Employing Plant Parasitic Nematodes as an Indicator for Assessing Advancements in Landfill Remediation

Abstract

This research concentrated on the soil nematode communities inhabiting a reclaimed municipal waste landfill situated in Giedlarowa, southeastern Poland. The landfill, which was layered with natural soil in 2008 and cultivated with grass, served as the primary focus of the study. Samples for analysis were taken four times (October 2020 (Pf1), March 2021 (Pf2), October 2021 (Pf3), and March 2022 (Pf4)), with each time comprising three repetitions. The analysis was conducted employing microscopic examination, which enabled the identification of up to five trophic groups and species of plant-parasitic nematodes. During the assessment of nematode activity in the initial and subsequent growing seasons, it was found that Pratylenchus crenatus emerged as the predominant species among herbivorous nematodes in the plant-parasitic nematode (PPNs) community. Criconemoides informis, another nematode species, held a significant rank as well; their population during the third growing season formed the most substantial group among the PPN organisms dwelling in the soil. Nevertheless, interesting results were also obtained by populations of nematodes of the genus Hemicyclophora and Loofia, which were characterized by high densities. The analyzed soil environment showcased a C:N ratio spanning from 0.69 to 3.13. Furthermore, the soil samples exhibited variations in phosphorus content (P2O5), ranging from 4.02 mg/100 g to 10.09 mg/100 g. Criconemoides informis, Longidorus attenuates, Mesocriconema spp., and Bitylenchus maximus exhibited a positive correlation with soil mineral levels of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg).