HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stotzky, G. Articles by Mortensen, J. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Stotzky, G. Articles by Mortensen, J. L. Agricola Articles by Stotzky, G. Articles by Mortensen, J. L.

Effect of Addition Level and Maturity of Rye Tissue on the Decomposition of a Muck Soil¹

ABSTRACT

A Rifle peat was treated at 3 levels of addition with 54- or 82-day-old rye tissue and incubated in the laboratory for 70 days. The tissue was doubly labeled with C¹⁴ and N¹⁵ which enabled partitioning the source of evolved CO₂ and inorganic N between the tissue and the muck soil.

An increase in the level of tissue addition caused an increase in the amount of C lost from the incubation mixture but increased net C retention. Most rapid decomposition of both the tissue and the soil organic matter occurred during the first 5 days of incubation. After 8 days, decomposition of the soil organic matter exceeded that of the tissue. Priming action was insignificant. The percent C lost from the tissue was essentially the same for all treatments.

Considerable immobilization of inorganic N occurred during the early stages of the incubation period. N mineralized from the soil organic matter was immobilized preferentially. An increase in the level of tissue addition caused an increase in the amount of N mineralized from tissue and a decrease in the amount mineralized from the soil. The percent N mineralized from both sources, however, decreased with an increase in addition levels.

Incorporation of crop residues apparently can be effective in reducing subsidence losses in muck soil.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director, Ohio Agr. Exp. Sta., as Journal Paper No. 49 and 50–57. Presented before Div. III, Soil Science Society of America, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 15, 1956. Portion of dissertation submitted by senior author in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

² Formerly Research Assistant, now Research Associate, Department of Botany, University of Michigan; and Associate Professor of Agronomy, Ohio Agr. Exp. Sta. and The Ohio State University, respectively.

Received for publication August 9, 1957. Accepted for publication August 19, 1958.