Biocide manipulation of N flow to investigate root/microbe competition in forest soil

Autor: Nicola Jamieson, Kenneth Stuart Killham
Rok vydání: 1994
Předmět:
Zdroj: Plant and Soil. 159:283-290
ISSN: 1573-5036
0032-079X
DOI: 10.1007/bf00009291
Popis: Root/microbe competition was investigated as a mechanism controlling fertilizer N uptake by coniferous forest trees. Combinations of biocides both with and without 15N labelled urea, were applied to microcosms containing Sitka spruce seedlings, to selectively inhibit target microbial groups which may be competing with roots for N. After 1 growing season, concentrations of fertilizer N and total N in the trees, as well as populations of microbes and animals, were determined. Biocidal inhibition of microbial populations, particularly of fungi, was associated with significant increases in concentraions of fertilizer N and total N in Sitka spruce seedlings. Application of the fungicide benlate, for example, increased the concentration of fertilizer-derived N in spruce needles by one order of magnitude, and was associated with significant reductions in FDA-active hyphal lengths of fungi. This approach to investigating N-flow offers considerable potential for short term experiments involving competition for fertilizer/available N, where the microbial biomass represents the major ‘sink’ for N in competition with roots.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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