<i>SHORT COMMUNICATION</i>: Estimation of microbial biomass by ninhydrin-reactive N using liquid chloroform

Abstract

Ninhydrin-reactive N (NRN), which is a reliable and sensitive indicator of soil microbial biomass, was measured in extracts of three Australian duplex soils, under different tillage systems, fumigated using either vaporized or liquid CHCl 3 . Although the relationship between the two fumigation-extraction methods was influenced by soil type, the use of liquid CHCl 3 appears to be a promising technique to allow greater ease and speed for releasing NRN in microbial biomass analysis. Key words: Duplex soils, tillage, microbial biomass, fumigation-extraction method