Lipid content and related fatty acid composition in fallow and cultivated soil in Southern Italy

Summary Lipid content and fatty acid composition were studied on two soil samples—one fallow and one cultivated with durum wheat. Differences between the cultivated and the fallow subunits in respect of total lipid content and the saponifiable fraction were found to be statistically significant. The same observations were made on some fatty acids showing either accumulation or decrease after three years. The interaction years x cultivation for total lipid content and the saponifiable fraction was significant showing that accumulation and reduction of lipids in the cultivated subunit are in equilibrium. The interaction dates of sampling x cultivation was significant for C150, C160, C180, C240 as their contents increase in the cultivated subunit in July as a result of the decomposition of plant tissues.Results discussed in this paper have been partially presented at the 7th International Symposium Humus et Planta Brno (Czechoslovakia) on August 20–25th 1979. This research has been partially supported by the National Research Council of Italy and carried out at the Experimental Institute of Agronomy — Bari — Italy (Director: F. Lanza).