Abstract
Soil organic matter (SOM), microbial carbon (Cmic), and microbial nitrogen (Nmic) status affected by the application of inorganic fertilizer and organic amendments in subtropical paddy soils were investigated. Soil samples were collected from the plow layer of three long-term (17 years) field experiments at Xinhua, Ningxiang, and Taojiang counties in Hunan Province, China. Results showed that, compared to the control, application of inorganic fertilizer alone showed no significant effect on soil organic C (SOC), total N (Ntot), Cmic and Nmic. The application of inorganic fertilizer along with manure or straw significantly increased SOC and Ntot and soil Cmic and Nmic contents for all three sites, while following an application of inorganic fertilizer along with straw only for two sites. Cmic and Nmic were closely correlated with SOC and Ntot, respectively. In conclusion, application of inorganic fertilizer along with manure or straw is an effective way of enhancing SOM and microbial biomass in subtropical paddy soils.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen CR, Xu ZH (2005) Soil carbon and nitrogen pools and microbial properties in a 6-year-old slash pine plantation of subtropical Australia: impacts of harvest residue management. For Ecol Manage 206:237–247
Chen X, Tang JJ, Fang ZG, Katsuyoshi S (2004) Effect of weed communities with various species numbers on soil features in a subtropical orchard ecosystem. Agr Ecosyst Environ 102:377–388
Dalal RC (1998) Soil microbial biomass—what do numbers really mean? Aust J Exp Agr 38:649–665
Doran JW, Sarrantonio M, Lieig MA (1996) Soil health and sustainability. Adv Agron 56:1–54
Drury CF, Oloya TO, Mckenney DJ, Gregorich EG, Tan CS, Vanluyk CL (1998) Long-term effects of fertilization and rotation on denitrification and soil carbon. Soil Sci Soc Am J 62:1572–1579
Eaton WD (2001) Microbial and nutrient activity in soils from three different subtropical forest habitats in Belize, Central America before and during the transition from dry to wet season. Appl Soil Ecol 16:219–227
Gathumbi SM, Bohlen PJ, Graetz DA (2005) Nutrient enrichment of wetland vegetation and sediments in subtropical pastures. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69:539–548
Grayston SJ, Grifith GS, Mawdsley JL, Campbell CD, Bardgett RD (2001) Accounting for Variability in soil microbial communities of temperate upland grassland ecosystems. Soil Biol Biochem 33:533–551
Guo LP, Lin ED (2001) Carbon sink in cropland soils and the emission of greenhouse gases from paddy soils: a review of work in China. Chemosphere, Glob Change Sci 3:413–418
Hargreaves PR, Brookes PC, Ross GJS, Poulton PR (2003) Evaluating soil microbial biomass carbon as an indicator of long-term environmental change. Soil Biol Biochem 35:401–407
Harris RF, Bezdicek DF (1994) Descriptive aspects of soil quality/health. In: Doran JW et al (eds) Defining soil quality for a sustainable environment. SSSA Special Publication No.35, Madison, Wis., pp 23–35
Hopkins DW, Shiel RS (1996) Size and activity of soil microbial communities in long-term experimental grassland plots treated with manure and inorganic fertilizers. Biol Fertil Soils 22:66–70
Janzen HH (1987) Soil organic matter characteristics after long term cropping to various spring wheat rotation. Can J Soil Sci 67:845–856
Jenkinson DS (1988) The determination of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in soil. In: Wilson JR (eds) Advances in nitrogen cycling in agricultural ecosystems. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 368–386
Jenkinson DS, Ladd JN (1981) Microbial biomass in soil: measurement and turnover. In: Paul EA, Ladd JN (eds) Soil biochemistry, vol 5. Mercel, New York, pp 415–471
Kushwaha CP, Tripathi SK, Singh KP (2000) Variations in soil microbial biomass and N availability due to residue and tillage management in dryland rice agroecosystem. Soil Till Res 56:153–166
Lal R (2002) Soil carbon sequestration in China through agricultural intensification, and restoration of degraded and desertified ecosystems. Land Degrad Dev 13:469–478
Lal R, Kimble J, Follett R, Cole CV (1998) Potential of U.S. Cropland for carbon sequestration and greenhouse effect mitigation. Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, Mich., USA
Li QK (1992) Paddy soil of China. Science Press, Beijing, China (In Chinese)
Maithani K, Tripathi RS, Arunachalam A, Pandey HN (1996) Seasonal dynamics of microbial biomass C, N and P during regrowth of a disturbed subtropical humid forest in north-east India. Appl Soil Ecol 4:31–37
Murillo JCR (2001) Organic carbon content under different types land use and soil in peninsular Spain. Biol Fertil Soils 33:53–61
Ocio JA, Martinez J, Brookes PC (1991) Contribution of straw-derived N to total microbial biomass N following incorporation of cereal straw to soil. Soil Biol Biochem 23:655–659
Paustian K, Collins HP, Paul EA (1997) Management controls on soil carbon. In: Paul EA et al (eds) Soil organic matter in temperate agroecosystems. Long-term experiments in North America. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 15–49
Ralte V, Pandey HN, Barik SK, Tripathi RS, Prabhu SD (2005) Changes in microbial biomass and activity in relation to shifting cultivation and horticultural practices in subtropical evergreen forest ecosystem of north-east India. Acta Oecol 28:163–172
Sparling GP (1997) Soil microbial biomass activity and nutrient cycling as indicators of soil health. In: Pankhurst CE et al (eds) Biological indicators of soil health. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 97–119
Stevenson FJ (1985) Cycles of soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, micronutrients. Wiley, New York, pp 35–36
Theng BKG, Orchard VA (1995) Interactions of clays with microorganisms and bacterial survival in soil: a physicochemical perspective. In: Huang PM et al (eds) Environmental impact of soil component interactions. vol II. CRC Lewis, Boca Raton, Fla, pp 123–143
Wardle DA (1992) A comparative assessment of factors which influence microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen levels in soil. Biol Rev 67:321–358
Wu J, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1993) Formation and destruction of microbial biomass during the decomposition of glucose and ryegrass in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 25:435–441
Wu J, Joergensen RG, Pommerening B (1990) Measurement of soil microbial biomass by fumigation-extraction-an automated procedure. Soil Biol Biochem 20:1167–1169
Xu MG (2006) The evolvement of soil fertility in China. China Agricultural Science and Technology press, Beijing, China (In Chinese)
Zhang M, He ZL (2004) Long-term changes in organic carbon and nutrients of an Ultisol under rice cropping in southeast China. Geoderma 118:167–179
Acknowledgements
Funding from the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. KZCX2-YW-423 and National Natural Science Foundation of China, no. 40471131 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Soil and Fertility Station of Xinhua, Ningxiang and Taojiang counties. Thanks also to B.K.G. Theng and R.J. Haynes for invaluable advice.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hao, X.H., Liu, S.L., Wu, J.S. et al. Effect of long-term application of inorganic fertilizer and organic amendments on soil organic matter and microbial biomass in three subtropical paddy soils. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 81, 17–24 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-007-9145-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-007-9145-z