University of Lampung | LPPM-UNILA Institutional Repository (LPPM-UNILA-IR)

Japanese Society
JapaneseSociety

of Soil Science and
andPlant Plant Nutrition
Nutrition

ofsouScience

Soii Sci,Plant Nutr., 38 (4),619-629,1992

619

Concurrent Observation of SeveralProcesses of
Nitrogen Metabolism in SoilAmended
with
Organic Materials
V. Effectsof Long-Term Application of Farmyard
on N
Manure and Nitrogen Fertilizer
Cycling Processesin Upland

Field Soil
SutopoGhaniNugrohoi, Shigekata Yoshida',

and

Shozo Kuwatsuka

Laboratot:yof Soil Science,fucultyof Agriculture,A'agoya University,
Nagoya, 464-Ol Japan; and
'Laboratotly
Nagoya University Flrrm,
of Land Cultivation,
470-Ol
7bgo, Aichi-gun,Aichi,
Japan
Received January 29, l991

In

upland

fieldexperiments,

concurrent

ammonification

of

organic

N

and

were
obseryed
in farmyard manure
(FYM)N-fertilizer(urea)
was

hydrolyzed to NH4-N and
in soil,
subsequently
nitrified resulting in pulsed inputs of NH4-N
and N03-N
which
affected the denitrification
and N2 fixationprocesses.
The actual denitrification
process was not substantial except for the short
application
of FYM and urea. At this time,
period following the simultaneous
the leyel of N03-N in soils was
high together with the large number
of
denitrifiers.
The denitrification
rates increased ranging
from 1.00 to 3.56kg

N20-Nlhald by the application
of FYM.
The positiveeffect of the 16ng-term application of FYM en N2 fixationwas
within
a larger number
observed
the application rate of 20 t FYMIha, although
of N2 fixers
was
observed
with
higher application rates. The maximum
rates of
N2 fixationranged
from 13.0 to 21.0g N2-N/hald. In the control
plot the
was
inhibited by the pulsed
fixationwas lessthan 9.0g N2-Nlhald. N2 fixation
input of NH4-N in soil originating from urea, as anticipated,

but the inhibitory
effect
lastedfor an unexpectedly
long period of time, even when
the NH4-N
levelin soil decreased to the original'low level.The number
of'N2 fixersalso
decreased by the application
of urea.
resultant

nitrification

treated plots. The

processes

applied

Kbg Vlhrds: denitrification,

farmyard
fixation,upland fieldsoil.

manure,

long-term

In laboratory
concurrent
processes of
nitrification,
andexpenrnents,
N2 fixationwere apparently
observedammonification,
under
soil
'

Present

address:

Faculty

of

Agriculture, Lmpung

Universjty, Bandar Lampung

N2

application,

nitrification,
moisture

de-

conditions

35145, lndonesia.

NII-Electronic Library Service

Japanese Society
JapaneseSociety

of Soil
SoU
Science
Science
and
and
Plant
Plant Nutrition
Nutrition

of

62e

S. GHANI
to

60%

by

the

S. YOSHIDA,

NUGROHO,

and

S. KUWATSUKA

ofthe

maximum
water holdingcapacity
(MWHC), and these precesses
kinds and amounts
of applied
organic
materials
(OM) and the soil
moisture
contents,
These processeswere also regulated by the application
ef inorganicN
Nugroho
and
Kuwatsuka 1990, 1992a, b, c). The soil moisture
(Ghani
contents
at 60%
MWHC
or somewhat

higher values depending on the soil types reflected the moisture
conditions
of upland
fieldsoils. These moisture
conditions
which
occur after rainfall or
irrigation,
when
the soil moisture
level ranges
frornthe fieldcapacity to the saturation levels
are conducive
to the development ofanaerobic
microsites
within
the well-aerated
soil matrix
and
Stefanson l973).The anaerobic
or partially anaerobic
zones
mi(Burford
(pockets,
crosites)
also developed in the OM-treated plotsdue to the high level of microbial
respiration (Scott
Smith and Tiedje 1979),
Straw, farmyard manure
from various sources are widely
(FYM), and compost
used in
agricultural soils together with chemical
fertilizers.
These agronomic
as
well
as the
practices
climatic
conditions
affect the major
factors
controlling
the N metabolism
in soil such as
substrate
availability,
soil aeration,
and
inorganic N content.
Soderstrom et al. (1983)
reported that in generpl the microbial
activity
decreaseddue to N amendments.
It may
therefore be interestingto analyze
in the fieldhow the long-termapplicatiqn of OM and
N-fertilizer
aflbcts the concurrent
nitrification,
denitrification,
processesof ammonification,
and
N2 fixation.
The objectives of this study were to (1)determinesimultaneously
the rates of denitrificationand N, fixation
in situ and the rates of associated NH,-N and NO,-N formatiQn,and
(2)enumerate the microbial populations related to N cycling, in particularthe total bacteria,
denitrifiers,
and
N2 fixers,
Severalclimatic and soil factors were analyzed
to evaluate
their
impact on the concurrent
of
ammonification,
nitrification,
denitrification,
and
N,
processes
fixation.
corresponding
were

