Consumption of biogenic nitric oxide in hydrated soil

An experimental study was conducted in order to determine the relationship of nitric oxide (NO) consumption to water-filled pore space in soil. A test system that included the capability to blend gases, test soil samples, and analyze off-gases was used to conduct the study. The experimental set consisted of three replicates at five different levels of soil water content and three different levels of soil nitrogen in a sandy loam soil: unamended soil, soil fertilized at 56.2 kg N per ha (50 lb N acre−1), and soil fertilized at 112.3 kg N per ha (100 lb N acre−1). The average NO consumption rates were 7.1×10−13 g-NO cm−3 soil, 3.5×10−11 g-NO cm−3 soil, and 1.5×10−10 g-NO cm−3 soil, respectively.