Carbon Pools and Associated Soil Enzymatic Activities as Influenced by Long-term Application of Fertilizers and Manure in Lowland Rice Soil

Long term productivity and conservation of soils is critical for sustaining agricultural ecosystems. The specific objective of the work reported was to determine the effects of long term application of organic and mineral fertilizers on soil enzyme activity as an index of soil biology and biochemistry. Three key soil enzymes involved in intracellular metabolism of microorganisms and two soil enzymes involved in phosphorus metabolism were selected. Actual and potential dehydrogenase, catalase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities were determined in the 0-20 cm layer of an eroded soil submitted to a complex fertilization experiment. Results showed that addition of mineral fertilizers to organic (green manure and farmyard manure) fertilizers led to a significant increase in each activity because of increased plant biomass production which upon incorporation stimulates soil biological activity. The enzymatic indicators of soil quality calculated from the values of enzymatic activities depending on the kind of fertilizers showed that by the determination of enzymatic activities valuable information can be obtained regarding fertility status of soils. A weak positive correlation between enzymatic indicators of soil quality and maize yield was established. The yield data demonstrate the superiority of farmyard manure which provided greater stability in crop production. Substantial improvement in soil biological activity due to application of organic fertilizers with mineral fertilizers contribute in maintaining the productivity and soil health.

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Effect of ecological and conventional managements on soil enzymatic activities in coffee agroecosystems

Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical ◽

10.1590/1983-40632018v4852373 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 420-428

Author(s):

Johana Juliet Caballero Vanegas ◽

Karen Bibiana Mejía Zambrano ◽

Lizeth Manuela Avellaneda-Torres

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Management ◽

Climatic Variability ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Enzymatic Activities ◽

Acid And Alkaline Phosphatase ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

Synthetic Fertilizers ◽

Coffee Agroecosystems ◽

Alkaline And Acid Phosphatase

ABSTRACT Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality indicators, such as enzymatic activities, is of great importance, in order to advance in their diagnosis and sustainable management. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ecological and conventional agricultural managements on enzymatic activities of a soil under coffee agroecosystems. The enzymatic activities were associated with the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (urease and protease), phosphorus (acid and alkaline phosphatase) and carbon (β-glucosidase), during the rainy and dry seasons. Physical-chemical soil proprieties were also assessed and related to resilience scores linked to the climatic variability reported for the areas under study. The activities of urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase and ß-glucosidase were statistically higher in ecological agroecosystems than in conventional ones. This may be attributed to the greater application of organic waste in the ecological environment, as well as to the absence of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which allow better conditions for the microbial activity. The resilience scores to the climate variability that showed the highest correlations with the assessed enzymatic activities were: the farmers' knowledge on soil microorganisms, non-use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and non-dependence on external supplies. It was concluded that the enzymatic activities are modified by the management systems, being specifically favored by the ecological management. This agroecosystem, in the long term, ensures an efficient use of the soil resources, with a lower degradation and contamination.

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Effect of Long-Term Soil Management Practices on Tree Growth, Yield and Soil Biodiversity in a High-Density Olive Agro-Ecosystem

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1036

Author(s):

