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Kinetics of Rice Straw Decomposition in Soils¹

ABSTRACT

Mature rice straw was decomposed in Sacramento clay and Stockton adobe clay at loading rates up to 8% of soil weight for 120 days. Carbon loss was linearly related to loading rate, and carbon loss at given loading rates was described by equations of the form C = kt^m. Rice straw labeled with ¹³C and ¹⁵N added to the same two soils permitted distinction between straw and soil carbon and nitrogen during decomposition. A pronounced effect of straw on loss of soil carbon was observed, but the effects on soil nitrogen were small. Turnover times for the immature labeled straw were calculated to be between 0.8 and 3.4 years, depending on loading rate and soil. Priming ratios, defined as (soil C-loss with straw) ÷ (soil C-loss without straw) were greater than unity throughout the 120-day period of incubation.

Key Words: N mineralization • carbon loss • turn-over time

¹ Contribution from the Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.

² Postgraduate Research Soil Scientist and Professor of Soil Microbiology, respectively.

Received for publication July 1, 1974.