affected

MATERIALS

AND

METHODS

The experiment
was
conducted
from April to October 1987 in the upland
fieldof
Nagoya University Farm, where the fie]dexperiment
on long-termapplication
of FYM
had
been conducted
since
1975, The application
rates of FYM
were O, 20,50,and
100t/ha/time
twice a year in latefa11and latespring), The plots,49 m2, were arranged in a Latin
(applied
Square Design.Although the composition
ofthe FYM used slightly varied among
the years,
itwas appreximately
the same as that of FYM
used
and
describedin,our previousreport
C, 33.7%;total N, 2.4%; NH,-N, O,089%;and N03-N O,038%) (Ghani Nugroho and
(total
Kuwatsuka 1990).Table 1 shows some properties ofthe soil subjected to FYM amendment
for 13 yr.
Table 1.

FYM"

Properties of the
levels

application

(tlha)
o20501OO

MWHC,

maximum

soil

after

13 yr ofcontinuous

holding capacity.

of

t'armyard manure

Total.C

pH

Total N

(%)

5.46.66,87,3

water

application

a

O.72.23.05.4

Farmyard manure

was

apptied

at

differentlevels,
MWHC

(%}
(mLllOOg)
O.08023O,31O.57 47536078

twice

a

yeariin latefa11and late

spmng.

NII-Electronic Library Service

Japanese Society
JapaneseSociety

of Soil
SoU
Science
Science
and
and
Plant
Plant Nutrition
Nutrition

of

Concurrent N Metabolism

Faba bean (ViciafobaL.) and
in 1987,The current

experiment

sweet

Table 2

the effects of plant roots,

minimize

the experimental

For

period.
in situ simultaneous

corn

(Zea mays
in the

conducted

was

621

in Field

L,) were

sequentially

the agronomic

shows

cultivated

between plants, to

zone

row-space

practices adopted

during

denitrification
and
N, fixation,
a device
reported
by Yoshida (1984)was used. The device consisted
of a chamber
with
two ports
sealed
with rubber
stoppers
in the upper part. The chamber
was
a detopped cylinder
made
of refuse
fire extinguisher,
16cm in outer diameter and 35cm in length, One port was
connected
to an electrode
for rnonitoring
the 02 level and
temperature,
the other for
and
injectingand removing
gases from insidethe chamber.
The chamber was inverselyinsertedin the soil in the row-space zone between plants and
drivento a dqpth of 15 cm, A suMcient
amount
ofair
was
removed
from the enclosed space
with
above
the ground with a syringe to allow replacement
C,H2. The C2H2 corresponding
to a finalconcentration
of about
1O% vlv and 1 mL propane were injected into the chamber.
The dilutionratio ofthe introducedpropane was used to calculate the exact aerial volume
ofthe
reaction
vessel. Immediately after gassing,
and
1 and 3 h later,
each
was
gas sample
with
collected
a 10-mL syringe and transferred intoa 10-mL vacuum
blood collection tube
1983),
and
analyzed
for
N20
and
C,H,
with
a
chromatograph
as described
(Roper
gas
1990).Measurements were conducted
at least
previously (Ghani Nugroho and Kuwatsuka
every
2 weeks throughout the experimental
The
soil
moisture
content
was
determined
period.
at each sampling
time. Each measurement
was
conducted
with fivereplications.
N, fixation
was
factor
calculated
based on a conversion
of 3 (C2H2reduced/N2
fixed).
The soil samples
were collected
from
the
upper
15cm
periodically
partofthe plotsfor
the determinationof inorganicN contents
and
enumeration
of microbial
populations. The
soil samples
under
fieldmoist conditions
were
through
2-mm
mesh
a
sieve and
passed
immediatelyanalyzed
or otherwise
the soil samples
were
stored
at
15'C (forinorganicN
determlnation) or 40C (for
microbial
enumeration)
until analysis.
The proceduresfor the
determinationof inorganicN and the enumeration
of the microbial
populations were
were
previously described(Ghani Nugroho and Kuwatsuka 1990, 1992b).All the analyses
with
duplication.
Performed
The climatic
data were collected
from the climatological
station
of the Nagoya
University Farm located at a distanCeof 200 m from the experimental site. Weekly maximum
and

the

minimum

measurement

temperatures,

air

and

mean

of

week]y

Table 2. Agronomic

practicesadopted
Practices

DHte

May 25, 1987
June 2. 1987

June 9. 1987

July 2, 1987
August 21, 1987
September-October
farmyard

manure.

temperatures

during the

experimenta[

a

Ureu

was

upplied

ut

the

same

were

calculated

rate

in all

the

on

the

period.
Application

-Applicationof FYM
-Sowing of horse bean
-Application of ureaa
-Harvesting of horse bean
-Plowing and seed-bed
preparation
-Application of FYM
-Sowing of sweet corn
-Application of urea
-Application of urea
-Harvesting of sweet cgrn
-Fallow

November 4, 1986

FYM,

soil

rate