Effect of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation on soil microbial activities and population dynamics - a field study

In a field experiment, net nitrogen (N) mineralization and immobilization were studied in relation to: 1) population dynamics and activities of N-metabolizing soil microbial communities, 2) changes in substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and 3) potential urease activity. Nitrogen fertilization (80 kg NO3-N ha(-1)) without irrigation induced additional N mineralization up to 280 kg N ha(-1). Net N- mineralization was weakly correlated to cell numbers of ammonifying and NH4+-oxidizing microorganisms. Potential urease activity, respiration activity and substrate-induced respiration activity ere not correlated with the amount of mineralized nitrogen. Irrigation significantly increased potential urease activity of the soil microflora. Substrate induced respiration activity and basal respiration activity of the soil microflora were highest in the unfertilized and non irrigated treatment. But greatest differences were detected between the two sampling dates. NO2--oxidizing and ammonifying microbial populations increased, while populations of NH4+-oxidizing and denitrifying microorganisms decreased with time. The results of this study demonstrate the interaction of nitrogen fertilizer application and irrigation on population dynamics of N-transforming soil microorganisms and microbial activities under field conditions. Detailed microbiological investigations of this type improve our understanding of nitrogen transformations in soil and suggest possible reasons of nitrogen losses, so that N fertilizer can be used more effectively and N losses be reduced.