Soil sterilisation and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria promote root respiration and growth of sweet cherry rootstocks

Soil microorganisms play important roles in the plant-soil ecosystem, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) promotes plant growth through several mechanisms. To investigate the benefits of PGPR for root functions such as respiration, we used the plant model Cerasus sachalinensis Kom., in which root respiration provides a sensitive functional indicator to demonstrate the effect of soil sterilisation (SS) and inoculation with the PGPR Staphylococcus sciuri ss sciuri after SS on seedling root respiration and growth. Root respiration increased in the presence of PGPR inoculation alone, whereas Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway activity decreased due to reduced phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activities. Although cytochrome c oxidase activity decreased and alternative oxidase activity increased, only slight changes were observed in growth indicators such as seedling height. However, SS and PGPR inoculation after sterilisation reduced soil microbial biomass carbon and reduced root respiration. Pyruvate kinase activity as well as plant height and leaf number increased, thus promoting plant growth. Thus, we conclude that SS and PGPR inoculation altered enzymes activities, root respiration and plant growth of cherry rootstocks. The effects of microbial inoculation were altered by SS.     

Integrated agricultural management practice improves soil quality in Northeast China

ABSTRACT

Sustainable agricultural management practices have attracted increasing attention due to their significant roles in benefiting the functions and sustainability of agro-ecosystems. An integrated agricultural practice (IP) in a maize cropping system was developed by changing row spacing, adopting no-tillage and residue return in the Northeast China. A 12-year field study was carried out to evaluate the effect of IP and conventional practice (CP) on soil physical properties, microbial biomass and enzyme activity during the cropping season. The results showed that soil organic matter under IP was increased by 17.4, 9.88 and 6.69% in June, August and October, respectively, than CP. IP enhanced microbial biomass C (by 31.7, 25.1 and 30.4% in June, August and October) and activities of invertase, urease and phosphatase (by 27.2–38.0, 78.9–182 and 9.8–29.0%) compared to CP, possibly attributing to an increase in the soil microbial community. Furthermore, the soil pH, water content, nitrogen and phosphorus contents, microbial biomass and some specific enzyme activities varied with sampling time. It is concluded that IP improved soil quality and health by increasing organic matter content and microbial biomass and activity in maize field in Northeast China, suggesting that IP is a feasible management technology for sustainable agriculture.     

Effect of grassland harvesting frequency and N-fertilization on stocks and dynamics of soil organic matter in the temperate climate

ABSTRACT

Management of grassland may affect the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC). Objectives were to analyze the effect of different harvesting frequencies and nitrogen fertilization regimes on SOC and total N stocks in a field trial on a sandy loam to loamy sand soil of a grassland site near Kiel (Germany). Additionally, effects on microbial biomass C (C_mic) and ergosterol (as proxy for fungi) contents, water-stable aggregate size-classes and density fractions were studied. In the surface soil (0–10 cm), SOC and total N stocks, amounts of large water-stable macroaggregates (> 2000 µm) and contents of C_mic and ergosterol were significantly higher under a five cut regime. C_mic (r_Spearman = 0.61) and ergosterol contents (r_Spearman = 0.67) were correlated with amounts of large water-stable macroaggregates suggesting that fungi and microbial biomass play an important role in binding of small macroaggregates into large macroaggregates. The free light fraction of SOM showed significantly higher C concentrations under three cut compared to five cut at 30–60 cm, presumably related to the C/N ratio and the decomposability of root litter. This study indicates the importance of cutting frequency on SOC and total N stocks, amounts of large macroaggregates and contents of C_mic and ergosterol.     

