Article Nitrogen Mineralization and Microbial Biomass Dynamics in Different Tropical Soils Amended with Contrasting Organic Resources Richard Ansong Omari 1, Dorothea Sonoko Bellingrath-Kimura 2,3,* , Yoshiharu Fujii 4, Elsie Sarkodee-Addo 1, Kwame Appiah Sarpong 1 and Yosei Oikawa 4 1 United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Saiwaicho 3-5-8, Fuchu, Tokyo183-8509, Japan;
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[email protected] (K.A.S.) 2 Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müencheberg, Germany 3 Faculty of Life Science, Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 5, 14195 Berlin, Germany 4 Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Saiwaicho 3-5-8, Fuchu, Tokyo183-8509, Japan;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +49-33432-82310 Received: 21 September 2018; Accepted: 20 November 2018; Published: 23 November 2018 Abstract: The use of location-specific and underutilized organic residues (OR) as soil amendments in small-holder agro-ecosystems is promising. Six ORs (Leucaena leucocephala, Centrosema pubescens, Gliricidia sepium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Azadirachta indica, and Theobroma cacao) were amended to three tropical soils each at 24 mg g−1 dry soil in 120-day incubation study to estimate their nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial biomass carbon (C) dynamics. Inorganic N contents varied among ORs, soil type and incubation days. Regardless of soil type, Gliricidia had the highest inorganic N among the studied ORs.