Nitrogen transformations during the biological decomposition of straw composted with inorganic nitrogen

Abstract

1. Nitrogen transformations during the decomposition of straw composted with ammonium carbonate have been studied by following the changes in (a) the amounts of inorganic and organic nitrogen; (b) the amounts of ammonia-, volatile base-, α-amino- and amino sugar-N liberated by acid hydrolysis of the organic nitrogen complexes; and (c) the amino acid composition of acid hydrolysates of the composts.2. Synthesis of organic nitrogen during the biological decomposition of straw composted with ammonium carbonate is not accompanied by any gross change in the distribution of the forms of organic nitrogen. A large fraction of the organic nitrogen synthesized is in the form of protein; a smaller fraction is in the form of amino sugar.