The Aerobic Decomposition of Glucose in Podsol Soils

The decomposition of glucose in samples from cultivated podsol soils of the Appalachian upland region of Quebec Province was effected rapidly by aerobic micro-organisms without the aid of added nitrogen. Potassium nitrate stimulated the rate of carbon dioxide production from glucose added to soil; the rate increased chiefly during the early stages while glucose was still present, and bacterial numbers were rising. Fungi developed high numbers later than the bacteria; they developed especially in soil to which glycine was added with the glucose. Biological activity was stimulated in soils in which glucose had previously been decomposed. The decomposition of the glucose appears to release other sources of available food material.