Kinetics of Microbial Carbon Mineralization from Soil Incubated Agro-wastes

Abstract

Carbon mineralization rates of various agro-wastes differ in genetic properties. Decomposition of two surface applied and incorporated crop wheat-maize residues were studied in laboratory incubation trail to determine measure the carbon mineralization with and without phosphorus addition at 23° C for 39 days. It was revealed that residue returning to arable soil increased significantly residue CO2 evolution & emission rates were 33% higher compared to control. With incorporated residues soil emitted more CO2-C than surfaced ones. Further, soil organic carbon levels were increased but more C was sequestered in incorporated treatments than surface applied. Microbial biomass carbon increased with addition of residues where as P application reduced it to some extent at same temperature. The total influx of CO2-C was linearly correlated with time of incubation for both P levels and application ways under controlled environment