Articles
Biomass production of five cover crops in relation with some soil-quality indicators and colonization by arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi
Article number
1375_22
Pages
169 – 176
Language
English
Abstract
Growing cover crops (CC) is considered an excellent way to enhance the health of soils, usually done in the off-season.
Production of leaving biomass on the field provides lots of benefits for the agroecosystem, including reduction of erosion, controlling potential pathogens in addition to managing nutrients in the soil.
Cover crops are used to improve the efficiency of added fertilizers whether they are organic or mineral, by increasing the biological activity of soils.
Our examinations were carried out in pot experiments in a greenhouse designed with five CC species, selected as single-, double- or non-symbiont plants: Phacelia tanacetifolia (P.t.), Brassica carinata (B.c.), Vicia faba (V.f.), Avena strigosa (A.s.), Vicia benghalensis (V.b.). A mixture of the five species was also used, placed in sandy soil (arenosol) in plastic pots in 4 repetitions.
We measured soil biological activity, which may be the first step toward healthy soils.
We evaluated soil electrical conductivity (EC) and NH4-N and NO3-N, which are considered an indicator of soil fertility.
A mixture of all CC tended to have the highest EC activity.
The frequency (F %) of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) infection was good in all CC, except mustard (B.c.), which is a non-symbiotic plant.
Double symbiont vetch responded the most positive way to inoculation with AM fungi.
AM fungi are known to enhance phosphorus uptake and growth performance of host plants.
CC with better symbiotic performance proved to be important in maintaining soil quality and aggregation (secondary structure) stability.
Vetch (V.b.) was found to have the highest capacity to maintain glomalin concentration, followed by the CC mixture.
Mineral N-status of soil was improved by using CC, as we saw for oat (A.s.), and mustard (B.c.). Oat showed a significantly higher amount of ammonium fixation than other crops.
The benefits of mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the double symbiont plants (with AMF and N2-fixing bacteria) could be realized in improving secondary soil-structure and growth parameters of cover crops.
Production of leaving biomass on the field provides lots of benefits for the agroecosystem, including reduction of erosion, controlling potential pathogens in addition to managing nutrients in the soil.
Cover crops are used to improve the efficiency of added fertilizers whether they are organic or mineral, by increasing the biological activity of soils.
Our examinations were carried out in pot experiments in a greenhouse designed with five CC species, selected as single-, double- or non-symbiont plants: Phacelia tanacetifolia (P.t.), Brassica carinata (B.c.), Vicia faba (V.f.), Avena strigosa (A.s.), Vicia benghalensis (V.b.). A mixture of the five species was also used, placed in sandy soil (arenosol) in plastic pots in 4 repetitions.
We measured soil biological activity, which may be the first step toward healthy soils.
We evaluated soil electrical conductivity (EC) and NH4-N and NO3-N, which are considered an indicator of soil fertility.
A mixture of all CC tended to have the highest EC activity.
The frequency (F %) of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) infection was good in all CC, except mustard (B.c.), which is a non-symbiotic plant.
Double symbiont vetch responded the most positive way to inoculation with AM fungi.
AM fungi are known to enhance phosphorus uptake and growth performance of host plants.
CC with better symbiotic performance proved to be important in maintaining soil quality and aggregation (secondary structure) stability.
Vetch (V.b.) was found to have the highest capacity to maintain glomalin concentration, followed by the CC mixture.
Mineral N-status of soil was improved by using CC, as we saw for oat (A.s.), and mustard (B.c.). Oat showed a significantly higher amount of ammonium fixation than other crops.
The benefits of mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the double symbiont plants (with AMF and N2-fixing bacteria) could be realized in improving secondary soil-structure and growth parameters of cover crops.
Authors
S. Kabalan, K. Juhos, E. Tóth, B. Biró
Keywords
cover crops, sustainable agriculture, soil nutrients, soil quality, mycorrhiza symbiosis
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