Soil mineralizable nitrogen and soil nitrogen supply under two-year potato rotations

Two-year potato rotations were evaluated for their effects on soil mineralizable N and soil N supply. Pre-plant soil samples (0–15 cm) collected from the potato year after seven rotation cycles were used to estimate soil mineralizable N using a 24 week aerobic incubation. Potentially mineralizable N (N ₀ ) ranged from 102 to 149 kg N ha^?1, and was greater after pea/white clover and oats/Italian ryegrass than after oats by an average of 35 and 22%, respectively. Labile, intermediate and stable mineralizable N pools were increased after pea/white clover compared with oats, whereas only the stable mineralizable N pool was increased after oats/Italian ryegrass. Potato plant N uptake with no fertilizer applied was greater in potato-pea/white clover compared with the three other rotations (126 vs. average of 67 kg N ha^?1). Choice of rotation crop in potato production influences both the quantity and quality of soil mineralizable N.     

有机物料在维持土壤微生物体氮库中的作用

采用室内和田间培养试验,研究了有机物料矿化过程中土壤微生物体氮的变化,测定结果表明,有机物料对矿化过程和微生物体氮的影响,既与有机物料本身性质和组成有关,也与土壤肥力水平和施氮与否有关。加入Ｃ／Ｎ比高的有机物料后,微生物对矿质氮的净固定持续时间长,而加入Ｃ／Ｎ比小的则固定时间短;高肥力土壤上的固定时间比低肥力土壤短。不同有机物料对土壤微生物体氮的影响不同。从加绿豆茎叶、小麦茎叶、未腐解马粪、腐熟马粪、腐熟猪粪到厩肥,土壤微生物体氮依次减小,提供的有效能源物质丰富（如绿豆茎叶）或Ｃ／Ｎ比较高（如小麦茎叶）时影响效果突出。土壤肥力不同,有机物料对微生物体的影响效果不同,在低肥力土壤的效果突出,约为高肥力土壤的４倍,因此,在评价有机物料对土壤微生物体氮的影响时,既考虑有有机物料的性质和组成,也考虑土壤力水平、矿质氮含量和培养时期。     

Effect of long-term application of manure and fertilizer on biological and biochemical activities in soil during crop development stages

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of six long-term (34-year) fertilizer and farmyard manure (FYM) treatments (Control, N, NP, NPK, NPK+S, NPK+FYM) and three physiological stages of wheat growth on the microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN) and dehydrogenase, mineralizable N and phosphatase activities in soil. It was found that a balanced application of NPK+FYM gave the highest values for the measured parameters and lowest at the control. Values were generally highest at tillering, followed by the flowering and dough stages. A significant positive interaction between fertilizer treatments and physiological stages of wheat growth was observed, being highest at maximum tillering due to application of NPK+FYM. Stepwise regressions have revealed that grain yield of wheat was significantly associated with mineralizable N at tillering (R(2)=0.80), MBC at flowering (R(2)=0.90) and alkaline phosphatase activity (R(2)=0.70) at dough stages of wheat growth.     

Co-composting of chestnut burr and leaf litter with solid poultry manure

A co-composting of chestnut burr and leaf litter mixed with solid poultry manure was assessed by comparison of several chemical, physicochemical and biological parameters. The final pH of the co-compost was 8.89 and the C/N ratio was 13. The germination index (GI) obtained using the co-compost varied with the seeds used. It was 155.35% for ryegrass seeds, 56.56% for wheat seeds and 100% for barley seeds. The co-compost was mature in 103 days from a biological point of view.     

