Fate of amide nitrogen added to soils

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 152 - 155
• Main Authors: Frankenberger, William T, Tabatabai, M. Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 01.01.1981
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf00103a037

The fate of nitrogen in amides (formamide, acetamide, and propionamide) was studied in five soils. The amounts of inorganic N ion species and NH sub(3) produced from each compound were compared with those produced from soils treated with (NH sub(4)) sub(2)SO sub(4) or urea and incubated under aerobic conditions at 30 degree C for 14 days. Recovery of the inorganic N ion species and NH sub(3) produced was affected by the compound and soil used. More than 25% of the N added as formamide was evolved as NH sub(3) from one sandy soil. The nitrification rate of the amide N was the greatest with formamide, and those of acetamide and propionamide were similar to those of urea and (NH sub(4)) sub(2)SO sub(4). The total recovery of inorganic ion species of N and NH sub(3) produced in the five compounds and five soils studied ranged from 62 to 103%. The amounts of NH sub(3) voltatilized from the amide- and urea-treated soils were significantly but negatively correlated with cation-exchange capacity, organic C, and clay contents of the soils examined.