Relationship between Water Content and Mineralization of Carbon and Nitrogen in Soils Varying in Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Akhmad Rizalli Saidy

doi:10.5400/jts.2013.v18i1.45-52

Abstract

An understanding on relationship between water content and mineralization of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) across soils varying in physical and chemical characteristics is required to assess the influence of soil physico-chemical properties on soil organic matter decomposition. However, such information is rarely available. Relationship between C and N mineralization of three soils varying in physico-chemical properties with different measurements of water content (water-filled pore space, gravimetric water content, volumetric water content, and water holding capacity) was studied through an incubation experiment for 8 weeks. Results of the experiment showed that C and N mineralization increased with increasing water content, reached a maximum, and then decreased with subsequent increasing water content levels. Maximum C and N mineralizations were observed at 70-80% and 50% water-filled pore space (WFPS), respectively. The ranges of WFPS for C and N mineralization were the narrowest among other measurements of water content. Therefore, it was likely that a single WFPS could be used in subsequent incubations to examine either C or N mineralization of soils with different characteristics. Result of this study suggests that the preliminary experiment on the relationship between mineralization of C and N and water content is necessary to do where mineralization is needed to be assessed in soils that have different physico-chemical characteristics.Keywords: Carbon and nitrogen mineralization, percent of water-filled pore space, water content[How to Cite : Saidy AR. 2013. Relationship between Water Content and Mineralization of Carbon and Nitrogen in Soils Varying in Physical and Chemical Characteristics. J Trop Soils, 18 (1) : 45-52. doi: 10.5400/jts.2013.18.1.45][Permalink/DOI: www.dx.doi.org/10.5400/jts.2013.18.1.45]

Highlights

Tidal swampland is the land that is affected by sea tide
In Indonesia, tidal swampland is potential to be developed into agricultural land uses
This research aimed to determine the soil physical properties that are related to water availability in the soils from different land uses in a tidal swamp land area applied with a fork irrigation system

Summary

Introduction

In Indonesia, the tidal swampland spreads out in Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua islands with the total area of 20.13 million ha (Subagyo 2006; Nugroho and Suriadikarta 2010), and about 9.53 million ha out of 20.13 million ha is suitable for agricultural land. The area of tidal swampland that has been opened or reclaimed by the Indonesian government is about 2.27 million ha, while that that has not been reclaimed is approximately 7.26 million ha. The area of tidal swampland that is opened independently by local communities is around 3.0 million ha (Haryono et al 2013). Other data show that the total area of tidal swampland that spreads out in 30 provinces in Indonesia is around 11.03 million ha, of which 9.32 million ha is potentially or suitable for agricultural land (Mulyani and Sarwani 2013)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion