Abstract
Deep tillage management and extreme fertilizer application stimulates soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition to a great extent. In some arable soils in Schleswig‐Holstein (northwest Germany) nearly 30% of the total organic carbon (TOC) stored in the soil in former times was mineralized in the last 20 years. In these soils, microbial biomass, enzyme activities and SOM composition were investigated in order to find out if the low TOC level affects microbial parameters, SOM quality and crop yield. Microbial parameters, SOM quality and crop yield. Microbial biomass (Cmic) and enzyme activities decrease compared to soils with a typical TOC level. The decrease of Cmic/TOC ratio suggest a low‐level ecophysiological steady‐state in microbial activity. The SOM quality changed with respect to an enrichment of initial litter compounds in the low TOC‐level top soil layers. The recent management do not preserve a desirable humic compound level. However, we found no significant decrease of crop yield. Arising from the results we suggest, that microbial biomass, dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity are not necessarily indicators for soil fertility in soils with high fertilizer application without forage production and manure application.
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