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Soil chemical and microbiological properties in hay production systems: residual effects of contrasting N fertilization of swine lagoon effluent versus ammonium nitrate

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Abstract

This study characterized soil chemical and microbiological properties in hay production systems that received from 0 to 600 kg plant-available N (PAN) ha−1 year−1 from either swine lagoon effluent (SLE) or ammonium nitrate (AN) from 1999 to 2001. The forage systems contained plots planted with bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) or endophyte-free tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.). In March 2004, the plots were sampled for measurements of a suite of soil chemical and microbiological properties. Nitrogen fertilization rates were significantly correlated with soil pH and K2SO4-extractable soil C but not with total soil C, soil C/N ratio, electrical conductivity, or Mehlich-3-extractable nutrients. Soil supplied with SLE had significantly lower Mehlich-3-extractable nutrients than the soil supplied with AN. Two indicators of soil N-supplying capacity (potentially mineralizable N and amino sugar N) varied with plant species and the type of N fertilizer. However, they generally peaked at an application rate of 200 or 400 kg PAN ha−1 year−1. Soil microbial biomass C also peaked at an application rate of 200 or 400 kg PAN ha−1 year−1. Nitrification potential was significantly higher in soil supplied with AN than in the unfertilized control but was similar between SLE-fertilized and unfertilized soils. Our results indicated that an application rate as high as 600 kg PAN ha−1 year−1 did not benefit soil microbial biomass, microbial activity, and N transformation processes in these forage systems.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported financially by the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation. We thank Ms. Lisa Lentz of the Analytical Service Laboratory of the Department of Soil Science for the analysis of total soil C and N. We appreciate Mr. Pete Thompson for helping us to take soil samples. We also thank Dr. Cavell Brownie for her assistance in statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Kannan Iyyemperumal, Daniel W. Israel & Wei Shi

  2. Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    James Green Jr. & Noah N. Ranells

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  1. Kannan Iyyemperumal
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  2. James Green Jr.
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  3. Daniel W. Israel
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  4. Noah N. Ranells
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  5. Wei Shi
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Correspondence to Wei Shi.

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Iyyemperumal, K., Green, J., Israel, D.W. et al. Soil chemical and microbiological properties in hay production systems: residual effects of contrasting N fertilization of swine lagoon effluent versus ammonium nitrate. Biol Fertil Soils 44, 425–434 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0221-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0221-y

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