猪粪配施化肥对稻-麦轮作系统籽粒产量和氮素利用率的影响

通过大田试验,以水稻(品种‘F优498’)-小麦(品种‘内麦863’)轮作体系为研究对象,根据成都平原稻麦种植体系常规施氮水平,设7个不同猪粪施用处理:对照(CK,无化学氮肥,无猪粪)、常规化肥(T₁,无猪粪)、化肥减量25%+猪粪2500 kg·hm^-2(T₂)、化肥减量50%+猪粪5000 kg·hm^-2(T₃)、猪粪10000 kg·hm^-2(T₄)、猪粪15000 kg·hm^-2(T₅)和猪粪20000 kg·hm^-2(T₆),研究添加猪粪对稻麦干物质、氮素积累及分配特征、籽粒产量和氮素利用率等的影响.结果表明: 猪粪配施化肥对稻麦各生育期干物质积累均有促进作用,稻麦成熟期作物地上部干物质积累量均以高量猪粪施用处理(T₆)最高,但其干物质积累及氮素分配向茎叶富集,且籽粒干物质积累及氮积累分配率显著低于T₂处理;随着配施猪粪用量的增加,稻麦氮肥偏生产力、氮肥农学利用率、籽粒产量均呈现先增加后减少趋势,其中水稻季以T₃处理最优,较常规化肥处理提高11.4%、55.4%、11.4%,小麦季则以T₂处理最优,较常规化肥处理提高14.0%、29.1%、14.0%.本试验条件下,2500～5000 kg·hm^-2猪粪+化肥减量25%～50%处理,有利于促进稻麦干物质积累、氮素向籽粒运移,达到增产及提高氮素利用率的效果,超量施用猪粪(15000～20000 kg·hm^-2)后,土壤氮素供应过量,干物质向经济器官运移受阻,氮素向茎秆富集,贪青晚熟现象严重,稻麦籽粒产量显著下降.     

Relationship between availability indices and plant uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus from organic products

A better knowledge of the plant-availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in organic products may help to improve the efficient use of these products as fertilizers. In the present study, availability indices for N and P of nine widely differing organic products obtained by different fractionation methods were compared with the plant uptake of N and P from these products. The fractionation methods included CaCl₂ extraction, thermal fractionation (heating of organic products), and pepsin extraction, for N, and extraction with diluted sulphuric acid, P-Bray-I, P-Olsen, and extraction using an iron oxide coated filter paper, for P. The results of pot experiments with ryegrass using a double-pot technique (Janssen, 1990) over 62 (N experiment) and 93 days (P experiment) were used as reference for plant-availabe N and P. The 0.01 M CaCl₂ extractable inorganic N reasonably predicted plant-available N only in organic products with a high inorganic N fraction. Thermal fractionation and pepsin extraction provided a reasonable index for mineralizable N in organic products having a high fraction of mineralizable N. Of the P fractionation methods, the extraction using iron oxide coated filter paper was the best indicator of plant-available P in the products.     

Assimilation dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen by wheat roots and Collembola

It has been demonstrated that plant roots can take up small amounts of low-molecular weight (LMW) compounds from the surrounding soil. Root uptake of LMW compounds have been investigated by applying isotopically labelled sugars or amino acids but not labelled organic matter. We tested whether wheat roots took up LMW compounds released from dual-labelled (¹³C and ¹⁵N) green manure by analysing for excess ¹³C in roots. To estimate the fraction of green manure C that potentially was available for root uptake, excess ¹³C and ¹⁵N in the primary decomposers was estimated by analysing soil dwelling Collembola that primarily feed on fungi or microfauna. The experimental setup consisted of soil microcosm with wheat and dual-labelled green manure additions. Plant growth, plant N and recoveries of ¹³C and ¹⁵N in soil, roots, shoots and Collembola were measured at 27, 56 and 84 days. We found a small (<1%) but significant uptake of green manure derived ¹³C in roots at the first but not the two last samplings. About 50% of green manure C was not recovered from the soil-plant system at 27 days and additional 8% was not recovered at 84 days. Up to 23% of C in collembolans derived from the green manure at 56 days (the 27 days sampling was lost). Using a linear mixing model we estimated that roots or root effluxes provided the main C source for collembolans (54−79%). We conclude that there is no solid support for claiming that roots assimilated green manure derived C due to very small or no recoveries of excess ¹³C in wheat roots. During the incubation the pool of green manure derived C available for root uptake decreased due to decomposition. However, the isotopic composition in Collembola indicated that there was a considerable fraction of green manure derived C in the decomposer system at 56 days thus supporting the premise that LMW compounds containing C from the green manure was released throughout the incubation. Responsible Editor: A. C. Borstlap.     

