Effect of difference in fumigation period on the accumulation of ninhydrin-reactive compounds in Japanese andosols

Can T., Nonaka M.

SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION, vol.48, no.2, pp.279-282, 2002 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 48 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2002
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/00380768.2002.10409201
  • Journal Name: SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.279-282
  • Keywords: chloroform fumigation, ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen, soil microbial biomass nitrogen, MICROBIAL BIOMASS C, EXTRACTION METHOD, SOIL, NITROGEN, RELEASE, FOREST, LITTER, ASSAY
  • Ankara University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Since ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen (NRN) reacts with a small fraction of the total amount of soluble organic N such as alpha-amino compounds (amino acids peptides, and proteins) and also ammonium, it is an appropriate reagent for the determination of soil microbial biomass. Further studies on the ninhydrin-based assays are, however, required to elucidate the mechanism of NRN autolysis in different soils. In the present study, we investigated the relationships between biomass N (B-N) and NRN after 24 h and 240 h of CHCl3 fumigation in a range of Japanese Andosol Soils. Our results showed that 240 h fumigation provided 1.9 times more NRN (n = 11), which mostly consisted of NH4+-N. The relationships: B-N = 4.31 X NRN and B-N = 2.01 x NRN are considered to be appropriate for 24 It and 240 h fumigations, respectively.