The knowledge of the dynamics of the organic N compound mineralization in the soil is important for the efficient use of N in agricultural production systems. With the objective of evaluating the protease activity and its relations to the contents of different N forms in a Dark Red Latosol cultivated with orange trees, soil samples were collected from two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) under top projection and between rows in the months of November and December 1998 and February and March 1999. Leaves were also sampled in March 1999, the recommended time for leaf diagnosis. Soil samples were evaluated for protease activity, ammonium-N, nitrate-N, total-N, ammonium-N obtained after anaerobic incubation, and ammonium-N extracted by CaCl2 under autoclaving. Organic fertilization increased protease activity mainly in the layer 0-10 cm. The correlation coefficient between the protease activity and the other methods for estimating N availability depended on the sampling time, place and depth. The correlation between leaf-N determined at the time indicated for leaf diagnosis and the other methods for estimating N availability altered according to the sampling time. Protease activity was positive and closely related to leaf-N, determined at the time indicated for leaf diagnosis, when soil samples were collected between rows (0-10 cm) in December 1998.
soil enzyme; citrus; leaf diagnosis; availability; plant nutrition
