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Oxygen

Analysis of the oxygen availability

Koch Bodemtechniek / Eurolab introduced the analysis of the oxygen availability in the early nineties. But oxygen was already monitored from the fifties by the soil analysis of manganese and the relation of nitrate-ammonium. The current standard soil analysis of Koch represents also the ration of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and sulphide forming bacteria. The oxygen availability is maybe after the analysis of organic matter one of the most important soil parameters. Roots of most plants and the whole system of soil organisms depends on the availability of oxygen.

Some causes of troubled oxygen availability:

• waterlogged soils and soil compaction

• The mix of soil with organic manure, compost or plant residues.

• cultivation of the soil under wet conditions.

A bad oxygen availability is not always repaired direct by one time of soil cultivation. Sometimes it takes several years for a soil before damage from the past will be healed.

Problems caused by insufficient oxygen availability
- decomposition of nitrate-nitrogen (denitrification / loss of nitrogen ) by micro organisms
- increased level diseases
- sometimes an increased amount of mycotoxin producing fusarium and other fungi.
- water logging is elevated by producing fatty acids
- increase of anaerobic bacteria

What is analyzed in our standard soil analysis to evaluate the oxygen availability?
- biochemical oxygen demand
- oxygen status
- reduced manganese
- ammonium-nitrate relation
- anaerobic bacteria
- sulphide forming bacteria