Nutrient release from decomposing crop residues in soil: A laboratory experiment

Abstract

Abstract In a 400-day laboratory experiment, soil was amended with rape, sunflower and soybean residues to monitor the quantitative changes in the main inorganic nutrients. Total N, available P, exchangeable K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ in all the amended samples increased significantly. Generally, the increase in the amounts of these nutrients was maintained until the end of the incubation period, suggesting that the mineralization of the three crop residues enhanced soil fertility. In amended soil samples, disappeared within 14 days, while available N was released as after 60 days in soybean-treated and after 120 days in rape- and sunflower-treated soil, respectively. Water-soluble P was completely lacking in each treatment because of microbial immobilization and adsorption or precipitation processes in soil.