Response of soil microbial biomass to straw incorporation

SUMMARY The response of the soil microbial biomass to cereal straw incorporation was assessed for three sites in Eastern Scotland. Increases in the C:N ratio of the biomass, due to straw inputs, were greater for soil with a history of straw incorporation than soil with no previous incorporation history. The biomass C:N ratio response to straw inputs was associated with increases in the fungal component of soil microbial respiration, fungal plate count (total and cellulolytic) and FDA‐active lengths of fungal hyphae.