Soil chemical and biological properties after long-term of spring barley monoculture under different agricultural practices

T. Talve, L. Edesi, T. Võsa, T. Saue, P. Viil and E. Karron*

Unit of Agrotechnology Studies, Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, J. Aamisepa 1, EE48309 Jõgeva County, Estonia
*Correspondence: elina.karron@metk.agri.ee

Abstract:

Sustainable agriculture supports soil health and the growth of microorganisms through various agricultural management practices. This multidisciplinary study connected agrotechnology, agrochemistry, and soil microbiology. A 29-year barley monoculture field trial was conducted, focusing on soil pH, soil organic carbon (C_org), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and the abundance of bacteria, including Gram-positive (Gram+) and Gram-negative (Gram-) bacteria, Actinobacteria, and saprotrophic fungi. Three agrotechnological factors were considered: chemical plant protection (no protection (PP0), herbicides (H), herbicides, and fungicides (HF)); fertilization (only mineral fertilizer (NPK) and mineral fertilizer with cattle slurry addition (NPKS)); and tillage (autumn shallow mixing (AM), autumn ploughless tillage (APT), autumn plowing (AP), and spring plowing (SP)). All agrotechnological factors were found to have a significant effect on the measured variables, with fertilization having the strongest effect, followed by chemical plant protection and tillage practices. The application of cattle slurry six years ago with annual mineral fertilizer had a significant positive effect on all measured properties, except for saprotrophic fungi. The absence of chemical plant protection significantly increased C_org and DHA, Gram-positive bacteria, and Actinobacteria, whereas the lowest amounts of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and Actinobacteria were found in treatments with only herbicide application, followed by herbicide and fungicide combined. Tillage is an important factor for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal biomass. Tillage had the most significant effect on fungal biomass compared to plant protection and fertilization. Intensive tillage (deep plowing) in autumn had the strongest negative effect on soil microbiota.

Key words:

chemical plant protection, fertilization, long-term field trial, tillage

Influence of organic and inorganic fertilization on soil properties and water infiltration

M. Stehlík¹²*, A. Czako¹, M. Mayerová¹ and M. Madaras¹

¹Division of Crop Management Systems, Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, CZ 16106 Prague, Czech Republic
²Department of Agricultural Machines, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ 16521 Prague, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: martin.stehlik@vurv.cz

Abstract:

Soil aggregate stability (SAS) belongs to the most important parameters determining the quality of soil and fertilizer influence on soil aggregation. We evaluated the relationship between SAS, hydro–physical soil properties and infiltration rates in three long–term field experiments founded in 1956 on different soils. Soil properties under three fertilization regimes–no fertilization, farmyard manure, farmyard manure and mineral fertilization–were evaluated at silty loam Chernozem, silty loam Phaeozem and sandy loam–loam Cambisol. A significant impact of fertilization on SAS was found, even though the differences in SAS were rather low. The lowest SAS was recorded at plots with manure and mineral fertilization (25.1%) compared with plots without fertilization (28.7%) and plots with manure–only fertilization (28.2%). The highest SAS (36.5%) and the highest semi–capillary porosity (SP; 11%) were observed at sandy loam–loam soil. Hydro–physical soil properties were more favourable at fertilized plots (SP 9.6% and bulk density ρ_b 1.31 g cm^-3) compared with unfertilized ones (SP 8.8% and ρ_b 1.35 g cm^-3). The lowest SP (8.32%) and the highest ρ_b (1.37 g cm^-3) were recorded at Phaeozem, which corresponded with the lowest SAS (19.4%). Chernozem had similar soil texture to Phaeozem, but SAS (24.7%), SP (9%) and ρ_b (1.27 g cm^-3) were more favourable. Despite the low level of statistical significance due to the large variation of infiltration measurements, a higher infiltration rate was recorded at fertilized plots (45 mm hour^-1) compared to unfertilized ones (35 mm hour^-1).

Key words: