Comparison of N Mineralization Rate and Pattern in Different Manure- and Sewage Sludge-Amended Calcareous Soil

A 12-week incubation experiment was conducted to determine the pattern and rate of N mineralized from organic materials. Treatments consisted of sheep manure (SM), cattle manure (CM), poultry manure (PM), sewage sludge (SS) at 1% (W/W) level, and unfertilized treatment with three replications. The concentrations of nitrate (NO3)- nitrogen (N) and ammonium (NH4)-N were determined in day 1 and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the beginning of incubation. Results indicated that the magnitude of N mineralized during the incubation time periods was in the order of CM (134 mg kg(-1)) > PM (83 mg kg(-1)) > SS (56 mg kg(-1)) > SM (55 mg kg(-1)), and different management is required for obtaining optimum N-use efficiency. In conclusion, improving N-uptake efficiency in manure- and SS-amended soils depends on the pattern and rate of N mineralization to synchronize N released with crop N demand periods.