Abstract
The effects of the integrated (IS) and ecological (ES) management of soil on chosen parameters of soil biological activity were investigated in the period 1999-2000. The following characteristics were determined: biomass of microorganisms (Cmic), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), an amount of potentially mineralizable nitrogen (Nbiol), and nitrification intensity. Soil samples were collected from a stationary field experiment established in 1990 on gley brown soil at the Experimental Station of Slovak Agricultural University, Nitra. For each field with a different crop rotations two fertilization treatments were selected: (a) no fertilization and (b) use of manure for silage maize and, within IS, also mineral fertilizers. There was a statistically significant difference at α = 0.05 in the amount of biologically released nitrogen (Nbiol) between both systems and in the nitrification intensity in favour of ES. A higher amount of microbial biomass (Cmic) was noted for ES but without statistical significance. Cultivated crops and the timing of soil sampling were found to have the greatest effect on all the parameters observed in individual experimental years and within the two systems of soil management.
Highlights
Nutrient availability and crop yields are closely associated with the amount and activity of biological components of soils
Within the stationary field experiment established on gley brown soil, the effects of two systems of soil management, namely the integrated system (IS) and the ecological system (ES), on soil biological activity were studied during the growing period of 19992000
Soil microorganisms and soil microbiological processes are affected by the quantity and quality of plant residues placed in soil, their time and space distribution, a ratio of above-ground input to underground input of organic residues and changes in nutrient inputs (Beyer et al, 1992a, b; Friedel et al, 1996; Bandick and Dick, 1999)
Summary
Nutrient availability and crop yields are closely associated with the amount and activity of biological components of soils. Edaphon substantially participates in all processes conditioning soil fertility. It primarily degrades different organic substances, acts in humus synthesis, promotes nutrient availability for plants and the formation of soil structure. Irreplaceable is its hygienic function and capability of producing physiologically active substances affecting the development and health of plants. These functions of soil organisms should be maintained, strengthened and utilized in systems of soil management. Because of the adverse effects of intensive, conventional agricultural systems on the environment, different alternatives to biological, ecological or organic farming systems are being developed which reduce this negative impact
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