Relationship between acidity and microbiological properties in some tea soils

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different forms of soil acidities on microbial biomass C, ergosterol content, microbial metabolic quotient, microbial respiration quotient, and fluorescein diacetate-hydrolyzing activity of some tea-growing soils of India. Total potential and exchangeable acidity and extractable and exchangeable aluminum were higher in Tripura followed by Jalpaiguri and Kharagpur soil. Different forms of acidity were significantly and positively correlated with each other. All the microbiological properties investigated were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic C content. The ratio of organic C with microbial parameters was significantly and negatively correlated with different forms of acidity. Principal component analysis indicated that the microbial activities were not directly affected by the extractable aluminum and total potential acidity. Although the tea soils had higher microbial biomass and activities because of higher organic matter content than other soils, the ratios of microbial parameters/organic carbon indicated that inhibition of microbial growth and activities had occurred because of acidity stress.