Biological Processes and Soil Fertility

408 Pages·1984·11.217 MB·English

by  Thomas Rosswall, Keith Paustian (auth.), J. Tinsley, J. F. Darbyshire (eds.)

BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND SOIL FERTILITY
Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences
Volume 11
Also in this series
1. J. Monteith and C. Webb, eds.,
Soil Water and Nitrogen in Mediterranean-type Environments.
1981. ISBN 90-247-2406-6
2. J.C. Brogan, ed.,
Nitrogen Losses and Surface Run-off from Landspreading of Manures.
1981. ISBN 90-247-2471-6
3. J.D. Bewley, ed.,
Nitrogen and Carbon Metabolism.
1981. ISBN 90-247-2472-4
4. R. Brouwer, 1. Gasparikovci, J. Kolek and B.C. Loughman, eds.,
Structure and Function of Plant Roots.
1981. ISBN 90-247-2510-0
5. Y.R. Dommergues and H.G. Diem, eds.,
Microbiology of Tropical Soils and Plant Productivity.
1982. ISBN 90-247-2624-7
6. G.P. Robertson, R. Herrera and T. Rosswall, eds.,
Nitrogen Cycling in Ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean.
1982. ISBN 90-247-2719-7
7. D. Atkinson et aI., eds.,
Tree Root Systems and their Mycorrhizas.
1983. ISBN 90-247-2821-5
8. M.R. Saric and B.C. Loughman, ~ds.,
Genetic Aspects of Plant Nutrition.
1983. ISBN 90-247-2822-3
9. J.R. Freney and J.R. Simpson, eds.,
Gaseous Loss of Nitrogen from Plant-Soil Systems.
1983. ISBN 90-247-2820-7
10. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Efficient Use of Fertilizers in Agriculture.
1983. ISBN 90-247-2866-5
Biological Processes and
Soil Fertility
Edited by
J. TINSLEY and J.F. DARBYSHIRE
Department oj Soil Science
University oj Aberdeen
A berdeen, Scotland
First published as Plant and Soil, Volume 76 (1984),
except for Preface and Introductory lecture.
1984 MARTINUS NIJHOFF/DR W. JUNK PUBLISHERS
a member of the KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
THE HAGUE / BOSTON / LANCASTER
Proceedings of the Meeting of Commissions III and IV of the International
Society of Soil Science jointly with the British Society of Soil Science, Reading,
July 1983.
The Proceedings were edited by J. Tinsley and J.F. Darbyshire on behalf of the
British Society of Soil Science.
Distributors
for the United States and Canada: Kluwer Boston, Inc., 190 Old Derby Street,
Hingham, MA 02043, USA
for all other countries: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, Distribution Center,
P .O.Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Biological processes and soil fertility.
(Developments in plant and soil sciences ; 11)
Includes index. '
1. Soil biology--Congresses. 2. Soil fertility-
Congresses. I. Tinsley, J. II. Darbyshire, J. F.
III. International Society of Soil Science.
Commission III. IV. International Society of Soil
Science. Commission IV. V. British Society of Soil
Science. VI. Series.
QH84.8.B55 1984 574.5'26404 83-22002
ISBN-13:978-94-oo9-6103-6 e-ISBN-13:978-94-oo9-6101-2
001: 10.1007/978-94-009-6101-2
ISBN-13:978-94-009-6103-6
Copyright
© 1984 by Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1984
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publishers,
Martinus NijhofflDr W. Junk Publishers, P.O. Box 566,2501 CN The Hague,
The Netherlands.
Contents
Preface IX
G. W. Cooke, The application of soil science to increasing soil productivity-
an introduction to the Conference XI
Section 1: Cycling of nitrogen in soil-plant systems
1.1 *T. Rosswall and K. Paustian, Cycling of nitrogen in modern agricultural
systems 3
1.2 P. R. Ball and J. C. Ryden, Nitrogen relationships in intensively managed
temperate grasslands 23
1.3 J. H. Macduffand R. E. White, Components of the nitrogen cycle measured
for cropped and grassland soil-plant systems 35
1.4 K. A. Smith, A. E. Elmes, R. S. Howard and M. F. Franklin, The uptake of
soil and fertilizer-nitrogen by barley growing under Scottish climatic condi-
~M ~
1.5 A. Jaakkola, Leaching losses of nitrogen from a clay soil under grass and
cereal crops in Finland 59
1.6 A. Olness, Tillage effects on nitrogen uptake by maize from fine textured
soils in the northwestern Corn Belt, USA 67
Section 2: Microbial and animal effects on soil fertility
2.1 *P. B. Tinker, The role of microorganisms in mediating and facilitating the
uptake of plant nutrients from soil 77
-Keynote address
--Introductory lecture
v
vi
2.2 **J. K. Syers and J. A. Springett, Earthworms and soil fertility 93
2.3 P. Newbould and A. Rangley, Effect of lime, phosphorus and mycorrhizal
fungi on growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation by white clover (Trifolium
repens) grown in UK hill soils 105
2.4 J. O. Siqueira, D. H. Hubbell and A. W. Mahmud, Effect ofliming on spore
germination, germ tube growth and root colonization by vesicular-ar-
buscular mycorrhizal fungi 115
Section 3: Measurements of microbial populations and biomass: their roles in
soil processes
3.1 **J. S. Waid, Biological and biochemical analysis of soils 127
3.2 B. L. Williams and G. P. Sparling, Extractable Nand P in relation to
microbial biomass in UK acid organic soils 139
3.3 E. T. Elliott, K. Horton, J. C. Moore, D. C. Coleman and C. V. Cole,
Mineralization dynamics in fallow dryland wheat plots, Colorado 149
3.4 M. R. Carter and D. A. Rennie, Dynamics of soil microbial biomass N
under zero and shallow tillage for spring wheat, using 15N urea 157
3.5 T. Marumota, Mineraliiation of C and N from microbial biomass in paddy
wil 1M
3.6 H. M. Helal and D. R. Sauerbeck, Influence of plant roots on C and P
metabolism in soil 175
3.7 E. Maltby, Response of soil microflora to moorland reclamation for
improved agriculture 183
