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 Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Myers, R. G. Articles by Kissel, D. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Myers, R. G. Articles by Kissel, D. E. Agricola Articles by Myers, R. G. Articles by Kissel, D. E.

A Method To Secure, Leach, and Incubate Undisturbed Soil Cores

Dep. of Agronomy, Throckmorton Hall, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506

* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Accurate N fertilizer recommendations depend upon knowing the amount of soil organic N that is mineralized. A promising method developed by Stanford and Smith (1972) to predict N mineralized with disturbed soil samples allows for adjustment in the mineralization rate due to field variations in soil temperature and water. Recent work has indicated that undisturbed soil cores could more closely represent the field soil and its mineralization characteristics. Therefore, a method was needed to secure undisturbed soil cores in a container that would maintain their field integrity and allow them to be incubated and leached periodically as per Stanford and Smith's technique. The method utilizes a 6.3-cm i.d. polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compression coupler to hold an undistrubed soil core. The undisturbed soil sampling device consists of a lever and anchor system, which can put pressure on a soil cutter and adjustment bar to force soil into the coupler. After a soil core is obtained from the field, the coupler is adapted so that the soil within can be leached, equilibrated to a constant water potential, and incubated. In extensive sampling of 19 soils that varied widely in clay and organic C contents, samples could be obtained rapidly if soil was near field capacity. This method of sampling and incubation was relatively inexpensive and simple, and produced data of cumulative N mineralized with time that could be fit with a first-order kinetic model.

Contribution of the Kansas Agric. Exp. Stn. Contribution no. 88-483-J. This study supported in part by a grant from the Natl. Fertilizer Development Ctr. of Tennessee Valley Authority.

Received for publication May 20, 1988.