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Article: Nitrate ammonification and its relationship to the accumulation of ammonium in a Vertisol subsoil.(Author Abstract)
- Article from:
- Australian Journal of Soil Research
- Article date:
- July 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 CSIRO Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
In a Vertisol soil in south-east Queensland, high concentrations of exchangeable ammonium (up to 270 kg N/ha) have been observed between 1.2 and 3 m (Hossain et al. 1996). Given that nitrogen (N) is often one of the most limiting nutrients for plant growth, this large reserve of ammonium would represent a valuable resource to the agricultural sector if it could be moved into the surface layers of the soil profile through, for example, the incorporation of deep-rooted species into cropping rotations.
In order to successfully access the subsoil ammonium at this site and identify other areas where ammonium accumulations may exist, it is ...