Summary
The fate of N when incorporated in a ferrallitic soil was investigated during a 3-month incubation, using either 15N-labelled urea or 15N-labelled crop residues (sugarcane roots and leaves). The organic matter was characterized by particle-size fractionation. The urea-derived organic 15N was mainly found in the clay-sized fractions and was ascribed to biological activity. The plant-derived 15N was observed both in the sand-sized and in the clay-sized fractions; the former pool was ascribed to the persistence of crops residues, the latter to biological immobilization. The relative proportions of organic 15N recovered in the various clay fractions (coarse, fine, and very fine) were similar, irrespective of the nature of the added 15N. The very fine clay fraction (F<0.05 μm) showed the highest isotopic excess, and thus gave rise to the highest turnover rate.
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Francois, C., Feller, C., Guiraud, G. et al. Immobilization of nitrogen from urea and plant residues in a ferrallitic soil: Laboratory experiments and study by size-fractionation. Biol Fertil Soils 12, 182–188 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337199
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337199