Record Details

Influence of anhydrous ammonia on the solubility of soil organic matter

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Influence of anhydrous ammonia on the solubility of soil organic matter
Names Mangum, Doris Louell (creator)
Young, J. L. (advisor)
Date Issued 1965-08-09 (iso8601)
Note Graduation date: 1966
Abstract Four surface and three subsurface horizons of agriculturally
important Oregon soils were exposed to excessive volumes of anhydrous
ammonia and reequilibrated with the atmosphere for several
time periods prior to extraction with water. The carbon solubilized
was determined by a modified wet combustion technique. Nitrogen
in the soils, extracts, and residues was determined by a micro-Kjeldahl procedure.
About three to ten % of the indigenous carbon was extracted.
The actual amount of carbon solubilized was proportional to the original
soil carbon contents, This amount of carbon approximated
that solubilized during extraction of soils with 0.15 N NHâ‚„OH. The
soil moisture content at ammoniation time appeared to have little
influence on the quantity of carbon solubilized. With an increase
in reequilibration time with the atmosphere there was only a slight
decrease in the amount of carbon extracted. Anhydrous ammonia application and subsequent aeration increased
nitrogen contents over the indigenous values about twice as
much in the C horizons as in the A horizons. Within three days 20
to 50% of the initially retained nitrogen was lost to the atmosphere.
The pH values of the soils and extracts corresponded to the nitrogen
values and decreased with the length of time elapsing prior to extraction,
Assuming that the laboratory treatments and extracting methods
were much more severe and effective in solubilizing organic
matter than would be expected under field conditions, it is suggested
that soil structural changes due to organic matter solubilization after
anhydrous ammonia application would be minor. Changes in
structural stability may be more related to phenomena accompanying
large pH changes than to dissolution and redistribution of the
organic fraction.
Genre Thesis/Dissertation
Topic Soils -- Analysis
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/1957/47716

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