Effects of slow-release urea fertilizers on urease activity, microbial biomass, and nematode communities in an aquic brown soil

Sci China C Life Sci. 2005 May:48 Suppl 1:26-32. doi: 10.1007/BF02889798.

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology (CAS) in order to study the effects of slow-release urea fertilizers high polymer-coated urea (SRU1), SRU1 mixed with dicyandiamide DCD (SRU2), and SRU1 mixed with calcium carbide CaC2 (SRU3) on urease activity, microbial biomass C and N, and nematode communities in an aquic brown soil during the maize growth period. The results demonstrated that the application of slow-release urea fertilizers inhibits soil urease activity and increases the soil NH4+-N content. Soil available N increment could promote its immobilization by microorganisms. Determination of soil microbial biomass N indicated that a combined application of coated urea and nitrification inhibitors increased the soil active N pool. The population of predators/omnivores indicated that treatment with SRU2 could provide enough soil NH4+-N to promote maize growth and increased the food resource for the soil fauna compared with the other treatments.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylene / analogs & derivatives
  • Acetylene / chemistry
  • Acetylene / pharmacology
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Biomass
  • Fertilizers / analysis
  • Guanidines / chemistry
  • Guanidines / pharmacology
  • Nematoda / drug effects*
  • Nematoda / growth & development
  • Nitrates / analysis
  • Nitrogen Compounds / analysis
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / analysis
  • Soil / analysis*
  • Soil / parasitology
  • Soil Microbiology*
  • Time Factors
  • Urea / chemistry
  • Urea / pharmacology*
  • Urease / metabolism*
  • Zea mays / drug effects
  • Zea mays / growth & development
  • Zea mays / metabolism

Substances

  • Fertilizers
  • Guanidines
  • Nitrates
  • Nitrogen Compounds
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Soil
  • calcium carbide
  • Urea
  • Urease
  • dicyandiamido
  • Acetylene