Soil microbial respiration responses to repeated urea applications in three grasslands
F. M. Kelliher A E , J. R. Sedcole B , R. F. Minchin B , Y. Wan C , L. M. Condron B , T. J. Clough B and R. Bol DA Manaaki Whenua–Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand.
B Agriculture and Life Sciences, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury 8150, New Zealand.
C Institute for Agro-environment and Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
D Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2SB, United Kingdom.
E Corresponding author. Email: KelliherF@LandcareResearch.co.nz
Australian Journal of Soil Research 43(8) 905-913 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR05068
Submitted: 18 May 2005 Accepted: 1 September 2005 Published: 8 December 2005
Abstract
Grazing animals excrete urine and create transitorily high pH, nitrogen (N)-replete soil patches. Beneath grazed pasture, we postulated the soil microbial community would be highly responsive to N application. Lesser responses were expected of soils beneath grassland without grazing animals. Soil samples were collected near Lincoln, New Zealand (43.6°S, 172.5°E), beneath pasture regularly grazed by dairy cattle, an adjacent pasture set aside from grazing 20 years ago, and a nearby grassland that has never been grazed. Soil microbial respiration responses to repeated urea (500 kg N/ha) applications were determined by laboratory incubation experiments and the soil pH and water-soluble C content were also measured. The first application induced 0.13 ± 0.04 (dairy farm), 0.15 ± 0.05 (set aside), and 0.20 ± 0.04 (ungrazed) g C/kg increases in microbial respiration over 9 days, excluding carbon dioxide production from carbonate hydrolysis. After a second application, 9-day respiration increased by 0.26 ± 0.04 (dairy farm), 0.41 ± 0.04 (set aside) and 0.20 ± 0.07 (ungrazed) g C/kg. For the dairy farm and ungrazed soils, the microbial communities responded differently to repeated urea addition. The responses included transitory changes in pH and reflected the limited amounts of readily decomposable organic matter.
Additional keywords: microbial respiration, urea, pH, organic matter.
Acknowledgments
The New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology funded Frank Kelliher. He acknowledges a Stapledon Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship. This funded an August 2003 trip to the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research that stimulated the research reported here. Reece Minchin was funded by a Lincoln University summer scholarship. We are very grateful to Roger McLenaghan for identifying the soil sampling sites. John Greenslade kindly allowed us to collect soil samples from his dairy farm, explained the farm’s landuse history, and shared his production data. Hugh Blakemanson, Selwyn District Council, gave us permission to collect soil samples from the set aside and fallow grassland sites. Jason Breitmeyer and Linda Hill conducted the soil property measurements. John Hunt identified the plant species, Carol Barlow, Harry Clark, Brian Daly, Paul Newton, Des Ross, Rob Sherlock, John Scott, and Trevor Webb contributed valuable discussions and 2 anonymous reviewers provided constructive criticism.
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