Abstract
A study of the effects of different qualities (fresh and composted) and rates (equivalent to 120, 240, and 360 kg N ha–1) of mustard meal application on wheat yields on humid tropical vertisol was started in 1990 at Ginchi Research Station in Ethiopia. After continuous wheat cropping for 7 years and without any further fertilisation, soil microbial parameters (basal respiration, microbial biomass-C and N, organic-C, and ecophysiological quotients) were studied during one growth period. After 7 years of application, mustard meal still exerted a significant positive effect on microbial biomass, basal respiration, organic-C, Cmic : Nmic ratio, and metabolic quotient (qCO2). Organic-C, qCO2 and Cmic : Nmic ratios were higher for the compost-amended plots than plots amended with fresh mustard meal. Basal respiration, Cmic, and Cmic : Nmic ratio showed a clear seasonality, but only in manured plots. The data indicate shifts in microbial community structure (from bacteria to fungi and from r to K strategists) and suggest positive medium-term effects of mustard meal on humid tropical vertisol biological qualities.
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