Analysis of Nitrification in Agricultural Soil and Improvement of Nitrogen Circulation with Autotrophic Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and biotechnology Vol. 169; no. 3; pp. 795 - 809
• Main Authors: Matsuno, Toshihide, Horii, Sachie, Sato, Takanobu, Matsumiya, Yoshiki, Kubo, Motoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.02.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agriculture; Ammonia; Ammonia - metabolism; Autotrophic Processes; Bacteria; Bacteria - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemistry; Nitrification; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - analysis; Nitrogen - chemistry; Nitrogen dioxide; Soil - chemistry; Soil Microbiology; Soils; Nitrite nitrogen; Nitrogen circulation; Autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; Heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; Nitrate nitrogen; Ammonia nitrogen; Heterotrophy; Nitrites; Cultivated soil; Autotrophy; Nitrates; Nitrogen; Optimization; Ammonia; Nitrification; ammonia oxidizing bacteria
• ISSN: 0273-2289; 1559-0291
• DOI: 10.1007/s12010-012-0029-6

Accumulations of inorganic nitrogen (NH 4 + , NO 2 − , and NO 3 − ) were analyzed to evaluate the nitrogen circulation activity in 76 agricultural soils. Accumulation of NH 4 + was observed, and the reaction of NH 4 +  → NO 2 − appeared to be slower than that of NO 2 −  → NO 3 − in agricultural soil. Two autotrophic and five heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were isolated and identified from the soils, and the ammonia-oxidizing activities of the autotrophic AOB were 1.0 × 10 3 –1.0 × 10 6 times higher than those of heterotrophic AOB. The relationship between AOB number, soil bacterial number, and ammonia-oxidizing activity was investigated with 30 agricultural soils. The ratio of autotrophic AOB number was 0.00032–0.26 % of the total soil bacterial number. The soil samples rich in autotrophic AOB (>1.0 × 10 4 cells/g soil) had a high nitrogen circulation activity, and additionally, the nitrogen circulation in the agricultural soil was improved by controlling the autotrophic AOBs.