Temporal changes in C, P and N concentrations in soil solution following application of synthetic sheep urine to a soil under grass.

Abstract

We have determined the temporal changes in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and P and N components in soil solution following application of synthetic sheep urine (500 kg N ha-1) to a brown forest soil in boxes sown with Agrostis capillaris. Three contrasting defoliation treatments (no cutting, single cut before urine application and regular cutting twice per week) plus a fallow soil were studied. The synthetic urine contained 15N labelled urea and was P-free. Intact soil cores were taken after 2, 7, 14, 21 and 56 d and centrifuged to obtain soil solution. The urea in the synthetic urine was rapidly hydrolysed in the soil, increasing soil solution pH, DOC and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) concentrations. For the regularly defoliated sward, DOC and P reached maximum concentrations (4000 mg DOC L-1 and 59 mg TDP L-1) on day 7. From their peak values, pH and DOC and P concentrations generally decreased with time and at day 56 were near those of the control. Concentrations of NH4 + and NO3 - in the no-urine treatments fluctuated and the greatest treatment differences were between the fallow soil and the soil sown with grass. Adding synthetic urine increased NH4 + concentrations during the first week, but NO3 - concentrations decreased. This was consistent with the 15N labelling of the NO3 - pool which required 3 weeks to reach that of 15NH4 +. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) reached a maximum value at day 7 with a concentration of 409 mg N L-1. The DON in soil solution contained no detectable amounts of 15N label indicating that it was derived from sources in the soil. Differences in soil solution composition related to the effect of the other cutting treatments and the fallow treatment were small compared to the effect of synthetic urine addition.