Summary
Aerobically decomposed straws containing various contents of available C and N were tested for resultant aggregating effect on Mt. St. Helen's ash and Palouse silt loam. Aggregation decreased when straw N content increased in the range 0.25–1.09% w/w. These results suggest that microbial extra-cellular products are very important for stabilizing soils. Microbial production of acetic acid, which can be phytotoxic to wheat plant seedlings, was greatest initially from the 1.09% N w/w straw. After the first three days of aerobic decomposition, acetic acid production was not linked to the straw N content. The potential of barley and wheat straw to serve as a substrate for acetic acid production was greater than that of the remains of the flowering heads (chaff). However, the chaff might pack more tightly than the straw in the field, which would increase effectively its acetic acid concentration over that of the straw.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bidinger F, Musgrave, RB and Fischer, RA 1977 Contribution of stored pre-anthesis assimilate to grain yield in wheat and barley. Nature London 270, 431–433.
Cannell RQ, Ellis FB, Christian DG and Barnes BT 1982 Long-term comparisons of direct drilling, shallow tillage and ploughing on clay and silt loam soils, with particular reference to straw disposal.In The 9th Conference of the International Soil Tillage Research Organization, ISTRO. Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, Osijek. pp 85–90.
Cochran V L, Elliot L F and Papendick R I 1977 The production of phytotoxins from surface crop residues. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 71, 903–908.
Conetta A, Buccafuri A and Jansen J 1976 A semi-automated system for the wet digestion of water samples for total Kjeldahl N and total P. Am. Lab. 18, 103–106.
Douglas J T and Goss M J 1982 Stability and organic matter content of surface soil aggregates under different methods of cultivation and in grassland. Soils Tillage Res. 2, 155–175.
Elliott L F, Cochran V L and Papendick R I 1980 The effect of crop residue management on phytotoxicity, straw decomposition, and winter wheat root colonization. In Proceedings Tillage Symposium, Bismarck, North Dakota, September 9–11. Cooperative Extension Service, North Dakota State University, Fargp pp. 88–96.
Gilmour C M, Allen O N and Troug E 1948 Soil aggregation as influenced by the growth of mold species, kind of soil, and organic matter. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 13, 292–296.
Harper S H T and Lynch J M 1981 The chemical components and decomposition of wheat straw leaves, internodes and nodes. J. Sci. Food Agric. 32, 1057–1062.
Harper S H T and Lynch J M 1982 The role of water-soluble components in phytotoxocity from decomposing straw. Plant and Soil 65, 11–17.
Knapp E B, Elliott L F and Campbell G S 1983 Microbial respiration and growth during the decomposition of wheat straw. Soil Biol. Biochem. 15, 319–323.
Knapp, E B, Elliott L F and Campbell G S 1983 The interrelations of carbon, nitrogen, and microbial biomass interrelationships during the decomposition of wheat straw: A mechanistic simulation model. Soil Biol. Biochem. 15, 455–461.
Lynch J M 1977 Phytotoxicity of acetic acid produced in the anaerobic decomposition of wheat straw. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 42, 81–87.
Lynch J M 1981 Promotion and inhibition of soil aggregate stabilization by microorganisms. J. Gen. Microbiol. 126, 371–375.
Lynch J M and Elliott L F 1983 Aggregate stabilization of volcanic ash and soil during microbial degradation of straw. J. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 45, 1398–1401.
Lynch J M and Elliot L F 1983 Crop residues.In Crop Establishment: Biological Requirements and Engineering Solutions Ed. M K V Carr Pitmans, London (In press).
Lynch J M and Elliott L F 1983 Minimizing the potential and phytotoxicity of wheat straw by microbial degradation. Soil Biol. Biochem. 15, 221–222.
Lynch J M, Ellis F B, Harper S H T and Christian D G 1980 The effect of straw on the establishment and growth of winter cereals. Agric. and the Environ. 5, 321–328.
Martin, J P 1971 Decomposition and binding action of polysaccharides in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 3, 33–41.
Papendick R I and Miller D E 1977 Conservation Tillage in the Pacific Northwest. J. Soil Water Conserv. 32, 49–56.
Reinertsen S A, Elliott L F, Cochran V L and Campbell G S 1983 The role of available carbon and nitrogen in determining the rate of wheat straw decomposition. Soil Biol. Biochem. (In press).
Tisdall J M, Cockroft B and Uren, N C 1978 The stability of soil aggregates as affected by organic materials, microbial activity and physical disruption. Aust. J. Soil Res. 16, 9–17.
Tisdall J M and Oades J M 1982 Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J. Soil Sci. 33, 141–163.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution from Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dep. of Agric., in cooperation with the College of Agric. Res. Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164; and Agricultural Research Council, Letcombe Laboratory, Wantage, Oxon, Great Britain. WSU Scientific Paper No. 6556. Research was conducted at Letcombe Laboratory.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elliott, L.F., Lynch, J.M. The effect of available carbon and nitrogen in straw on soil and ash aggregation and acetic acid production. Plant Soil 78, 335–343 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02450367
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02450367