Growth and uptake of nitrogen by wheat and ryegrass in fumigated and irradiated soil

Summary Wheat and ryegrass were grown in pots containing soil that had either been irradiated, fumigated with methyl bromide, fumigated with formaldehyde, or left untreated. All pots received a basal dressing of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium; response to nitrogen was tested by applying either 0, 0.177 or 0.354 g nitrogen per pot. Irradiation increased the growth of wheat and ryegrass; uptake of nitrogen was also increased in both crops. The amount of fertilizer nitrogen equivalent to the nitrogen supplied by seeds and soil (the “N value”) can be calculated from the efficiency of uptake of fertilizer nitrogen and used to allow for the effect on crop growth of the nitrogen released by irradiated soil. With wheat the increase in growth can be attributed solely to the extra mineral nitrogen released by irradiated soil. However, ryegrass grew a little better than would have been expected if the only effect of irradiation was to increase the release of soil nitrogen. Fumigation with methyl bromide or formaldehyde increased the growth of wheat and ryegrass not given fertilizer nitrogen. However, fumigation with methyl bromide left ionic bromide in the soil, and this depressed the growth of wheat receiving fertilizer nitrogen. Formaldehyde also left residues; these influenced soil metabolism and sometimes depressed the growth of plants given fertilizer nitrogen.     

Production of mosquitocidal <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus sphaericus</Emphasis> by solid state fermentation using agricultural wastes

In this study, Bacillus sphaericus NRC 69 was grown in culture media, in which 12 agricultural wastes were tested as the main carbon, nitrogen and energy sources under solid state fermentation. Of the 12 tested agricultural by-products, wheat bran was the most efficient substrate for the production of B. sphaericus mosquitocidal toxins against larvae of Culex pipiens (LC₅₀ 1.2 ppm). Mixtures of tested agricultural wastes separately with wheat bran enhanced the produced toxicity several folds and decreased LC₅₀ between 3.7- and 50-fold in comparison with that of agricultural wastes without mixing. The toxicity of B. sphaericus grown in wheat bran/rice hull at 8/2 (g/g) and wheat bran/barley straw at 1/4 (g/g) showed the same toxicity as that in wheat bran medium (LC₅₀ decreased 17- and 16-fold, in comparison with that in rice hull or barely straw media, respectively). In wheat bran medium, the maximum toxicity of the tested organism obtained at 50% moisture content, inoculum size 84 × 10⁶ CFU/g wheat bran and incubation for 6 days at 30°C. Addition of cheese whey permeate at 10% to wheat bran medium enhanced the toxicity of B. sphaericus NRC 69 about 46%.     

Co-composting of oil exhausted olive-cake, poultry manure and industrial residues of agro-food activity for soil amendment

The co-composting of exhausted olive-cake with poultry manure and sesame shells was investigated. These organic solid wastes were watered by the confectionary wastewater which is characterized by its high content of residual sugars raising its COD. Four aerated windrows were performed to establish the effects of confectionary by-products on the compost process. Different mixtures of the agro-industrial wastes were used. During the composting process, physico-chemical parameters (temperature, moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, total carbon and total nitrogen) were studied. The stability of the biological system was noticed after 70 days. The final products were characterized by their relatively high organic matter content, and low C/N ratio of 14-17. The humidification of the windrows with the wastewater seemed to have accelerated the composting process in comparison to a windrow humidified with water. In addition, the organic matter degradation was enhanced to reach 55-70%. The application of the obtained composts to soil appeared to significantly improve the soil fertility. Indeed, field experiments showed an increase in potato yield; the production was 30.5-37.5 tons ha(-1), compared to 30.5 tons ha(-1) with farm manure.     

Gaseous emissions during the fattening of pigs kept either on fully slatted floors or on straw flow

