Municipal solid waste compost dose effects on soil microbial biomass determined by chloroform fumigation-extraction and DNA methods

Abstract

We evaluated the relationship between microbial biomass C and N (BC and BN) as estimated by the chloroform fumigation-extraction (CFE) method and microbial biomass DNA concentration in a loam-clayey wheat cultivated soil. The soil received municipal solid waste compost at rates of 40 or 80 t ha−1 and farmyard manure at 40 t ha−1. Microbial biomasses C and N and DNA concentration centration showed the highest values for microorganisms counts with compost and farmyard manure at 40 t ha−1. Compost applications at 40 t ha−1 improve the micro-organisms growth than that of 80 t ha−1. Moreover a significant decrease of soil microbial biomass was noted after fertilisation for three years. The presence of humic acid and proteins impurities in DNA extracts; even in important level as in F-treated soil; did not affect the microbial biomass. The decrease of microbial biomass was due to heavy metals content elevation in compost at 80 t ha−1 treated soil. Thus the highest rate of municipal solid waste compost induced the lowest ratio of biomass C to soil organic carbon and the lowest ratio of biomass N to soil organic nitrogen. There was a positive relationship between BC, BN and DNA concentration. DNA concentration was significantly and positively correlated with BC and with BN. However there was a negative correlation between either micro-organisms numbers and DNA concentration, or BC and BN. The comparison of the two used methods DNA extraction and CFE showed the lowest coefficient of variation (cv %) with DNA extraction method. This last method can be used as an alternative method to measure the microbial biomass in amended soils.