Sauro Simoni ◽

Giovanni Caruso ◽

Nadia Vignozzi ◽

Riccardo Gucci ◽

Giuseppe Valboa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Structure ◽

Soil Management ◽

Carbon Pools ◽

Grass Cover ◽

Soil Biodiversity ◽

Canopy Effect ◽

Soil Organic Carbon Pools

Edaphic arthropod communities provide valuable information about the prevailing status of soil quality to improve the functionality and long-term sustainability of soil management. The study aimed at evaluating the effect of plant and grass cover on the functional biodiversity and soil characteristics in a mature olive orchard (Olea europaea L.) managed for ten years by two conservation soil managements: natural grass cover (NC) and conservation tillage (CT). The trees under CT grew and yielded more than those under NC during the period of increasing yields (years 4–7) but not when they reached full production. Soil management did not affect the tree root density. Collecting samples underneath the canopy (UC) and in the inter-row space (IR), the edaphic environment was characterized by soil structure, hydrological properties, the concentration and storage of soil organic carbon pools and the distribution of microarthropod communities. The soil organic carbon pools (total and humified) were negatively affected by minimum tillage in IR, but not UC, without a loss in fruit and oil yield. The assemblages of microarthropods benefited, firstly, from the grass cover, secondly, from the canopy effect, and thirdly, from a soil structure ensuring a high air capacity and water storage. Feeding functional groups—hemiedaphic macrosaprophages, polyphages and predators—resulted in selecting the ecotonal microenvironment between the surface and edaphic habitat.

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Beneficial Features of Biochar and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza for Improving Spinach Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits, Physiological Properties, and Soil Enzymatic Activities

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7070571 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. 571

Author(s):

Dilfuza Jabborova ◽

Kannepalli Annapurna ◽

Sangeeta Paul ◽

Sudhir Kumar ◽

Hosam A. Saad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Morphological Traits ◽

Spinacia Oleracea ◽

Block Design ◽

Enzymatic Activities ◽

Soil Enzymatic Activity ◽

Soil Enzymatic Activities ◽

Physiological Properties ◽

Spinach Plant

Biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can promote plant growth, improve soil properties, and maintain microbial activity. The effects of biochar and AMF on plant growth, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities were studied in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of biochar and AMF on the growth of spinach. Four treatments, a T1 control (soil without biochar), T2 biochar alone, T3 AMF alone, and T4 biochar and AMF together, were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The biochar alone had a positive effect on the growth of spinach, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities. It significantly increased the plant growth parameters, such as the shoot length, leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, shoot fresh weight, and shoot dry weight. The root morphological traits, plant physiological attributes, and soil enzymatic activities were significantly enhanced with the biochar alone compared with the control. However, the combination of biochar and AMF had a greater impact on the increase in plant growth, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities compared with the other treatments. The results suggested that the combined biochar and AMF led to the highest levels of spinach plant growth, microbial biomass, and soil enzymatic activity.

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Bacterial Communities and Enzymatic Activities in Sediments of Long-Term Fish and Crab Aquaculture Ponds

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9030501 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 501

Author(s):

Zhimin Zhang ◽

Qinghui Deng ◽

Lingling Wan ◽

Xiuyun Cao ◽

Yiyong Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

Enzymatic Activities ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Biological Processes ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Mitten Crab ◽

Aquaculture Ponds ◽

Pond Sediments ◽

Sediment Ph

Aquaculture is among the most important and fastest growing agriculture sectors worldwide; however, it generates environmental impacts by introducing nutrient accumulations in ponds, which are possibly different and further result in complex biological processes in the sediments based on diverse farming practices. In this study, we investigated the effects of long-term farming practices of representative aquatic animals dominated by grass carp (GC, Ctenopharyngodon idella) or Chinese mitten crab (CMC, Eriocheir sinensis) on the bacterial community and enzyme activity of sediments from more than 15 years of aquaculture ponds, and the differences associated with sediment properties were explored in the two farming practices. Compared to CMC ponds, GC ponds had lower contents of TC, TN, and TP in sediments, and similar trends for sediment pH and moisture content. Sediment bacterial communities were significantly different between GC and CMC ponds, with higher bacterial richness and diversity in GC ponds. The bacterial communities among the pond sediments were closely associated with sediment pH, TC, and TN. Additionally, the results showed profoundly lower activities of β-1,4-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and phosphatase in the sediments of GC ponds than CMC ponds. Pearson’s correlation analysis further revealed strong positive correlations between the hydrolytic enzyme activities and nutrient concentrations among the aquaculture ponds, indicating microbial enzyme regulation response to sediment nutrient dynamics. Our study herein reveals that farming practices of fish and crab differently affect bacterial communities and enzymatic activities in pond sediments, suggesting nutrient-driven sediment biological processes in aquaculture ponds for different farming practices.

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