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Effects of Zn and P addition on the microbial biomass in a Zn deficient calcareous soil amended with glucose

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Abstract

A 35-day laboratory incubation experiment at 25°C was carried out to investigate the effects of Zn and P addition on microbial biomass C, N, and P in a Zn deficient calcareous soil, sampled at 15–40 cm depth in Central Anatolia, Turkey, amended with glucose. The underlying hypothesis was that P, but also Zn addition leads to a decrease in the microbial biomass C/N ratio. In the glucose-amended soil, the microbial biomass C/N ratio was not affected by the addition of P at day 5. At day 35 in this treatment, the significant P addition × day interaction revealed a significant decrease in the microbial biomass C/N ratio from 11.3 to 8.9. In the glucose-amended soil, Zn addition also had generally significant negative effects on microbial biomass C in comparison with the pure glucose treatment. A similar tendency was observed for microbial biomass N and consequently the microbial biomass C/N ratio remained unaffected. No evidence was found in the present incubation experiment that the microbial community suffered from Zn deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

Khalid Saifullah Khan is grateful to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for granting a Georg Forster fellowship. We thank Gabriele Dormann for providing skilful technical assistance. We would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Ismail Çakmak (Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey) for providing the soil sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Khalid Saifullah Khan & Rainer Georg Joergensen

  2. Department of Soil Science, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road, 46300, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Khalid Saifullah Khan

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  1. Khalid Saifullah Khan
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  2. Rainer Georg Joergensen
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Correspondence to Rainer Georg Joergensen.

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Responsible Editor: Petra Marschner.

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Khan, K.S., Joergensen, R.G. Effects of Zn and P addition on the microbial biomass in a Zn deficient calcareous soil amended with glucose. Plant Soil 335, 493–499 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0442-y

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