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on rhizosphere organic acid content and microbial activity of trifoliate orange under different low P conditions

ABSTRACT

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can improve plant phosphorus (P) uptake; however, information about how AM fungi affect rhizosphere organic acid and microbial activity to alleviate citrus low P stress is limited. Here, a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of AM fungi (Rhizophagus intraradices, Ri) inoculation on rhizosphere organic acid content, microbial biomass (MB) and enzyme activity of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.) seedlings grown under three low P conditions. The results showed that mycorrhizal seedlings all recorded higher P concentrations, plant biomass and better root morphology with more lateral and fine roots, but lower root mass ratios, irrespective of P conditions. Mycorrhizal P absorption contribution did not differ significantly among three P conditions. Mycorrhizal seedling rhizosphere soil exhibited lower organic acid content, soil organic P content and ratio of MB-carbon (C)/MB-P, but higher MB and enzyme activity. Additionally, the main organic acids showed a negative relationship with mycorrhizal colonization rate and hyphal length; however, phosphatase and phytase activity had a significantly positive relationship with MB. Therefore, the results suggest that AM fungi inoculation may help citrus to efficiently utilize organic P source by improving microbial activity under low available P conditions.     

Soil respiration rate and its sensitivity to temperature in pasture systems of dry-tropics

Abstract

Tree clearing is a topical issue the world over. In Queensland, the high rates of clearing in the past were mainly to increase pasture production. The present research evaluates the impact of clearing on some soil biological properties, i.e. total soil respiration, root respiration, microbial respiration, and microbial biomass (C and N), and the response of soil respiration to change in temperature.

In-field and laboratory (polyhouse) experiments were undertaken. For in-field studies, paired cleared and uncleared pasture plots were selected to represent three major tree communities of the region, i.e. Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia, and Acacia harpophylla. The cleared sites were chosen to represent three different time-since-clearing durations (5, 11–13, and 33 years; n=18 for cleared and uncleared plots) to determine the temporal impact of clearing on soil biological properties. Experiments were conducted in the polyhouse to study in detail the response of soil respiration to changes in soil temperature and soil moisture, and to complement in-field studies for estimating root respiration.

The average rate of CO₂ emission was 964 g CO₂/m²/yr, with no significant difference (P<0.05) among cleared and uncleared sites. Microbial respiration and microbial biomass were greater at uncleared compared with those at cleared sites. The Q ₁₀-value of 1.42 (measured for different seasons in a year) for in-field measurements suggested a small response of soil respiration to soil temperature, possibly due to the limited availability of soil moisture and/or organic matter. However, results from the polyhouse experiment suggested greater sensitivity of root respiration to temperature change than for total soil respiration. Since root biomass (herbaceous roots) was greater at the cleared than at uncleared sites, and root respiration increased with an increase in temperature, we speculate that with rising ambient temperature and consequently soil temperature, total soil respiration in cleared pastures will increase at a faster rate than that in uncleared pastures.     

Effect of Organic matter application on the fate of 15N-labeled ammonium fertilizer in an upland soil

Abstract

The clay mineral composition of two “terra roxa estruturada” (TRE) soils occurring in the tropical rain forest and tropical forest/savannah transition zone, and a reddish brunizem in the savannah/semi-arid transition zone was studied comparatively in the southeast Amazon region.

Kaolin minerals were dominant in these soils, and hematite and goethite were found in the clay fraction. A small amount of 2 : 1-type clay minerals was found in two soils. The mineral composition of the clay fraction in the TRE soils was hardly influenced by the difference of the meteorological factor or their water condition in this region, and this factor should not control the influence of parent materials derived from basic rocks. The TRE soils were developed under the condition of laterite genesis, and were regarded claymineralogically as a kind of the lateritic soils.     

Microbial mineralization of organic nitrogen into nitrate to allow the use of organic fertilizer in hydroponics

Hydroponics is an excellent technique for the cultivation of vegetable crops and other plants, but organic fertilizers cannot be used in conventional hydroponic systems, which generally use only inorganic fertilizers, because organic compounds in the hydroponic solutions generally have phytotoxic effects that lead to poor plant growth. Few microorganisms are present in hydroponic solutions to mineralize the organic compounds into inorganic nutrients. In this article a novel and practical hydroponic culture method that uses microorganisms to degrade organic fertilizer in the hydroponic solution has been developed. Soil microorganisms were cultured by regulating the amounts of organic fertilizer and inoculum, with moderate aeration. The microorganisms mineralized organic nitrogen via ammonification and nitrification into nitrate at an efficiency of 97.6%. The culture solution containing the microorganisms was usable as a hydroponic solution, and organic fertilizer could be directly added to it during vegetable cultivation. Vegetables grew well in the organic hydroponic system. Organic hydroponics based on this method is therefore a practical tool for the utilization of organic sources of fertilizer.     

