Mineralization of nitrite fixed by soil organic matter

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 515 - 519
• Main Authors: Smith, C.J., Chalk, P.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 1979
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/0038-0717(79)90011-7

The biological availability of [ 15N]labelled nitrite fixed by the organic matter of two acid soils was determined by laboratory incubation and pot experiments. Fixed-N was resistant to mineralization, but was more readily available than the indigenous organic-N. Approximately 20% of the fixed-N was recovered as inorganic-N after 70 days of incubation, or was recovered in the roots and three cuttings of rye-grass grown for 197 days, whereas less than 10% of the indigenous organic-N was recovered. With increasing time, the fixed-N becomes more resistant to mineralization, becoming similar to the indigenous organic-N.