Microbial Properties of a Loess Soil as Affected by Various Nutrient Management Practices in the Loess Plateau of China

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Vol. 41; no. 5-8; pp. 956 - 967
• Main Authors: Yang, Xueyun, Zhou, Shasha, Sun, Benhua, Wang, Baiqun, Zhang, Shulan, Gu, Qiaozhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2010; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agrochemicals; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Chemical properties; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; China; corn; corn stover; crop management; crop production; crop rotation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Analysis and diagnosis methods; loess soils; long term experiments; Long-term fertilization experiment; microbial activity; microbial biomass carbon; microbial biomass nitrogen; microbial biomass phosphorus; microbial growth; Microbiology; Mineral fertilizers; nitrogen fertilizers; Organic carbon; Organic matter; Organic phosphorus; phosphorus; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; plant residues; quantitative analysis; soil amendments; soil chemistry; soil fertility; soil microorganisms; soil organic carbon; soil organic nitrogen; Soil pH; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; total phosphorus; Triticum aestivum; winter wheat; Zea mays; China; Asia; Biological properties; Microbial activity; Organic carbon; Long-term fertilization experiment; microbial biomass carbon; Total phosphorus; microbial biomass phosphorus; Nitrogen; Balanced fertilization; Microbial biomass; Long term; microbial biomass nitrogen
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103621003646048

Microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) and its relationships with other biological and chemical properties were studied on loess soil with an 11-year long-term fertilization experiment. The results indicated that inorganic fertilizers (F) improved soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and MBP levels and F plus maize stalk (SNPK) improved MBC and MBN. Manuring markedly increased soil MBC, MBN, and MBP levels. Fertilization decreased the ratios of MBC/MBN, MBC/MBP, and MBN/MBP. Microbial biomass phosphorus was positively and linearly correlated with MBC, MBN, organic carbon (SOC), total phosphorus (TP), water-soluble P, and Olsen P but negatively correlated with soil pH. Microbial biomass phosphorus constituted 2% of TP on control (CK) and inorganic fertilizer treatments and 12% on manure plots. Microbial biomass phosphorus to Olsen P ratios were 50% on CK, F, and SNPK and 80% on manure treatments. Measurements of MBP in soil containing high Olsen P were subject to analytical problems of unknown reasons.