In this paper methods for sampling and analysis of total carbon in soil were compared. Soil sampling was done by sampling scheme according to agricultural soil monitoring recommendations. Soil samples were collected as single (four individual probe patterns) and composite soil samples (16 individual probe patterns) from agriculture soil. In soil samples mass ratio of total soil carbon was analyzed by dry combustion method (according to Dumas; HRN ISO 10694:2004) in Analytical Laboratory of Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb (FAZ) and by oxidation method with chromium sulfuric acid (modified HRN ISO 14235:2004) in Analytical laboratory of Croatian Center for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Soil and Land Conservation (ZZT). The observed data showed very strong correlation (r = 0.8943; n = 42) between two studied methods of analysis. Very strong correlation was also noted between different sampling procedures for single and composite samples in both laboratories, and coefficients of correlation were 0.9697 and 0.9950 (n = 8), respectively.

chromium sulfate oxidation; dry combustion; monitoring; soil sampling; soil carbon

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia