Abstract
Soil aggregate stability is one of the most important properties controlling plant growth in semiarid Mediterranean environments. A field study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the rhizosphere of Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris and Rhamnus lycioides, the addition of a composted residue and mycorrhizal inoculation with Glomus intraradices on rhizosphere aggregate stability and on the viability of both plant species in a semiarid structureless soil. For both plant species, water-soluble carbon (WSC) content and enzyme activities (urease, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase) measured in the rhizosphere aggregate were higher than in the non-rhizosphere soil. Rhizosphere aggregate stability of both plant species was on average 1.8-fold higher than that of non-rhizosphere aggregate. The addition of composted residue was the most effective treatment for increasing rhizosphere aggregate stability. The water-soluble carbon content was correlated positively with aggregate stability of the O. europaea rhizosphere. The mycorrhizal component was increasingly important for improving the growth of both seedlings following the addition of composted residue to soil under the severe climatological conditions of the area.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
