Showing 5 results for Microbial Biomass
M. Boyerahmadi, F. Raiesi , J. Mohammadi,
Volume 14, Issue 51 (4-2010)
Abstract
Similar to plants, soil salinity may reduce microbial growth and activities in different ways. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different levels of salinity on some microbial indices in the presence and absence of plant's living roots. In this study, five levels of salinity using NaCl, CaCl2, MgCl2 and KCl and three soil media (soil with no plant, soil cultivated with wheat and clover) replicated three times consisted our factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized design. Results show that salinity caused a significant reduction in accumulated microbial respiration, microbial biomass carbon, substrate-induced respiration, and carbon availability index in uncultivated soil and in the soils planted with clover and wheat. Results also show that salinity caused a significant increase in metabolic quotient (qCO2) in uncultivated soil, and soils planted with clover and wheat. Microbial activity of cultivated soils at high salinity levels was almost similar to that of the uncultivated soils. We observed a small difference in soil microbial activity among the three media at high salinity levels, indicating the role of indirect effects of salinity might be less important with increasing salinity levels. We also found out that at low salinity levels, the available carbon was not a limiting factor for soil microflora, while at high salinity levels the activity of soil microbes might be carbon-limited. The lower values of qCO2 in cultivated soils compared with the uncultivated soil support the positive influence of root and its exudates on soil microbial activity in saline soils. The existence of plants in saline environments may help in alleviating the detrimental influence of low to medium salinity on most soil microbial activities, likely via the added root exudates and root turnover.
M. Fereidooni Naghani , F. Raiesi , S. Fallah ,
Volume 14, Issue 54 (1-2011)
Abstract
The addition of organic and inorganic substrates to calcareous soils low in organic matter and nitrogen contents may change soil microbial biomass and activity. In order to investigate the effect of chemical and organic fertilizers on soil CO2 production and microbial biomass C, a field experiment was conducted under maize cultivation. The experimental design was split-plot arranged in randomized complete blocks with 7 treatments including 3.8, 7.6 and 11.5 ton ha-1 broiler litter and 100, 200 and 300 kg nitrogen ha-1 from urea and a control with 4 replications. The results showed that fertilizer, manure and sampling day had a significant effect (P<0.05) on soil CO2 fluxes. Mean soil CO2 emissions increased from 21.8 g C m-2 soil in control treatments to 24.1 in the second level of broiler litter. Furthermore, the CO2 fluxes in broiler litter treatments were significantly greater than those in urea-treated plots. Similar to CO2 fluxes, the amount of soil microbial biomass C was also affected significantly (P<0.05) by fertilizer and manure applications. Soil microbial biomass C was 28% higher in broiler litter-amended plots than that in urea-amended plots. In contrast, the microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) in urea-treated soils was 10% higher than that in broiler litter-treated soils. In conclusion, broiler litter and urea fertilizer improved biological properties in this calcareous soil, but broiler litter, especially the highest litter loading, was more effective than urea fertilizer.
H. Dehghan-Menshadi, M. A. Bahmanyar, S. Salek Gilani, A. Lakzian,
Volume 16, Issue 60 (7-2012)
Abstract
Biological indicators are considered soil quality elements, due to their dependence on soil organisms. In order to investigate The effect of compost and vermicompost enriched by chemical fertilizers and manure on soil organic carbon, microbial respiration, and enzymes activity in basil plant's rhizosphere, a field experiment was conducted as a split-plot design with randomized complete blocks and three replications in 2006. The main plot involved six levels of fertilizer including: 20 and 40 tons of compost enriched, 20 and 40 tons of vermicompost enriched per hectare, chemical fertilizer and control without fertilizer and sub-plot, and period of application (two, three and four years). The results showed that application of compost and vermicompost at all levels increased soil organic carbon (OC) and soil microbial respiration, microbial biomass and urease activity compared to the controls (p<0.05), but increasing trend among the treatments was not similar. The maximum amounts of OC, soil microbial respiration and enzyme activity were observed in 40 tons of vermicompost enriched with chemical fertilizer ha-1 with four years of application. In high levels of compost application, the urease activity was decreased.
Sh. Ghorbani Dashtaki, N. Karimian, F. Raeisi,
Volume 21, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Abstract
The use of organic matter such as urban sewage sludge may help sustainable soil fertility via improving the physical, chemical and biological soil characteristics. The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of urban sewage sludge on chemical properties, soil basal respiration and microbial biomass carbon in a calcareous soil with silty clay loam texture. Therefore, three levels of water repellency (zero, weak and strong) were artificially created in a silty clay loam soil by adding urban sewage sludge (S0=0:100; S50=50:50 and S80=80:20 sludge weight: soil ratio). Water repellency was determined by water drop penetration time (WDPT) method. Also some chemical properties such as soil acidity (pH) and Electrical Conductivity (EC), Soil Organic Carbon (OC), soluble sodium (Na+) and soluble potassium (K+) were measured. The samples were incubated at 23-25 ºC for 30 days and their moisture was maintained at 70-80 % under field capacity and soil basal respiration and microbial biomass carbon of incubation period were evaluated. The results showed that the effect of urban sewage sludge on chemical properties was significant (P ≤0.0001). The application of urban sewage sludge led to significant increase in basal respiration (16 and 27 times) and microbial biomass carbon (15.2 and 26.5 times) in the water repellency soils (S50 and S80) compared to control soil. The observed positive effect of sewage sludge might be due to a high content of organic carbon and nutrients in urban sewage sludge and decrease in the labile organic matter and nutrients during incubation period.
S. Abdi Ardestani, B. Khalili, M. M. Majidi,
Volume 25, Issue 1 (5-2021)
Abstract
Long-term drought effect is one of the main factors of global climate change, with consequences for soil biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen and the function of soil ecosystem under drought conditions. We hypothesized that 1) the Bromus inermis, Dactylis glomerata and festuca arundinacea species would differ in their rhizosphere responses to drought and 2) combined plant species and drought would have offsetting effects on the soil biological traits. We tested these hypotheses at the long-term drought field expreiment at the Lavark Farm of Isfahan University of Technology by analyzing soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and activity of β-glucosaminidase in the rhizosphere of Bromus inermis, Dactylis glomerata and festuca arundinacea species. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen responses to drought depended on plant species, such that the highest MBC was recorded in the Bromus inermis rhizosphere, while the lowest was in the Dactylis glomerata rhizosphere, thereby suggesting the greater microbial sensitivity to drought in the Dactylis glomerata rhizosphere. Genotype variations (drought tolerate and sensitive) mostly affected the change in the β-glucosaminidase activity, but they were not significantly affected by drought treatment and plant species. In general, the positive effects of the plant genotype could offset the negative consequences of drought for soil microbial biomass and traits.
