Abstract:The amount of soil nitrogen net mineralization in field cropped with winter wheat and summer maize was measured by in situ incubation method The soil microbial biomass nitrogen was measured by chloroform fumigation extraction and ninhydrin reactive nitrogen method The soil inorganic N was measured by continued flow analysis instrument In the soil covered with winter wheat straw in summer and incorporated with summer maize straw in autumn, the net N mineralization was 210kg/hm2 in the first year, 179 kg/hm2 in the second year The net mineralization was approximately equal to the amount of applied N In the non-straw returning soil the net mineralization was 164 and 248 kg/hm2 in the first and second year, respectively Incorporating maize straw to the soil resulted in increase of inorganic N during wheat season and positive effect of soil N mineralization Surfacing wheat straw in summer gave no significant difference in soil inorganic N The soil microbial biomass N in straw returning soil was 72~234% greater than that in the non-straw returning at beginning of each season, and was 34~72% greater at ending of each season The soil microbial biomass N in straw returning soil alternate during the first 2 years and did not be stable at a new level