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Effects of temperature and amendments on nitrogen mineralization in selected Australian soils

  • Bioavailability - the underlying basis for Risk Based Land Management
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Abstract

The effects of temperature (18, 24, and 37 °C) and form of nitrogen (N) input from various sources (organic—green waste compost, biosolids, and chicken manure; inorganic—urea) on N transformation in three different Australian soils with varying pH (4.30, 7.09, and 9.15) were examined. Ammonification rate (ammonium concentration) increased with increase in temperature in all soil types. The effect of temperature on nitrification rate (nitrate concentration) followed 24 > 37 > 18 °C. Nitrification rate was higher in neutral and alkaline soils than acidic soil. Mineral N (bioavailable N) concentration was high in urea treatments than in organic N source treatments in all soil types. Acidic soil lacked nitrification activity resulting in low nitrate (NO3) buildup in urea treatment, whereas a significant NO3 buildup was noticed in green waste compost treatment. In neutral and alkaline soils, the nitrification activity was low at 37 °C in urea treatment but with a significant NO3 buildup in organic amendment added soils. Addition of organic N sources supplied ammonia oxidizing bacteria thereby triggering nitrification in the soils (even at 37 °C). This study posits the following implications: (1) inorganic fertilizer accumulate high NO3 content in soils in a short period of incubation, thereby becoming a potential source of NO3 leaching; (2) organic N sources can serve as possible source of nitrifying bacteria, thereby increasing bioavailable N (NO3) in soils regardless of the soil properties and temperature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Ramya Thangarajan, Nanthi S. Bolan & Ravi Naidu

  2. Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, PO Box 486, Salisbury, SA, 5106, Australia

    Ramya Thangarajan, Nanthi S. Bolan & Ravi Naidu

  3. South East Water, 20 Corporate Drive, Heatherton, VIC, 3202, Australia

    Aravind Surapaneni

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  1. Ramya Thangarajan
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  2. Nanthi S. Bolan
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  3. Ravi Naidu
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  4. Aravind Surapaneni
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Correspondence to Nanthi S. Bolan.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Thangarajan, R., Bolan, N.S., Naidu, R. et al. Effects of temperature and amendments on nitrogen mineralization in selected Australian soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 8843–8854 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2191-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2191-y

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