The aim of this study was to compare the environmental impact of the straw-flow system for fattening pigs with the slatted-floor system by measuring pollutant gas emissions such as ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), manure nitrogen (N) content and emissions of water vapour (H2O). Three successive batches of 32 pigs were fattened. For each batch, pigs were allotted to two groups raised in separated rooms fitted either with a concrete totally slatted-floor system (0.75 m2 per pig) or with a straw-flow system (0.79 m2 per pig). With this last system, pigs were kept on a sloped floor, straw being provided daily at the top of the pen. Throughout the fattening period, about 34.4 kg of straw were supplied per pig. The straw, mixed with dung, travelled down the slope by pig motion and went out of the pen to a scraped passage. The solid fraction was scraped every day, stored in a heap in the room and removed every month, 1 week before each period of gaseous emission measurement. The liquid fraction was automatically pumped from the scraped passage into a hermetic tank, which was emptied at the end of each fattening period. Rooms were ventilated mechanically in order to maintain a constant ambient temperature. Once a month, the emissions of NH3, N2O, CH4, CO2 and H2O were measured hourly for 6 consecutive days via infrared photoacoustic detection. Mean daily emissions per pig fattened on the slatted floor or on the sloped floor were, respectively, 4.98 and 13.31 g NH3, 0.67 and 0.68 g N2O, 15.2 and 8.88 g CH4, 548 g and 406 g CO2 equivalents, 1.61 and 1.77 kg CO2 and 2.33 and 2.95 kg H2O. Except for N2O emissions, all the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). From the slatted-floor system, the amount of slurry removed per fattening period was on average 256 kg per pig. From the straw-flow system, solid manure amounted on average to 209 kg per pig and liquid manure to 53 kg per pig. The total N-content of the manure was 2.23 kg N per pig with the straw-flow system (solid and liquid manure) v. 3.26 kg N per pig for slurry from the slatted-floor system. This reduction of 30% observed with the sloped floor was mainly explained by the higher level of NH3-N emissions.     

抑制剂和猪粪对尿素氮在稻田土壤中转化的影响

为了阐明稻田土壤中尿素在配施抑制剂和猪粪的情况下不同形态氮的响应特征,探究不同管理措施下稻田土壤氮素保持和供给能力。本研究采用¹⁵N标记尿素进行盆栽试验,设置不施肥(CK)、猪粪(M)、尿素(N)、猪粪+尿素(NM)、尿素+抑制剂(NI)和尿素+抑制剂+猪粪(NIM)6个处理。抑制剂选用脲酶抑制剂(PPD+NBPT)和硝化抑制剂(DMPP)组合,测定返青期、分蘖期和成熟期土壤氮库的分配、尿素氮在氮库中的保存及水稻吸氮状况。结果表明: 施用猪粪显著提高了土壤铵态氮、固定态铵含量和微生物生物量氮,提高了分蘖期尿素氮在各氮库中的贮存,显著增加了水稻产量。与N处理相比,添加抑制剂促进了NH₄⁺的矿物固定和微生物对尿素氮的固持;与NM处理相比,施用抑制剂增加了黏土矿物对¹⁵NH₄⁺的固定。通径分析表明,施用猪粪能促进水稻吸收肥料氮,增加水稻产量;添加抑制剂可通过铵的矿物固定将更多的肥料氮暂时储存;NIM能将更多的氮贮存在微生物生物量氮中,至作物生长后期,铵的释放和微生物周转矿化可为水稻提供更多的有效氮源。在我国北方稻田,NM和NIM处理是推荐的施肥方式。     

Alfalfa response to elevated atmospheric CO2 varies with the symbiotic rhizobial strain

Increased atmospheric CO₂ was shown to affect a variety of physiological processes in plants, including photosynthesis and growth with repercussions on crop yield and nutritive value. Perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a sustainable crop with a deep root system, living in symbiosis with rhizobium for nitrogen (N) fixation. The objective of the project was to determine the combined effects of elevated CO₂ and rhizobial strains on photosynthesis, growth, N fixation, and nutritive value of alfalfa, and on soil microflora. Alfalfa inoculated with two different strains of rhizobia (Sinorhizobium meliloti strains A2 and NRG34) was grown 2 months at day/night temperatures of 22/17°C under either 400 (near ambient) or 800 (elevated) μmol mol⁻¹ of CO₂. The photosynthetic response of alfalfa to elevated CO₂ differed according to the rhizobial strain. At the end of the experiment, elevated CO₂ stimulated photosynthetic rates by 50% in plants associated with A2 but there was no significant increase in plants nodulated with NRG34. Nitrogenase activity (+38%) and shoot growth (+60%) were stimulated under 800 μmol mol⁻¹ of CO₂ for alfalfa inoculated with both strains. Root dry weight was significantly higher at 800 μmol mol⁻¹ of CO₂ only with strain A2. Fibre concentration decreased in response to elevated atmospheric CO₂ in alfalfa inoculated with strain A2 resulting in plant material with greater nutritive value when inoculated with A2 compared to NRG34. In the soil, elevated CO₂ increased the proportion of fungi in the microbial community while decreasing Gram⁻ bacteria. For alfalfa inoculated with rhizobial strain A2, photosynthetic rates, nitrogenase activity, and growth were all stimulated by increased atmospheric CO₂ compared to less consistently positive responses to elevated CO₂ when inoculated with NRG34. Our results show that it is possible to identify rhizobial strains to improve plant performance under predicted future CO₂ concentrations with no negative effect on nutritive value. The Canadian Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

