Simultaneous nitrification and diffusion in soil

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Abstract
SUMMARY: A short‐term nitrification assay was used to investigate the relationship between pH and nitrification rate. The resulting pH relation was included in a model that simulated the time‐course of nitrification over a 16–day period. The predictions from this model corresponded closely with measured nitrate concentrations in contrast to a similar model that did not include the response of the nitrifiers to pH change.The simultaneous nitrification and diffusion of ammonium sulphate, applied as a band of fertilizer equivalent to 69 kg N ha‐1 to a 1 cm depth, was followed experimentally in a soil column incubated for 382 h. The measured concentration profiles of ammonium, nitrate and pH agreed well with those predicted by a simulation model that included the effect of pH on nitrification, while profiles predicted by a model that neglected the effect of pH agreed poorly with the experimental results.