15NO sup-inf3 +NH sup+inf4 −N without wheat straw, 1.82 and 1.58%, respectively, of the added 15NH sup-inf3 −N was immobilized. The corresponding figures for the same systems supplemented with wheat straw were 5.08 and 4.10%, respectively. Immobilization of 15NO sup+inf4 −N was higher than that of 15NO sup-inf3 −N. The presence of NO sup-inf3 −N did not stimulate NH sup+inf4 −N immobilization.

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Ragab, M., Mohamed, S., Mehana, T. et al. Denitrification and nitrogen immobilization as affected by organic matter and different forms of nitrogen added to an anaerobic water-sediment system. Biol Fertil Soils 17, 219–224 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336326

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