No autotrophic nitrifying organisms were found in a podzolic brown earth forming nitrate. 350 fungi and aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were isolated from this soil and examined for their nitrifying abilities. About one quarter of the isolates produced 0.05–0.90 mg N·1−1 nitrite or nitrate in peptone solution, soil extract mixture or sterilised soil. The nitrification rate of the most active fungus, Verticillium lecanii, was highest at pH 3.5 in defined media. The results support the significance of heterotrophic nitrification in acid soils.
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Lang et al. (1986) studied this question.
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