Abstract
Water extractable organic matter (WEOM) derived from fresh- or early-stage decomposing soil amendment materials may play an important role in the process of organic matter accumulation. In this study, eight WEOM samples extracted with a 40:1 (v/w) water to sample ratio from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.), lupin (Lupinus albus L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and dairy manure were investigated using ultraviolet (UV)–visible, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and solid state 13C NMR spectroscopies. UV–visible and FT-IR spectra of the plant-derived WEOM samples were typical for natural organic matter, but possessed less humic-like characteristics than dairy manure-derived WEOM. Solution 31P NMR spectra indicated that WEOM samples extracted from alfalfa, corn, and soybean shoots contained both orthophosphate and monoester P. Of the monoester P in WEOM from soybean shoot, 70% was phytate P. WEOM from crimson clover, hairy vetch, lupin, and wheat shoots contained orthophosphate only. The solid-state 13C NMR spectra of the seven plant-derived WEOM samples indicated that they all were primarily composed of sugars, amino acids or peptides, and low molecular mass carboxylic acids. Carbohydrates were dominant components with very few aromatics present in these samples. In addition, WEOM from crimson clover and lupin, but not other three leguminous plant WEOM samples, contained significant asparagine. On the other hand, WEOM from corn and wheat contained less amino acids or peptides. The spectra of WEOM of dairy manure revealed the presence of significant amounts of nonprotonated carbons and lignin residues, suggesting humification of the manure-derived WEOM. Significant carbohydrates as well as aromatics were present in this WEOM. The P and C bonding information for these WEOM samples may be useful for understanding the effects of WEOM on soil nutrient availability to plants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbt-Braun G, Lankes U, Frimmel FH (2004) Structural characterization of aquatic humic substances—the need for a multiple method approach. Aquat Sci 66:151–170. doi:10.1007/s00027-004-0711-z
Agnelli A, Celi L, Degl'Innocenti A, Corti G, Ugolini FC (2000) Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of the humic substances from sandstone-derived rock fragments. Soil Sci 165:314–327. doi:10.1097/00010694-200004000-00003
Baes AU, Bloom PR (1990) Fulvic acid ultraviolet–visible spectra: influence of solvent and pH. Soil Sci Soc Am J 54:1248–1254
Bohn L, Meyer AS, Rasmussen SK (2008) Phytate: impact on environment and human nutrition. A challenge for molecular breeding. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 9:165–191. doi:10.1631/jzus.B0710640
Brown AD, Sposito G (1991) Acid–base chemistry of dissolved organic matter in aqueous leaf extracts: application to organic acids in throughfall. J Environ Qual 20:839–845
Chang Chien SW, Wang MC, Huang CC, Seshaiah K (2007) Characterization of humic substances derived from swine manure-based compost and correlation of their characteristics with reactivities with heavy metals. J Agric Food Chem 55:4820–4827. doi:10.1021/jf070021d
Francioso O, Sanchez-Cortes S, Tugnoli V, Ciavatta C, Sitti L, Gessa C (1996) Infrared, Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H, 13C, and 31P) spectroscopy in the study of fractions of peat humic acids. Appl Spectrosc 50:1165–1174. doi:10.1366/0003702963905169
Gigliotti G, Kaiser K, Guggenberger G, Haumaier L (2002) Difference in the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter from waste material of different sources. Biol Fertil Soils 36:321–329. doi:10.1007/s00374-002-0551-8
Grandy AS, Porter GA, Erich MS (2002) Organic amendment and rotation crop effects on the recovery of soil organic matter and aggregation in potato cropping systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 66:1311–1319
He Z, Spain JC (2000) Reactions involved in the lower pathway for degradation of 4-nitrotoluene by Mycobacterium strain HL 4-NT-1. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:3010–3015. doi:10.1128/AEM.66.7.3010-3015.2000
He Z, Honeycutt CW, Griffin TS (2003) Comparative investigation of sequentially extracted P fractions in a sandy loam soil and a swine manure. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 34:1729–1742. doi:10.1081/CSS-120021308
He Z, Ohno T, Cade-Menun BJ, Erich MS, Honeycutt CW (2006) Spectral and chemical characterization of phosphates associated with humic substances. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:1741–1751. doi:10.2136/sssaj2006.0030
He Z, Honeycutt CW, Cade-Menun BJ, Senwo ZN, Tazisong IA (2008) Sequentially-extracted phosphorus from poultry litter and soil: enzymatic and 31P NMR characterization. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:1425–1433. doi:10.2136/sssaj2007.0407
Hunt JF, Ohno T (2007) Characterization of fresh and decomposed dissolved organic matter using excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and multiway analysis. J Agric Food Chem 55:2121–2128. doi:10.1021/jf063336m
Hunt JF, Ohno T, He Z, Honeycutt CW, Dail DB (2007a) Influence of decomposition on chemical properties of plant- and manure-derived dissolved organic matter and sorption to goethite. J Environ Qual 36:135–143. doi:10.2134/jeq2006.0133
Hunt JF, Ohno T, He Z, Honeycutt CW, Dail DB (2007b) Inhibition of phosphorus sorption to goethite, gibbsite, and kaolin by fresh and decomposed organic matter. Biol Fertil Soils 44:277–288. doi:10.1007/s00374-007-0202-1
Mao JD, Schmidt-Rohr K (2004) Separation of acetal or ketal O–C–O 13C NMR signals from aromatic-carbon bands by a chemical-shift-anisotropy filter. Solid State NMR 26:36–45. doi:10.1016/j.ssnmr.2003.09.003
Mao JD, Fang X, Schmidt-Rohr K, Carmo AM, Hundal LS, Thompson ML (2007a) Molecular-scale heterogeneity of humic acid in particle-size fractions of two Iowa soils. Geoderma 140:17–29. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2007.03.014
Mao JD, Cory RM, McKnight DM, Schmidt-Rohr K (2007b) Characterization of a nitrogen-rich fulvic acid and its precursor algae by solid-state NMR. Org Geochem 38:1277–1292. doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2007.04.005
Ohno T, Griffin TS, Liebman M, Porter GA (2005) Chemical characterization of soil phosphorus and organic matter in different cropping systems in Maine, USA. Agric Ecosyst Environ 105:625–634. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2004.08.001
Olk DC, Brunetti G, Senesi N (2000) Decrease in humification of organic matter with intensified lowland rice cropping: a wet chemical and spectroscopic investigation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:1337–1347
Schmidt-Rohr K, Mao JD, Olk DC (2004) Nitrogen-bonded aromatics in soil organic matter and their implications for a yield decline in intensive rice cropping. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:6351–6354. doi:10.1073/pnas.0401349101
Acknowledgments
JDM thanks Jeffress Foundation and Petroleum Research Foundation for financial support. We thank Dr. Corey Liu for assistance with 31P-NMR spectroscopy, which was performed at the Stanford Magnetic Resonance Laboratory.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Trade or manufacturers' names mentioned in the paper are for information only and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or exclusion by the USDA-ARS.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
He, Z., Mao, J., Honeycutt, C.W. et al. Characterization of plant-derived water extractable organic matter by multiple spectroscopic techniques. Biol Fertil Soils 45, 609–616 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-009-0369-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-009-0369-8