Nitrogen mineralization in the field at various soil depths

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The accumulation of mineral nitrogen was measured in the field in five soil‐layers between 0 and 120 cm, in two plots of a long‐term experiment contrasting high and low fertilizer inputs. Soil temperature and moisture were also determined. The total quantity of mineral N that accumulated in the 0‐120 cm soil layer during 11 weeks in the summer was 138 and 78 kg ha−1, 25% and 45% of which were found below 60cm, in the high and the low fertility plots, respectively. Nitrogen mineralization in the field was predicted by a model which takes account of changes in temperature and moisture content of the soil. The potentially mineralizable N for this model was found from laboratory incubation experiments. The measured amount of mineralized N was 13 to 26% less than the predicted amount.

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