Studies on Calcium Cyanamide. II. Microbiological Aspects of Nitrification in Soils Under Varied Environmental Conditions (With Four Text-figures.)

Abstract

1. Calcium Cyanamide (the commercial form of Calcium Cyanamide) markedly increased the bacterial numbers of soils in uncropped pots and both the bacterial numbers and carbon dioxide production in flasks under laboratory conditions.2. Improvements in the aeration of soil cultures in the laboratory not only increased the numbers of bacteria and accelerated the production and disappearance of ammonia but reduced the initial nitrification lag and increased the final accumulation of nitrate from Calcium Cyanamide. Urea formed from Calcium Cyanamide disappeared much more quickly in soils aerated by daily shaking than in undisturbed soils.