Relationship between N immobilization and volatile fatty acids in soil after application of pig and cattle slurry

Abstract

A laboratory study was performed to determine decomposition of fatty aicds and mineralization of C and N from slurries in soil. Fatty acids present in slurries decomposed within 1 - 2 days at 25-degrees-C in soil. Parallel to the fatty acid decomposition, immobilization of N was measured in soil. The correlation between the initial fatty acid concentrations in the slurries and the amounts of N immobilized were found to be highly significant (R2 = 0.97). It was concluded that fatty acids act as an easily decomposable C source for microorganisms and cause immobilization of N. Immobilization of N was followed by a curvilinear mineralization of N in all slurry-treated soils. Despite mineralization, only fresh pig slurry and anaerobically digested pig slurry showed a net release of N over 70 days whereas cattle slurry and anaerobically fermented pig slurry did not. The percentage of slurry C evolved during 70 days was fresh pig slurry, 65%; anaerobically fermented pig slurry, 48%; anaerobically digested pig slurry, 45%; and anaerobically fermented cattle slurry, 42%.

Keywords

ACETATE; PROPIONATE; BUTYRATE; N-IMMOBILIZATION; ANIMAL SLURRY

Published in

Biology and Fertility of Soils
1993, volume: 15, number: 3, pages: 161-164
Publisher: SPRINGER VERLAG

SLU Authors

• Kirchmann, Holger

  • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lundvall, Anders

  • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Soil Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361605

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/44237