Long-term mineral fertilization impact on chemical and microbiological properties of soil and Miscanthus × giganteus yield

Abstract

This experimental work was undertaken to assess the effect of various fertilization regimes (CaNPK, NPK, CaPK, CaPN, CaKN and Ca) and different soil properties on growth and yield of Miscanthus plants and to check the impact of this plant on soil microbial characteristics. Field experiment was set up in 2003 on a long-term fertilization experiment, which had been established since 1923. Miscanthus giganteus response to high soil acidity and deficiency of N, P and K was investigated. Some physico-chemical and microbiological properties of soil samples were estimated and microbial characteristics of soil were conducted to investigate the number of the following microorganisms: heterotrophic bacteria, microscopic fungi, and some diazotrophic bacteria. Obtained results showed that, the highest yield of Miscanthus was obtained from the field fertilized with the CaNPK; while the lowest one was found for plants grown without nitrogen (CaPK). The high acidity of soil and small amount of phosphorus did not affect the yields in the NPK and CaKN combinations as compared with CaNPK one. The experiments showed that Miscanthus giganteus responded positively to mineral fertilization, especially with nitrogen. The rhizosphere of Miscanthus plants provides a suitable environment for the growth and development of microorganisms, in contrast to the non-rhizosphere zone.Keywords: energetic plant; microbial characteristics of soil; nutrients in plant and soil Plant Soil Environ. Vol. 60, 2014, No. 3: 117-122 118 MATERIAL AND METHODSThe object of chemical and microbiological analyses was soil taken under Miscanthus giganteus plants grown in different fertilization combinations. The experiment was set up in 2003 in triplicate on the site of a long-term fertilization experiment in which a fixed fertilization scheme had been applied since 1923: CaNPK, NPK, CaPK, CaPN, CaKN, Ca. The experiment was carried out on a podzolic soil formed from heavy loamy sand. Chemical and microbiological tests were carried out over 2010 and 2011 at three different times of the year (spring, summer, and autumn).Chemical tests were carried out on plants and non-rhizosphere soil, whereas microbiological tests included both rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils. Rhizosphere soil was taken to be the soil that remained within the root system of Miscanthus plants after shaking them.Soil samples were analysed for pH in 1 mol/L KCl (PN-ISO 10390), total nitrogen (PN-ISO 11261), organic carbon (PN-ISO 10694), available P by Egner-Riehm method (Fotyma et al. 2005), and exchangeable forms of K, Mg and Ca (Ostrowska et al. 1991). Plant samples were analysed for total amounts of macroelements (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, S) (Ostrowska et al. 1991).Microbial characteristics in the soil were assessed on the basis of population sizes of selected physiological groups of microorganisms: heterotrophic bacteria on the Bunt and Rovira medium (1955), and microscopic fungi on the Martin's medium (1950). The most probable number (MPN) of diazotrophic bacteria (Azotobacter sp. a...

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Long‐term Biomass and Potential Ethanol Yields of Annual and Perennial Biofuel Crops

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