Evaluation of soil microbial biomass methodology

Abstract

Six methods, used for the determination of soil microbial biomass/activity, were assessed for their sensitivity to distinguish between four varying soils. Of the methods assessed, substrate‐induced respiration (SIR) demonstrated the greatest degree of sensitivity in detecting differences in microbial biomass/activity between the four soils. Combined with ease of use, minimal use of toxic materials and good reproducibility, the SIR method is a useful method for routine soil biomass determinations. Of the other methods tested, oxygen uptake demonstrated comparable results to SIR and may be a cheaper alternative for routine biomass tests.