Soil Organic Matter and Biological Activity

474 Pages·1985·12.176 MB·English

by  D. Vaughan, B. G. Ord (auth.), D. Vaughan, R. E. Malcolm (eds.)

SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY
Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences
Volume 16
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, I. Gasparikova, 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. RosswaII, 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, eds.,
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
11. J. Tinsley and J.F. Darbyshire, eds.,
Biological Processes and Soil Fertility.
1984. ISBN 90-247-2902-5
12. A.D.L. Akkermans, D. Baker, D. Huss-DaneII and J.D. Tjepkema, eds.,
Frankia Symbioses.
1984. ISBN 90-247-2967-X
13. W.S. Silver and E.C. Schroder, eds.,
Practical Application of Azolla for Rice Production.
1984. ISBN 90-247-3068-6
14. P.G.L. Vlek, ed.,
Micronutrients in Tropical Food Crop Production.
1985. ISBN 90-247-3085-6
15. T.P. Hignett, ed.,
Fertilizer Manual.
1985. ISBN 90-247-3122-4
16. D. Vaughan and R.E. Malcolm, eds.,
Soil Organic Matter and Biological Activity.
1985. ISBN 90-247-3154-2
Soil Organic Matter and
Biological Activity
Edited by
D. VAUGHAN and R.E. MALCOLM
The Macaulay Institute jor Soil Research
Aberdeen
Scotland
WKAP ARCHIEf::
1985 MARTINUS NIJHOFF/DR W. JUNK PUBLISHERS "....
a member of the KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
DORDRECHT / BOSTON / LANCASTER
Distributors
for the United States and Canada: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 190 Old Derby
Street, Hingham, MA 02043, USA
for the UK and Ireland: Kluwer Academic Publishers, MTP Press Limited,
Falcon House, Queen Square, Lancaster LAI lRN, UK
for all other countries: Kluwer ~cademic Publishers Group, Distribution Center,
P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Soil organic matter and biological activity.
(Developments in plant and soil sciences ; v. 16)
Includes index.
1. Humus. 2. Plant-soil relationships. 3. Plant
psysiology. I. Vaughan, D. II. Malcolm, R. E.
III. Series.
5592.8.566 1985 631.4'17 85-5050
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-8757-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-5105-1
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-5105-1
Copyright
© 1985 by Martinus NijhofflDr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1985
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 163, 3300 AD Dordrecht,
The Netherlands.
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
H.A. ANDERSON,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
M.V. CHESHIRE,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
R.D. HARTLEY,
The Grassland Research Institute, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.
J.N. LADD,
C.S.I.R.O. Soils Division, Glen Osmond, South Australia.
D.J. LINEHAN,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
J.M. LYNCH,
Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton, West Sussex, England.
R.E. MALCOLM,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
B.G. ORD,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
J.W. PARSONS,
Department of Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
N.M. SCOTT,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
G.P. SPARLING,
D.S.I.R. Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Formerly at The Macaulay Institute for
Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
VI
K.R. TATE,
D.S.l.R. Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
D. VAUGHAN,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
D.C. WHITEHEAD,
The Grassland Research Institute, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.
FOREWORD
It has long been recognized that soil organic matter is the key to soil fertility. As a
nutrient store it gradually provides essential elements which the soil cannot retain
for long in inorganic form. It buffers growing plants against sudden changes in
their chemical environment and preserves moisture in times of drought. It keeps
the soil in a friable, easily penetrated physical condition, well-aerated and free
draining, providing young seedlings with an excellent medium for growth. But it has
another property, the nature and extent of which have been the subject of argu
ment and controversy ever since scientists began to study the soil, and that is its
ability to affect growth directly, other than by providing nutrient elements. Any
one wishing to learn about these effects has been faced with a daunting mass of
literature, some confusing, often contradictory, and spread through a multitude of
journals. Individual aspects have been covered from time to time in reviews but
there has obviously been a need for a modern authoritative text book dealing with
the many facets of this subject, so the publication of this volume is timely. The
editors and authors are all specialists in their fields, fully familiar with the com
plex nature of soil organic matter and with the particular difficulties arising in any
study of its properties. Where controversies exist they have presented all sides of
the argument and have highlighted areas where further work is badly needed.
Their treatise should be invaluable to all with an interest in the soil.
G. ANDERSON,
Deputy Director,
The Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen, Scotland.
November, 1984.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge gratefully the help and encouragement that we have received
from our colleagues at the Macaulay Institute. We are also greatly indebted to
several colleagues f~rther afield who have allowed us to reproduce their published
diagrams.
We would also like to thank all the typists, particularly Mrs 1. Shand and Mrs C.
Smollet and the photographers Mr 1. Mitchell and Mr D.J. Riley without whose help
the production of this book would have been impossible.
We are grateful to the following organisations for giving permission to reproduce
published material:
Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam for Fig. 3, page 18; Fig. 6, page 347;
Fig. 3, page 386:
Springer-Verlag, Berlin for Fig. 1, page 331; Fig. 5, page 343:
Marcel Dekker Inc., New York for Fig. 2, page 336:
Pudoc, Wageningen for Fig. 3, page 313:
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge for Fig. 4, page 389:
The British Sulphur Corporation Ltd., London for Fig. 1, page 381 :
The Agricultural Institute of Canada for Fig. 3, page 355; Fig. 7, page 355:
The University of New England, Australia for Table 2, page 344.
D. VAUGHAN and R.E. MALCOLM,
Aberdeen U.K.
December, 1984.
LIST OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SOIL ORGANIC MATTER - A PERSPECTIVE ON ITS NATURE, EXTRAC
TION, TURNOVER AND ROLE IN SOIL FERTILITY
D. Vaughan and B.G. Ord
Contents (1)
1. Soil organic matter (4)
2. Biological changes in soil organic matter (19)
3. Role of soil organic matter in fertility (23)
4. Conclusions (28)
5. References (28)
CHAPTER 1
INFLUENCE OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES ON GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL
PROCESSES
D. Vaughan and R.E. Malcolm
Contents (37)
1. Introduction (38)
2. Influence on growth (42)
3. Uptake of humic substances (55)
4. Nutrient content of plants (57)
5. Humic substances and membranes (61)
6. Conclusions (62)
7. References (63)
x
CHAPTER 2
INFLUENCE OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES ON BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN
PLANTS
D. Vaughan, R.E. Malcolm and B.G. Ord
Contents (77)
1. Introduction (78)
2. Energy metabolism (79)
3. Nucleic acids (85)
4. Protein metabolism (87)
5. Biological activity and structure of humic substances (94)
6. Conclusions (97)
7. References (I 00)
CHAPTER 3
PHENOLIC ACIDS IN SOILS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON PLANT GROWTH
AND SOIL MICROBIAL PROCESSES
R.D. Hartley and D.C. Whitehead
Contents (109)
1. Introduction (I 10)
2. Detection and determination (112)
3. Phenolic acids in plant tissues (113)
4. Phenolic acids in soils (116)
5. Influence of phenolic acids on plant growth (130)
6. Influence of phenolic acids on soil micro organisms (I38)
7. Conclusion (I 40)
8. Acknowledgements (I 40)
9. References (140)