Abstract
The addition of sugar beet to soils as a source of C led to an increase in the availability of easily utilizable C (glucose), which in turn markedly increased numbers of soil bacteria and of the yeast Williopsis californica. Nitrification, P solubilization, urea hydrolysis (and the subsequent nitrification of liberated NH sup+inf4 ) were stimulated by this amendment. The stimulation of nitrification may have been a result of increased heterotrophic nitrification. In contrast, the concentration of sulphate in So-amended soils declined following amendment, presumably as the result of enhanced S immobilization. Activity of the enzymes amylase, aryl sulphatase, invertase, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and urease were all stimulated by the sugar beet amendment. These results suggest that sugar beet amendment could be used to increase the rate of release of plant-available ions from fertilizers such as insoluble phosphates. Problems may arise, however, from a subsequent increase in nitrification and reduced sulphate availability.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arteaga-Reyes E, Echegaray-Aleman A, Garcia-Trejo A (1977) An improved method to isolate yeasts from soil. Soil Biol Biochem 9:367–369
Benefield CB, Howard JA, Howard DM (1977) The estimation of dehydrogenase activity in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 9:67–70
Bernfeld P (1955) Amylases, α and β.. Methods Enzymol 1:149–150
Douglas IA, Bremner JM (1970) Colorimetric determination of microgram quantities of urea. Anal Lett 3:79–87
Duddridge JE, Wainwright M (1980) Effect of sodium chloride on enzyme activity and synthesis in river sediments. Environ Technol Lett 1:319–326
Falih AM, Wainwright M (1994) Nitrification, S-oxidation and P-solubilization by the soil yeast Williopsis californica and by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mycol Res 99:200–204
Fauvel B, Rouquerol T (1970) The phosphatase test considered as an index of soil activity and evolution. Rev Ecol Biol Sol 7:393–406
Frankenberger WT, Johanson JB (1983) Factors affecting invertase activity in soils. Plant and Soil 74:313–323
Hesse PR (1971) A textbook of soil chemical analysis. Murray, London
Killham K (1986) Heterotrophic nitrification. In: Prosser CJI (ed) Nitrification. Information Retrieval Limited, Oxford, pp 117–126
Stotzky G, Norman AG (1961) Factors limiting microbial activity in soil. The effect of sulfur. Arch Microbiol 40:370–382
Tabatabai MA, Bremner JM (1969) Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biol Biochem 1:301–307
Tabatabai MA, Bremner JM (1970) Arylsulphate activity of soils. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 34:225–229
Wainwright M, Pugh GJF (1973) The effect of three fungicides on nitrification and ammonification in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 5:577–584
Wu J, O'Donnell AG, Syers JK (1993) Microbial growth and sulphur immobilization following the incorporation of plant residues into soil. Soil Biol Biochem 25:1567–1573
Zantua MI, Bremner JM (1976) Production and persistence of urease activity in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 8:369–374
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Falih, A.M.K., Wainwright, M. Microbial and enzyme activity in soils amended with a natural source of easily available carbon. Biol Fertil Soils 21, 177–183 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335931
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335931