The differential assimilation of nitrogen fertilizer compounds by soil microorganisms

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Charteris, A., Knowles, T. D. J., Mead, A., Reay, M. K., Michaelides, K. and Evershed, R. P. 2024. The differential assimilation of nitrogen fertilizer compounds by soil microorganisms . FEMS Microbiology Letters. 371, p. fnae041. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnae041

AuthorsCharteris, A., Knowles, T. D. J., Mead, A., Reay, M. K., Michaelides, K. and Evershed, R. P.
Abstract

The differential soil microbial assimilation of common nitrogen (N) fertilizer compounds into the soil organic N pool is revealed using novel compound-specific amino acid (AA) 15N-stable isotope probing. The incorporation of fertilizer 15N into individual AAs reflected the known biochemistry of N assimilation—e.g. 15N-labelled ammonium (15NH4+) was assimilated most quickly and to the greatest extent into glutamate. A maximum of 12.9% of applied 15NH4+, or 11.7% of ‘retained’ 15NH4+ (remaining in the soil) was assimilated into the total hydrolysable AA pool in the Rowden Moor soil. Incorporation was lowest in the Rowden Moor 15N-labelled nitrate (15NO3−) treatment, at 1.7% of applied 15N or 1.6% of retained 15N. Incorporation in the 15NH4+ and 15NO3− treatments in the Winterbourne Abbas soil, and the 15N-urea treatment in both soils was between 4.4% and 6.5% of applied 15N or 5.2% and 6.4% of retained 15N. This represents a key step in greater comprehension of the microbially mediated transformations of fertilizer N to organic N and contributes to a more complete picture of soil N-cycling. The approach also mechanistically links theoretical/pure culture derived biochemical expectations and bulk level fertilizer immobilization studies, bridging these different scales of understanding.

Keywords15N stable isotope tracing (SIP); Amino acids; Ammonium; Urea; Immobilization
Year of Publication2024
JournalFEMS Microbiology Letters
Journal citation371, p. fnae041
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnae041
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
Funder project or codeNE/J017523/1
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online07 Jun 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted06 Jun 2024
ISSN0378-1097
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP)

Permalink - https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/99121/the-differential-assimilation-of-nitrogen-fertilizer-compounds-by-soil-microorganisms

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