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Promoting microbial immobilization of soil nitrogen during restoration of abandoned agricultural fields by organic additions

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Abstract

Application of organic materials to soils to enhance N immobilization into microbial biomass, thereby reducing inorganic N concentrations, was studied as a management option to accelerate the reestablishment of the native vegetation on abandoned arable fields on sandy soils the Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. Sucrose and sawdust were used at three different topographic sites over 4 years. N availability and extractable inorganic N concentrations were significantly reduced in all sites. Soil microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N increased significantly following C additions, but the microbial C to microbial N ratio remained unaffected. It is concluded that the combined application of the rapidly utilized C source (sucrose) promoted N immobilization, whereas the addition of the slowly utilized C source (sawdust) maintained the elevated microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N in the field.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Hungarian National Research Fund (OTKA T42930), the National Research and Development Programme (NKFP 3B/0008/2002), the TÉT Foundation (UK-HU), and the British Council (Hungary).

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Author notes

  1. Emma L. Tilston

    Present address: Department of Soil Science, University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 233, Reading, RG6 6DW, England, UK

  2. David W. Hopkins

    Present address: Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman O. Str. 15, Budapest, 1022, Hungary

    Tibor Szili-Kovács

  2. Institute of Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Vácrátót, Hungary

    Katalin Török

  3. School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK

    Emma L. Tilston & David W. Hopkins

Authors
  1. Tibor Szili-Kovács
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  2. Katalin Török
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  3. Emma L. Tilston
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  4. David W. Hopkins
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Correspondence to Tibor Szili-Kovács.

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Szili-Kovács, T., Török, K., Tilston, E.L. et al. Promoting microbial immobilization of soil nitrogen during restoration of abandoned agricultural fields by organic additions. Biol Fertil Soils 43, 823–828 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0182-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0182-1

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