Conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) management systems alter soil nutrient availability and consequently modify soil microbial response to nutrient additions such as carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). The objective of this study is to evaluate microbial response to the addition of C (glucose) and P (Na2HPO4.7H2O) under CT and NT in the brazilian Cerrado. In response to glucose addition, t...

Changes in litterfall dynamics and soil properties due to anthropogenic or natural perturbations have important implications to soil carbon (C) and nutrient cycling via microbial pathway. Here we determine soil microbial responses to contrasting types of litter inputs (leaf vs. fine woody litter) and nitrogen (N) deposition by conducting a multi-year litter manipulation and N addition experimen...

Soil enzyme activities are greatly influenced by soil properties and could be significant indicators of heavy metal toxicity in soil for bioavailability assessment. Two groups of experiments were conducted to determine the joint effects of heavy metals and soil properties on soil enzyme activities. Results showed that arylsulfatase was the most sensitive soil enzyme and could be used as an indi...

The anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) may inhibit soil microorganisms and may occur in agricultural soil through the application of sewage sludge. For five microbial parameters (microbial biomass C and the potentials of iron reduction, ammonium oxidation, dehydrogenase activity, and arylsulfatase activity), we compared the effects of aqueous LAS and LAS-spiked sewage sludge...

The field experiments were conducted on sandy loam soil at New Delhi, during 2007 and 2008 to investigate the effect of conservation tillage, irrigation regimes (sub-optimal, optimal and supra-optimal water regimes), and integrated nutrient management (INM) practices on soil biological parameters in wheat cultivation. The conservation tillage soils has shown significant (p<0.05) increase in soi...

duced by N deposition could indirectly influence the composition and function of microbial communities. AlOn a global scale, human activity has increased the atmospheric ternatively, anthropogenic N deposition could directly input of NO 3 to many terrestrial ecosystems. Anthropogenic NO 3 may be a potent modifier of ecosystem function, especially in tempermodify soil microbial communities by su...

Fluometuron (N,N-dimethyl-N0-[3-(tri ̄uoromethyl)phenyl]urea) is the most widely used soil applied herbicide in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production in the Southeastern United States. Thus, there is a need to understand the persistence of this herbicide under various crop management systems in regards to both herbicide ef®ciency and environmental fate. The effects of long-term no-tillage pract...

Soil is a complex and dynamic biological system, and still in 2003 it is difficult to determine the composition of microbial communities in soil. We are also limited in the determination of microbially mediated reactions because present assays for determining the overall rate of entire metabolic processes (such as respiration) or specific enzyme activities (such as urease, protease and phosphom...

AIM This study evaluates the effect of surface application of dried Class A biosolids on microbial populations within copper mine tailings. METHODS AND RESULTS Mine tailing sites were established at ASARCO Mission Mine close to Sahuarita Arizona. Site 1 (December 1998) was amended with 248 tons ha(-1) of Class A biosolids. Sites 2 (December 2000) and 3 (April 2006) were amended with 371 and 2...

The effect of organic amendments and pesticides on a soil microbial community has garnered considerable interest due to the involvement of microorganisms in numerous soil conservation and maintenance reactions. The aim of this work was to assess the influence on a soil microbial community of the simultaneous application of the herbicide triasulfuron at three doses (2, 10, and 50 mg kg-1), with ...