Effect of a biogas-digestate and bentonite on some enzyme activities of the amended soils

Abstract

Almost all the measured soil chemical parameters have been changed on the treatments, and this complex alteration has an apparent influence on the enzyme activities, studied. Among the three enzymes, however not all proved to be sufficient for the soil characterization or to estimate the soil fertility level, like to earlier findings of Trasar-Cepeda et al. (2000). The applied digestate seems to be favourable only for the dehydrogenase activities, while the other two enzymes have higher activities more particularly in the water-treated soil samples. The application of both the digestate and the bentonite has enhanced on the other hand simultaneously the crop yield (data not shown). In a short term bases there are positive (i.e the incresing pH level), and negative (i.e Na-content increase) changes in soil characteristics. Soil is a continuously changing, complex, multifactorial system, further studies are necessary, therefore to understand the short and long-term effects of the used soil amendments, and their consequences on the most-typical soilbiological parameters.