The legacy of stockless organic conversion strategies

Legume‐containing leys are commonly used to improve soil fertility in the 2‐year conversion period from conventional to organic production. While in‐conversion land may be grazed, in stockless farming systems, land is effectively out of production, leading to a reduction in income and pressure on cash flow. The impacts of seven organic conversion strategies on the first organic crop (winter wheat) were previously reported. This study investigates the effect of the conversion strategies on the second (winter beans) and third (winter oats) organic crops, thereby extending the analysis throughout the first complete rotation. The strategies were (a) 2‐years’ red clover–ryegrass green manure, (b) 2‐years’ hairy vetch green manure, (c) red clover for seed production then a red clover–ryegrass green manure, (d) spring wheat undersown with red clover, then a red clover green manure, (e) spring oats, then winter beans, (f) spring wheat, then winter beans and (g) spring wheat undersown with red clover, then a barley–pea intercrop. Conversion strategy had a significant impact on organic bean yield, which ranged from 2.78 to 3.62 t ha^?1, and organic oat yield, which ranged from 3.24 to 4.17 t ha^?1. In the organic bean crop, weed abundance prior to harvest, along with soil texture, accounted for 70% of yield variation. For the oats, soil mineral nitrogen in November together with weed abundance in April accounted for 72% of the variation in yield. The impacts of conversion strategies on soil mineral nitrogen levels were still detectable 3 years after conversion. The results from this study indicate that the choice of conversion crop has important long‐term implications. More exploitative conversion strategies, that is those with a higher proportion of cash cropping, had an increased weed burden and decreased levels of soil mineral nitrogen, leading to reduced yields of beans and oats, 2 and 3 years after conversion.     

有机无机肥配施对旱地冬小麦产量和硝态氮残留淋失的影响

针对渭北旱塬氮肥施用不合理的问题,通过不同氮肥用量(0、75、150、225、300 kg N·hm^-2)与有机肥(30 t·hm^-2)配施,明确渭北旱塬麦田配施有机肥条件下合理的氮肥用量以及配施有机肥的减氮增产作用和对硝态氮残留淋失的影响.结果表明: 与单施化肥处理相比,有机无机肥配施可以在减少27.1%的氮肥用量情况下,提高14.7%的小麦籽粒产量,其中,施氮量150 kg·hm^-2配施有机肥处理的产量最高;有机无机肥配施可以促进小麦籽粒氮素吸收,氮肥利用率提高20.2%,尤其当氮肥用量为150 kg·hm^-2时,氮肥利用率达到最高值(42.0%);配施有机肥还能减少氮肥当季残留量和小麦生育期硝态氮向深层土壤淋溶,降低夏闲期淋失层硝态氮的淋失比例,当施氮量低于115 kg·hm^-2时,配施有机肥可以降低夏闲期硝态氮淋失量.基于本研究,推荐渭北旱塬在配施有机肥30 t·hm^-2的基础上,氮肥用量150 kg·hm^-2左右可实现小麦高产,提高氮肥利用率,防止氮肥过量残留.     

A new net mineralizable nitrogen assay improves predictions of floristic composition

Question: Can a simple measurement of nitrogen (N) availability be related to an ecologically relevant response, i.e. mean Ellenberg N indicator value (E_N)? Location: UK (England, Wales and Scotland). Methods: Soil cores from a stratified sample of UK habitats were analysed for mineralizable N with a conventional incubation and a new flushing method, which uses a single mineral N extraction. Predictions of mean E_N using mineralizable N and other soil measurements were assessed by fitting linear mixed‐effect models, using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) as a measure of model parsimony. Results: Mineralizable N measurements using the flushing method described a component of the variation in mean E_N that was more orthogonal to bulk soil properties such as moisture content, total N/C ratio and pH than that described by conventionally measured mineralizable N. Mineralizable N as measured using the flushing method improved the accuracy of predictions obtained using only bulk soil measurements, and appeared in the best two‐term and three‐term models. Conclusions: Much of the variation in mean E_N can be related to soil N/C ratio, pH or moisture content, but mineralizable N distinguishes variation in mean E_N that is independent of these bulk soil properties. The new measure will be useful for studies of the exposure of plants to N, in particular when assessing N pollution effects on plant species composition.     

