Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Tucson, Arizona » SWRC » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #154001
Title: IMPACT OF SOIL AMINO ACIDS ON CROP YIELD IN CORN-SOYBEAN ROTATIONS 1537

Author
item Martens, Dean
item Loeffelmann, Kevin

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/29/2003
Publication Date: 10/15/2003
Citation: Martens, D.A. 2003. Impact of soil amino acids on crop yield in corn-soybean rotations. {Abstract}. Agronomy Abstracts CD sO4-martens527335-O.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Research has failed to accurately determine plant available N released by soil N mineralization to reduce the need of fertilizer-N. The lack of success is due to the highly temporal and spatially variable mineral N that is the main form of N assimilated by plants, but compose only 2 to 5% of the total N content. Recent advances have identified from 80 to 90% of the total N fraction in soils (n = 22 soils) as amino acids (AA), amino sugars (AS) and NH4+ (collectively termed AA fraction). Application of this technology to 10 soils from a corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) rotation sampled May and September (1997 - 1999) found that following corn (n = 6), net soil AA content decreased (315 kg N ha-1) and following soybean (n = 6), the net soil AA content increased (340 kg N ha-1). The relationship between AA-N and corn yield for two climatically distinct years (1997 and 1999) showed a similar response and plateau function and suggest that many soils require smaller N rates than currently applied. The increased and decreased AA pattern was very similar for each soil, except for three soils that had frequent spring ponding, and suggested no preferential mineralization or immobilization of different fractions within the AA-N composition. Thus measuring a specific fraction such as the AS component, may provide essential information on the status of the entire AA-N fraction.