Articles | Volume 16, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-16-3-2016
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-16-3-2016
Short communication
 | 
18 Jan 2016
Short communication |  | 18 Jan 2016

Effects of agricultural practices on soil and microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content: a preliminary case study

F. Amaral and M. Abelho

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Cited articles

Bärlocher, F.: A primer for statistical analysis, in: Methods to Study Litter Decomposition: A Practical Guide, edited by: Graça, M. A. S., Bärlocher, F. and Gessner, M. O., Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 313–329, 2005.
Brookes, P. C., Powlson, D. S., and Jenkinson, D. S.: Measurement of microbial biomass phosphorus in soil, Soil Biol. Biochem., 14, 319–329, 1982.
Brookes, P. C., Landman, A., Pruden, G., and Jenkinson, D. S.: Chloroform fumigation and the release of soil nitrogen: a rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil, Soil Biol. Biochem., 17, 837–842, 1985.
Cleveland, C. and Liptzin, D.: C  :  N  :  P stoichiometry in soil: is there a “Redfield ratio” for the microbial biomass?, Biogeochemistry, 85, 235–252, 2007.
Kallenbach, C. and Grandy, A. S.: Controls over soil microbial biomass responses to carbon amendments in agricultural systems: A meta-analysis, Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 144, 241–252, 2011.
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Short summary
In this study we assessed carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil and soil microbial biomass subject to conventional farming and three different organic farming practices. The results showed that microbial biomass was P-limited in soils subject to conventional farming and to organic farming with alfalfa green manure. Organic farming with compost amendment showed the best results in terms of microbial performance.
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