JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Study of phosphorus reactions over time and the role of organic matter in the calcareous soils are important for the development of P fertilizer and manure management practices. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of applied manure on P availability and its chemical forms in the soil, over time. Eight samples were collected from semi-arid calcareous soils of Mashhad plain. The samples were treated with two levels of inorganic P (0 and 300 mg P kg^-1 soil as KH₂PO₄) and two levels of organic matter (0 and 1% cattle manure). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement. The treated soil samples were incubated for 2, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 and 150 days, then analyzed for available P (Olsen-P). The result showed that only 17% of added phosphorus was available in P treatment at the end of experiment. In manure treated soils, this figure reached 34% for the same period of time. Application of manure along with P increased the recovery of applied P and CBD-P (Citrate-Bicarbonate-Dithionite). This may be due to the formation of P-organic complexes with Fe oxides. Application of manure in soil increased NaCl-NaOH-P considerably compared with P and P+OM treatments. It can be concluded that P originating from manure compared with inorganic-P may be more available for plants over the time.

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Urease is one of the most important enzymes in nitrogen cycle. The clay particles (with high surface area) play an important role in the stability of these protein compounds (enzymes) against various environmental factors. In order to examine the interactions between urease with sepiolite and vermiculite, three in vitro experiments were conducted separately in a completely randomized design. Two experiments were carried out with two replications. Treatments included six incubation times (0, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 days) and five levels of temperature (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 ˚C). The third experiment was carried out in a factorial arrangement with two replications. Factors included three levels of pH (5, 7 and 9), and six-levels of enzyme concentrations (0.05, 0.25, 1, 5, 15 and 30 units). The results showed that the activity of adsorbed enzyme was more than free enzyme during the incubation time. The optimum temperatures for activity of free and adsorbed enzymes were 30 and 50 ˚C, respectively. It was concluded that enzyme adsorption on clay surfaces increases enzyme stability against environmental changes. Also, the results showed that the highest levels of urease adsorption on sepiolite and vermiculite occurred at pH 9 and 7, respectively. Adsorption isotherms of Enzyme showed that Vermiculite adsorbed urease with higher affinity compared to Sepiolite.