Section 4: Anaerobic processes in soils and gaseous losses of nitrogen
4.1 *J. M. Tiedje, A. J. Sextone, T. B. Parkin, N. P. Revsbech and D. R.
Shelton, Anaerobic processes in soil 197
vii
4.2 **P. Colbourn and R. J. Dowdell, Denitrification in field soils 213
4.3 F. P. Vinther, Total denitrification and the ratio between N20, and N2
during the growth of spring barley 227
4.4 O. van Cleemput and L. Baert, Nitrite: a key compound in N loss processes
under acid conditions? 233
Section 5: Dynamics and models of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
transformations in cultivated soils
5.1 **K. R. Tate, The biological transformation of P in soil 245
5.2 **J. A. van Veen,J. N. Laddand M. J. Frissel, Modelling C and N turnover
through the microbial biomass in soil 257
5.3 **E. A. Paul, Dynamics of organic matter in soils 275
5.4 H. Tiessen, J. W. B. Stewart and H. W. Hunt, Concepts of soil organic
matter transformations in relation to organo-mineral particle size fractions 287
5.5 B. H. Janssen, A simple method for calculating decomposition and
accumulation of 'young' soil organic matter 297
Section 6: Interaction effects of organisms, organic matter and management on
soil structure
6.1 *J . M. Lynch, Interactions between biological processes, cultivation and
soil structure 307
6.2 ** J. M. Oades, Soil organic matter and structural stability: mechanisms and
implications for management 319
6.3 M. V. Cheshire, G. P. Sparling and C. M. Mundie, Influence of soil type,
crop and air drying on residual carbohydrate content and aggregate stability
after treatment with periodate and tetraborate 339
6.4 R. S. Shiel and D. L. Rimmer, Changes in soil structure and biological
activity on some meadow hay plots at Cockle Park, Northumberland 349
viii
6.5 A. W. Abdul-Kareemand S. G. McRae, The effects on topsoil oflong-term
storage in stockpiles 357
Section 7: Effects of noxious materials on biological processes in soils
7.1. *K. H. Domsch, Effects of pesticides and heavy metals on biological
processes in soil 367
7.2 B. M. Olsen, R. B. McKercher and J. J. Germida, Microbial populations in
trifluralin-treated soil 379
7.3 H. G. van Faassen and G. Lebbink, Chemical disinfestation and metabolic
integrity of soil 389
Index of key words 401
Preface
The success of shifting cultivation systems developed by subsistence
farmers testifies to the resilience of the "natural" soil-plant ecosystems
to recover from the offtake of nutrients in crops and loss of soil struc
ture. By contrast, the development of intensive cropping systems
requires large inputs especially of nitrogen, together with phosphorus,
sulphur and other essential elements in order to maintain the nutrient
levels needed for abundant crop yields.
As Dr. Cooke ably pointed out in his introductory lecture, the dis
coveries and experiments of the 19th century encouraged farmers in
temperate zones to rely greatly on chemical fertilizers supplements.
However, the work of Charles Da{win on soil mixing by earthworms
and the discovery by Hellriegel and Wilfarth in 1886 that the nodules
on legume roots contain colonies of symbiotic bacteria able to
"capture" atmospheric nitrogen molecules to the benefit of the host
plant heralded a growing realization of the importance of soil biota
in fertility studies.
Biological fixation of nitrogen has been the theme of many meetings
and publi~ations hitherto but at this Conference, convened on the
delightful campus of Reading University, attention was mainly focussed
on other biological processes in soil fertility. These Proceedings record
the dominant themes and include six keynote addresses delivered
at plenary sessions and seven introductory lectures to paper reading
sessions by invited individuals plus 22 of the proferred papers, in
six sections as tabled in the contents list.
We are sorry that the space available under contract with the Pub
lisher did not allow for more papers to be published: some of those not
included were in fact reserved by authors for publication elsewhere.
The abstracts of all papers delivered orally or displayed by poster are
contained in the Conference Transactions supplied to each participant.
At the concluding session Dr. Greenland gave a masterly review of
the Conference achievements in the light of global developments and
demands, pointing to the tremendous advances in quantitative studies
of the various sectors of the nitrogen cycle through the use of 15N
and 13N isotope techniques; to greatly improved understanding of the
organic phosphorus accumulations in soils; to the dearth of reports
on sulphur mentioned by Dr. Cooke; and to the tremendous interest
in the living biomass components of soil organic matter made possible
ix
x
by new techniques, particularly chloroform fumigation and 14C
labelling.
Many will endorse his view that experimental techniques now need
to be adapted further to the study of crop management considerations
and to modelling the distribution of specific soil organisms or groups
of them according to biological conditions in the field: crop pathogens
had been hardly mentioned. Since rice is the staple food of half the
world's population, perhaps the next such conference should con
centrate on soil biotechnology and be held at an appropriate tropical
location.
The Organizing Committee wishes to record grateful thanks to the
McRobert Trust for substantial help towards the cost of publishing
these Proceedings, and to all who helped in any way to make the
Conference such a notable success.
Aberdeen J. Tinsley and
J. F. Darbyshire