Influence of NPK Fertilization and Cellulose Application on the CO₂ Production of Soils

J. SZEGI, F. GULYAS, GY. FÜLEKY and L. TOLNER

Summary

A model was worked out by the authors to study the soil respiration kinetics under laboratory conditions. The model was applied to 5 different Hungarian soíl types. The CO₂ production was measured from the 2nd to the 9Oth day. The model was adapted to the respiration data measured in 25 different soils between the 7th and 56th day. The results lead to the conclusion that the study of biological activity in soil by respiration model experiments needs only about 2 weeks. During this period of time the quantity of the CO₂ produced has to be measured twice, because the first measurement (on the 7th day) and the growth between first and second measurement, i.e. the speed of the process, characterize the whole process well. Probably the correlation between rates of growth and soil properties is similarly close or closer than that between rates of growth and CO₂ production.