Soil aggregate as a favorable habitat for Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains

Abstract

Rhizobial cells are present in soils as saprophytes after the decay of host plant nodules, and must survive in the soil until the next encounter with the infection sites of the host plant root. Biotic and abiotic environmental factors affect the population size of these rhizobia in the soil (Vincent 1977). Precise estimation of the population size of the native and the introduced rhizobia in the soil is necessary to study the conditions for the successful nodule formation by introduced strains.     

Community level physiological profiles of microbial communities from forest humus polluted with different amounts of Zn,Pb, and Cd—Preliminary study with BIOLOG ecoplates

Abstract

Heavy metals may alter the structure and metabolic functions of soil microbial community. The objective of our study was to compare the community level physiological proffies (CLPPs) of microbial communities from forest humus polluted with different amounts of Zn, Pb, and Cd to test whether the addition of soluble Zn and Cd may affect the CLPPs of microbial communities. The samples were taken at 18 locations in southern Poland referred to as unpolluted (UP), slightly polluted (SP), and heavily polluted sites (HP). The contents of heavy metals were measured after wet digestions in concentrated HNO₃. Microbial communities were extracted using 0.96% NaCl solution. In order to test heavy metal tolerance of microbial communities from UP sites the extracts from these sites were additionally treated with Zn (50 mg L^-1; UP + Zn) and Cd (1 mg L^-1; UP + Cd). Metabolic functions of the microbial communities were analyzed using BIOLOG Ecoplates method. The contents of Zn, Pb and Cd were the highest at HP sites (4,740, 1,120, 41.0 mg kg^-1, respectively) followed by SP (830, 509, 9.2 mg kg^-1, respectively), and UP (173, 93, 2.1 mg kg^-1, respectively) sites. Principal components analysis (PCA) indicated that CLPPs at all sites were similar. This suggests that microbial community from SP and HP sites revealed tolerance to heavy metals. Addition of Zn affected CLPPs of microbial communities from UP sites as indicated by significantly (p < 0.05) higher value of PC1 score. The addition of Cd did not affect CLPPs of microbial communities from these sites.     

Fate of 15N derived from soil decomposition of abscised leaves and pruning wood from apple (Malus domestica) trees

Abstract

The fate of nitrogen (N) derived from soil incorporating ¹⁵N-labeled apple (Malus domestica) leaves and wood from pruning (hereafter referred to as “pruning wood”) was studied in an 8-month pot experiment. The net mineralization of N was measured as ¹⁵N recovery in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) that was allowed to grow in soils amended with residues < 2 mm in size (litter : soil ratio, w/w, 1:250 for leaves and 1:330 for wood). The immobilization of native soil N as a consequence of residue addition was measured by comparing the amount of total N taken up by ryegrass in residue-amended soil and in control soil. Net immobilization of soil N occurred during the first 2 months after litter addition and was especially high in the soil amended with leaf litter. During the period of soil N immobilization, the amount of soil microbial N was high in the soils treated with both types of residues, while that of mineral N was markedly reduced only in the leaf-litter-amended soil. Net N uptake from the control soil almost stopped after 3 months of plant growth, while ryegrass in the litter-amended soil continued to take up N, indicating a likely release of previously immobilized N. Net mineralization of the ¹⁵N from apple residues was slow during the first 2 months after their incorporation and then increased. In total, 6% (leaves) and 12% (wood) of the N added via residues underwent mineralization, while 67% (leaves) and 85% (wood) were found in the extractable soil N pool (humic and fulvic acids and non-humified fractions). The data indicated that, even if N was incorporated into the soil, apple leaves and pruning wood did not mineralize significant amounts of N in the short term. The evidence suggested that during the decomposition of both types of apple residues the N originally present was incorporated into the stable soil N pool.