Characterization of soil fertility and soil biodiversity with dsDNA as a covariate in a regression estimator for mean microbial biomass C

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 827-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bragato ◽  
F. Fornasier ◽  
D.J. Brus
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Regression Estimator ◽  
Soil Biodiversity

scholarly journals Variation in Soil Chemical and Microbiological Properties as a Result of Yearly Amendment with Organic Fertilizer

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
O. A. Babalola ◽  
M. O. Adigun ◽  
I. O. Abiola
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽  
Microbiological Properties

Millions of organic fertilizers are produced annually all over the world. Substantial quantities of these were crop residues and the remaining being animal waste based. Meanwhile maintaining and improving soil fertility in the tropic is essential for increasing food production for rapidly expanding the population. This project work, therefore, investigated the variation in soil chemical and microbiological properties as a result of yearly amendment with compost. The experimental site was the Organic Agricultural Farm located within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Soil samples were collected between 0 – 15 cm depth using soil auger and the samples were analyzed for the following soil parameters; total viable counts, total fungal counts, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, percentage organic carbon, microarthropod counts and earthworm counts. The experiment was a split-plot design using 2 varieties of tomato x 3 levels of compost and two durations of application. The variations include one improved variety (UCB 8) and a local variety (Beske), rate of compost – (0, 10, and 20) kg/ha and years of application (one and two years). Results generally showed that: duration has a significant effect on viable counts, microarthropod counts, microbial biomass P, microbial biomass C and percentage organic carbon but has no significant effect on fungal counts, microbial biomass nitrogen, and earthworm counts. The results indicate that application of compost manure is the preferred option to enhance SOM accumulation, improve soil fertility and quality, and increase tomato yield.

scholarly journals Biochemical indicators of soil fertility in vineyards with different conservative management systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 04009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Mondini ◽  
Giovanni Bigot ◽  
Tania Sinicco ◽  
Davide Mosetti
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Conservative Management ◽  
Basal Respiration ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Biochemical Indicators ◽  
Conservative Systems

Biochemical parameters are particularly suited to evaluate soil fertility because soil microorganisms play a pivotal role in determining soil quality and functionand are very sensitive to changes in soil management and environmental conditions. For such reasons, in this work, we used several biochemical indexes to assess the effect on soil fertility of 3 different conservative management systems of vineyards. The managements compared were chemical weed control vs permanent grass (CWC/MWC), land levelling vs undisturbed soil (LL/US), conventional farming vs organic farming (CON/ORG). The following parameters were determined in 2014 and 2015 on soil samples: total organic C (TOC), extractable N (EN), soil basal respiration (SBR), microbial biomass C (BC), microbial quotient (BC/TOC) and metabolic quotient (qCO2 = SBR/BC). Results showed that biochemical indicators were effective in detecting changes in soil fertility between compared systems. In particular, conservative systems (MWC, US and ORG) showed a larger and more efficient microbial biomass and enhanced EN content in comparison to the relative conventional systems. Furthermore BC/TOC and qCO2 indicated higher C use efficiency in conservative systems. Results as a whole indicate that conservative management systems aimed to maintain and enhance soil organic matter displayed a higher level of soil fertility.

scholarly journals Impact of reduced tillage on soil organic carbon and nutrient budgets under organic farming

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Gadermaier ◽  
Alfred Berner ◽  
Andreas Fließbach ◽  
Jürgen Kurt Friedel ◽  
Paul Mäder
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Nutrient Budgets ◽  
Soil Microbial

AbstractNo-tillage (NT) and reduced tillage (RT) systems are well-known management tools for reducing soil erosion and improving soil fertility. NT and RT may improve the environmental and economic performance of organic farming, but they are still not common practice among organic farmers. This paper presents the effects of tillage [RT versus conventional tillage (CT)], fertilization (slurry versus manure compost) and biodynamic preparations (with versus without) on soil fertility indicators such as soil organic carbon (Corg), microbial biomass and microbial activity, soil nutrients and nutrient budgets in an organic farming system during the first six-year crop rotation period of a long-term experiment on a clayey soil in a temperate climate. RT caused stratification of soil organic carbon (Corg), microbial properties and soil nutrients in the soil profile. Under RT, Corg in the 0–10 cm soil layer increased from 2.19 to 2.61% (w/w) from 2002 to 2008, whereas it remained constant under CT. In both tillage treatments, Corg remained constant in the 10–20 cm soil depth. Microbial biomass C increased by 37% under RT in the 0–10 cm soil depth and microbial activity [dehydrogenase activity (DHA)] was enhanced by 57%. Soil microbial biomass C and DHA in the 10–20 cm soil depth were also higher under RT (+10 and +17%, respectively). Soluble soil P and K were 72 and 40%, respectively, higher in 0–10 cm soil depth under RT when compared with CT. Fertilization showed no effects on the measured soil properties. Biodynamic preparations increased solely the Cmic-to-Nmic (soil microbial biomass C to soil microbial biomass N) ratio by 7% in the 0–10 cm soil depth. Nutrient budgets for P were balanced in all treatments, but N and K exports were higher under RT compared to CT. We conclude that RT is a suitable method for increasing indicators of soil fertility in organic farming systems. The combined effects of RT and an organic farming system with a diverse, ley-based crop rotation and organic fertilization merit further promotion and it may be considered for supporting actions by the agricultural policy schemes.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Immobilisation and Microbial Biomass Build-Up Induced by Miscanthus x giganteus L. Based Fertilisers

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1386
Author(s):  
Michael Stotter ◽  
Florian Wichern ◽  
Ralf Pude ◽  
Martin Hamer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Miscanthus X Giganteus ◽  
Organic Fertilisers ◽  
Biomass N ◽  
Set Up

Cultivation of Miscanthus x giganteus L. (Mis) with annual harvest of biomass could provide an additional C source for farmers. To test the potential of Mis-C for immobilizing inorganic N from slurry or manure and as a C source for soil organic matter build-up in comparison to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (WS), a greenhouse experiment was performed. Pot experiments with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were set up to investigate the N dynamics of two organic fertilisers based on Mis at Campus Klein-Altendorf, Germany. The two fertilisers, a mixture of cattle slurry and Mis as well as cattle manure from Mis-bedding material resulted in a slightly higher N immobilisation. Especially at the 1st and 2nd harvest, they were partly significantly different compared with the WS treatments. The fertilisers based on Mis resulted in a slightly higher microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N and thus can be identified as an additional C source to prevent nitrogen losses and for the build-up of soil organic matter (SOM) in the long-term.

EFFECT OF CROP ROTATION AND FERTILIZATION ON SOME BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A LOAM IN SOUTHWESTERN SASKATCHEWAN

1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. O. BIEDERBECK ◽  
C. A. CAMPBELL ◽  
R. P. ZENTNER
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Rotation Length ◽  
Continuous Type ◽  
Mineralizable N ◽  
P Fertilizer ◽  
Potentially Mineralizable N

Effects of rotation length, fallow-substitute crops, and N and P fertilizer on some physical and biological properties of a Brown Chernozemic loam in southwestern Saskatchewan were determined over a period of 16 yr. After 12 yr, the erodible fraction in the top 15 cm of soil (i.e., < 0.84 mm) was inversely related to trash conserved and thus rotation length. Soil organic N (in the top 15 cm) increased from 0.18 to 0.20% in continuous-type rotations receiving an average 32 kg N∙ha−1∙yr−1 and adequate P, but it did not increase in continuous wheat receiving P only, nor in fallow rotations, except the one that included fall rye (Secale cereale L.). This N increase was credited partly to fertilizer and partly to more efficient use and cycling of subsoil NO3-N via plant roots and crop residues. After 10 yr, well-fertilized continuous-type rotations had a 13% greater C content than fallow rotations and continuous wheat receiving only P. In the top 7.5 cm of soil under the four rotations examined in detail, bacterial numbers were lowest in fallow-wheat, intermediate in fallow-wheat-wheat, higher in continuous wheat receiving N and P, and highest in continuous wheat receiving only P. Similarly, microbial biomass C in these four rotations was 180, 226, 217 and 357 kg∙ha−1; biomass N was 52, 65, 54 and 72 kg∙ha−1; and biomass C/N ratios were 3.4, 3.5, 4.1 and 5.1, respectively. Differences in biomass C/N, respiration rates and numbers of bacteria, actinomycetes and yeasts indicated both quantitative and qualitative microbial changes and reflected increasing rotation length and differences in fertility. Potentially mineralizable N (No) was 192 kg∙ha−1 for adequately fertilized continuous wheat, and exceeded No in fallow-wheat by 45%, in fallow-wheat-wheat by 17% and in continuous wheat receiving only P by 25%. The latter rotation contained a large but fairly inactive microbial population. We concluded that land degradation caused by frequent summerfallowing can be arrested and the decline in amount and quality of organic matter reversed by use of available agronomic technology. Key words: Microbial biomass, microbial activity, potentially mineralizable N, respiration, soil erodibility

Microbial biomass and activity in the humus layer following burning: short-term effects of two different fires

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1275-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Pietikäinen ◽  
Hannu Fritze
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Fungal Hyphae ◽  
C And N

During a 3-year study, soil microbial biomass C and N, length of the fungal hyphae, soil respiration, and the percent mass loss of needle litter were recorded in coniferous forest soil humus layers following a prescribed burning (PB) treatment or a forest fire simulation (FF) treatment (five plots per treatment). Unburned humus from adjacent plots served as controls (PC and FC, respectively). Prescribed burning was more intensive than the forest fire, and this was reflected in all the measurements taken. The amounts of microbial biomass C and N, length of fungal hyphae, and soil respiration in the PB area did not recover to their controls levels, whereas unchanged microbial biomass N and recovery of the length of the fungal hyphae to control levels were observed in the FF area. The mean microbial C/N ratio was approximately 7 in all the areas, which reflected the C/N ratio of the soil microbial community. Deviation from this mean value, as observed during the first three samplings from the PB area (3, 18, and 35 days after fire treatment), suggested a change in the composition of the microbial community. Of the two treated areas, the decrease in soil respiration (laboratory measurements) was much more pronounced in the PB area. However, when the humus samples from both areas were adjusted to 60% water holding capacity, no differences in respiration capacity were observed. The drier humus, due to higher soil temperatures, of the PB area is a likely explanation for the low soil respiration. Lower soil respiration was not reflected in lower litter decomposition rates of the PB area, since there was a significantly higher needle litter mass loss during the first year in the PB area followed by a decline to the control level during the second year. Consistently higher mass losses were recorded in the FC area than in the FF area.

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