The occurrence of organic N was delermined m experiments on N mineralization in ten soils from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The incubation-leaching method, with CaCI2 0,01 mol L-1, was used and the leveis of mineral, total and soluble organic nitrogen in the extract measured. Periodic leaching of the soil removed a considerable portion of the soluble organic N and thus underestimating the nitrogen mineralization in the soil.
Mineralized-N; incubation-leaching; soluble organic N