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Concurrent Transformation of Lignosulfonate Carbon and Urea Nitrogen in Clay Soil

Environmental Research and Engineering Dep., Alberta Research Council, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6H 5X2

A. F. MacKenzie, L. P. O'Halloran and J. W. Fyles

Dep. of Renewable Resource, Macdonald Campus of McGill University Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X 1C0

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Lignosulfonate (LS), a waste product from the pulp and paper industry, can be a potential source of soil organic matter. Its transformation in soil may affect the relative amounts of soil N and organic matter fractions. A clay soil was incubated with urea at rates of 0, 500, or 1000 mg N kg^–1 soil and NH₄LS at rates of 0, 25, 50, 100, or 150 g NH₄LS kg^–1 soil at 70% field moisture capacity for 60 d. The incubated soil was analyzed for NH₄-N, NO₃-N, and total N. Soil organic carbon was partitioned into humin (HM)C, humic acids (HA)C, and fulvic acids (FA)C. In general, both urea and NH₄LS additions increased total N, NH₄-N, and organic N (difference between total N and NH₄-N) but reduced NO₃-N. The higher the NH₄LS rate, the greater the regression slope of N fractions (except NO₃-N) on urea addition rates, and the higher the urea rate, the greater the regression slope of N fractions (except NO₃-N) on NH₄LS rates, indicating the effect of interaction between urea and NH₄LS on N distribution in the soil. Ammonium LS increased and urea decreased the C/N ratio of soil organic matter. Proportions of HM-C and HA-C decreased while that of FA-C increased with increasing NH₄LS rates. Urea reduced the HA-C and increased the FA-C fraction. The results showed that simultaneous application of urea and NH₄LS can increase soil organic matter content (particularly the FA-C fraction) and enhance N transformation into NH₄-N and organic N fractions and reduce NO₃-N.

Contribution from Dep. of Renewable Resource, Macdonald Campus of McGill University.

Received for publication November 6, 1992.