Effect of Soil Biostimulant Application on Protein and Carbohydrate Content in Per-ennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.)

Abstract

Article infoOne of the elements of modern plant fertilization systems is soil biostimulants. Like fertilizers, they provide plants with nutrients, and thanks to the content of additional substances (e.g. seaweed extracts, amino acids), plant development is affected. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of selected soil biostimulants and traditional P+K+Ca fertilization on changes in the content of crude protein (CP) and water soluble sugars (WSC) in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cv. Anna. The research was conducted over a two-year period at the Experimental Station of the Department of Grassland and Natural Landscape Sciences at the Agricultural Experimental Station of Poznan University of Life Sciences. The two-factor experiment was set up in a randomized block design with three replications. The first factor was fertilization with biostimulants (Physio-Mescal G18, PRP-SOL, EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms), EM-1+Ca) and standard mineral fertilizers (P+K+Ca). Nitrogen fertilization (0 and 200 kg•ha -1 ) was applied as a second factor. The biomass of perennial ryegrass was evaluated for CP and WSC. The experiment showed that the application of Physio-Mescal G 18 and PRP-SOL, as well as EM-1+Ca, resulted in a significant increase in the CP and WSC content in perennial ryegrass compared to the control and the object fertilized with standard P+K+Ca fertilizers. Positive effects on the growth of the plant CP content were noted for two biostimulants: PRP-SOL and Physio Mescal G18. The ryegrass sward from the PRP-SOL-applied object contained 7% more CP compared to the control object, while that from the Physio Mescal G18 object contained 6% more. A very good effect of WSC accumulation was also obtained in the case of the sward from the PRP-SOL and Physio Mescal G18 treatments. In both cases, the determined WSC content was above 141 g⋅kg -1 DM, a difference in content from the control of as much as 6%. In addition, nitrogen fertilization applied at the annual rate of 200 kg•ha -1 significantly increased the CP content and decreased the WSC content, which worsened the CP/WSC ratio. The results of the two-year study showed that the incorporation of soil biostimulants, i.e. Physio-Mescal G 18 and PRP-SOL, into fertilizer practice makes it possible to obtain high-quality roughage for livestock.

Effect of Biostimulant, Manure Stabilizer, and Manure on Soil Physical Properties and Vegetation Status

“…Sulewska et al [68] noted that biostimulant application led to a similar fat content in dry weight of rape seeds as fertilization with conventional P and K. This was in line with the results of our study, where no significant difference was proven between NS and CL variants. Zielewicz et al [69] observed a 7% increase in crude protein in ryegrass sward when a biostimulant was used, but no evidence for this increase was found in our results, although the crops were different. In addition, Mo żd żer et al [70] found that treatment of slurry with a stabilizer and PK fertilization increased the macro-elements' concentrations in winter rape and spring wheat grain; however, the significant qualitative parameter improvement was not confirmed in our results when the stabilizer was used.…”