Influence of straw types and nitrogen sources on mushroom composting emissions and compost productivity

The effects of different straw types and organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) sources on the chemical composition and odor concentration (OC) of mushroom composting emissions, compost parameters, and mushroom yield were examined using bench-scale and large-scale (windrows and aerated tunnels) composting systems. There were close correlations between the butanol or combined H₂S+dimethyl sulfide (DMS) concentration and OC of air samples taken from different composting ingredients (r=0.83 and 0.76–0.87, P<0.01, for log_e-transformed data). Differences in N availability, in terms of NH₃ and N losses during composting, were found between different N sources. Materials in which the N was less available (chipboard and digester wastes, cocoa shells, ammonium sulfate) produced lower mushroom yields than materials in which the N was more readily available (poultry manure, urea, brewers' grains, hop and molasses wastes, cocoa meal). Replacement of poultry manure with the other N sources at 50–100% or wheat straw with rape, bean, or linseed straw in aerated tunnel or windrow composts reduced the OC and emissions of odorous sulfur-containing compounds, but also reduced yield. Urea and cocoa meal may be suitable for “low odor” prewetting of straw, with addition of poultry manure immediately before aerated tunnel composting. Rape straw in compost reduces the formation of anaerobic zones and resulting odorous emissions, since it maintains its structure and porosity better than wheat straw. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 29, 99–110 doi:10.1038/sj.jim.7000292 Received 08 January 2002/ Accepted in revised form 20 June 2002     

High-nitrogen compost as a medium for organic container-grown crops

Compost was tested as a medium for organic container-grown crops. Nitrogen (N) loss during composting of separated cow manure (SCM) was minimized using high C/N (wheat straw, WS; grape marc, GM) or a slightly acidic (orange peels, OP) additives. N conservation values in the resultant composts were 82%, 95% and 98% for GM-SCM, OP-SCM and WS-SCM, respectively. Physical characteristics of the composts were compatible with use as growing media. The nutritional contribution of the composts was assessed using cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum Mill.) and by means of incubation experiments. Media were either unfertilized or fertilized with guano (sea-bird manure). Plant responses suggest that N availability is the main variable affecting growth. Unfertilized OP-SCM and WS-SCM supplied the N needed for at least 4 months of plant growth. Root-galling index (GI) of tomato roots and number of eggs of the nematode Meloidogyne javanica were reduced by the composts, with the highest reduction obtained by OP-SCM and WS-SCM, at 50% concentrations. These composts, but not peat, reduced the incidence of crown and root-rot disease in tomato as well as the population size of the causal pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici.     

Utilization of immobilized benthic algal species for N and P removal

Laboratory experiments were performed to study the growth rate and phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) uptakes of eight benthic microalgae species isolated from different sources of pig manure. Cells immobilized in calcium alginate beads were cultured with three replicates for each species. P removal rates obtained for the unicellular self-aggregating benthic species (Palmellopsis gelatinosa, Chlorosarcinopsis sp., and Macrochloris sp.) were markedly higher than those obtained in previous published experiments. N removal rates were highest for Macrochloris sp., Chlorosarcinopsis sp., and Euglena sp. 2 and comparable to the maximum rates obtained by other authors. Our results show an excellent efficiency of autochthonous benthic species for nutrient removal, especially for P, and call attention to their use for wastewater treatment.     

Modification of the acid permanganate method for obtaining an index of soil nitrogen availability

Summary The acid permanganate method proposed as a chemical index of soil nitrogen (N) availability simply measures the mineralizable N. A modification of the method has been proposed that allows the estimation of soil mineral N simultaneously. The N values obtained by the modified method correlated highly significantly with the mineral N of incubation test (r=0.80,P<0.01) and plant uptake (r=0.69,P<0.01).