Abstract
A set of tests was performed to adapt enzyme assays (phosphatase, urease) to conditions of poor sandy soils of West African semi-arid zone. The pH buffer, substrate concentration, incubation time were studied. Moreover, effects of soil water content (5% WHC, 100% WHC, 200% WHC) and drying–rewetting cycles were considered. Phosphatase activity peaked at pH close to soil pH.[6] By contrast, urease was the highest for pH buffer of 10. Optimal substrate concentrations were 5 mM and 720 mM for phosphatase and urease, respectively. The tested incubation time (30 min, 60 min, 90 min, 120 min) had no impact on enzyme assays. Urease activity was not modified either by soil water content or by drying–rewetting cycles. For the phosphatase, the highest activity was recorded for soil incubated at 100% WHC. Air-drying depleted this activity. Soils incubated at 5% and 200% WHC were not sensitive to drying–rewetting cycles.
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