Soil Microbial Biomass and Water-Soluble Organic Carbon in Crop Rotation Systems in a Moist Tropical Savanna Alfisol

Abstract

Knowledge of the dynamics of microbial biomass and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) are important in understanding microbial cycling of nutrients, especially where external inputs of nutrients are low. We investigated the effect of preceding legumes-soybean (Glycine max), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), Centrosema pascuorum, and a natural fallow on soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and nitrogen (SMBN) and WSOC and their relationship with soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N in the second season of maize cropping. The SMBC and its proportion in SOC and WSOC were significantly (P