Pamukkale University Journal of Engineering Sciences (Mar 1998)
ENZYME ACTIVITIES OF PADDY SOILS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SOIL PROPERTIES
Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the effect of soil properties on enzyme activities of paddy soils, the sample of which were taken from Üçpınar, Harız, Doğancı, Kaygusuz, Emenli, Sarıköy and Gelemenağarı villages where rice cultivation is an intensive agricultural system. In this study, soil properties having effects on urease, phosphatase, ß-glucosidase and catalase enzyme activities were setforth. Urease enzyme activities of soil samples varied from 24.12 to 39.03 mg N 100 g dry soil -1 . Significant correlations were determined between urease enzyme activities and organic matter (r = 0.89**), extractable Mn (r = 0.74**), exchangable K (r = 0.73**) and total P content of soil (r = 0.81*). Acid phosphatase enzyme activity varied between 3.00-17.44 mg phenol 100 g dry soil -1 , alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity between 12.00-25.53 mg phenol 100 g dry soil-1 . Exchangable Mg (r = 0.71*) and extractable Cu (r = 0.74*) were found to have positive effect on acid phosphatase enzyme activity and pH (r = 0.73*), exchangable Ca (r = 0.74*), exchangable Mg (r = 0.71*), exchangable total basic cations (r = 0.79*) and extractable Cu (r = 0.70*) had positive effects on alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity, whereas total P (r = - 0.84**) affected the activity negatively. ß-glucosidase enzyme activity was measured to vary between 1.12-3.64 mg salingen 100 g dry soil -1 . It was also observed that extractable Zn content of soil samples (r = - 0.97**) had negative effect on ß-glucosidase activity, wheras total exchangable acidic cations (r = 0.70*) affected the activity positively. Catalase enzyme activities of soils changed between 5.25 - 9.00 mg O2 5 g dry soil -1 . Significant correlations were found between catalase activities and fraction of soils and extractable Fe content. Positive correlations, however, were determined between catalase activities and clay fraction (r = 0.82*) and salt content (r = 0.83**) of samples.
