Summary — Relationship between N mineralization capacity and net nitrogen mineralization in field conditions. The net nitrogen mineralization capacity of 6 soils of the Alsace Plain (France) was compared to available N measured in maize fields. The nitrogen mineralization potential of soils was assessed by incubation tests with constant water content (90% of water content at 0.1 MPa matric suction) at 20 °C and at outdoor temperatures. Two field procedures were used to estimate the N mineralization: balance-sheet of inorganic N on bare soil and of N uptake by maize receiving no N fertilizer (table II). The ratio between inorganic N available on bare soil and N uptake by aerial parts of the culture ranged between 1.2-1.5 in 4 plots but was lower in 2 plots; one possible explanation was an underestimation of N availability by bare soil procedure. Mineralization N evaluation by field procedures in 3 plots was largely lower than the estimate by biological test incubation (fig 3). These results were likely due to N leaching and to the effect of soil water content and air porosity on microbial activity in field conditions.
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