Plant, Soil and Environment, 2009 (vol. 55), issue 1
Soil compaction modifies morphological characteristics of seminal maize roots
B. Konôpka, L. Pagès, C. Doussan
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):1-10 | DOI: 10.17221/380-PSE 
An evaluation of the effects of soil structural heterogeneity on maize (Zea mays L.) root system architecture was carried out on plants grown in boxes containing fine soil and clods. The clods were prepared at two levels of moisture (0.17 and 0.20 g/g) and bulk density (ranges 1.45-1.61 g/ml and 1.63-1.79 g/ml). Soil moisture directly affected the probability of clod penetration by maize roots. Primary roots inside the clods manifested morphological deformations in the form of bends. We observed a significant increase of bends per root length at lower soil moisture (P = 0.02). Root diameter and branching density increased, and lateral...
The influence of fertilisation and crop rotation on soil microbial characteristics in the long-term field experiment
O. Mikanová, M. Friedlová, T. Šimon
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):11-16 | DOI: 10.17221/326-PSE
Soils were sampled from the plots with four variants of fertilisation: Nil - without fertilisation, NPK - mineral fertilisation, FYM - farmyard manure, FYM + NPK - farmyard manure with mineral fertilisation, and two variants of crop rotation: field IV - classical 9-year crop rotation, field B - 2-year rotation of alternative growing. Determination of urease, CFU of Azotobacter spp. and potential nitrogenase activity was conducted during the period 1999-2004. The urease activity was positively affected by manure fertilisation (FYM) and by the combination of FYM + NPK. The statistically significantly highest counts of Azotobacter spp. and...
Competition of some summer catch crops and volunteer cereals in the areas with limited precipitation
V. Brant, K. Neckář, J. Pivec, M. Duchoslav, J. Holec, P. Fuksa, V. Venclová
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):17-24 | DOI: 10.17221/378-PSE
Competitive ability of six summer catch crops (Brassica napus, Lolium multiflorum, Lolium perenne, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Sinapis alba and Trifolium incarnatum) in volunteer winter wheat based on field trials was experimentally tested during the years 2004-2007 in central Bohemia (Czech Republic). The production of aboveground biomass and plant cover of sown catch crops, volunteers and weeds was assessed on experimental plots. General linear models revealed significant influence of catch crops, year and their interaction on dry-mass of the volunteers. The lowest average values of volunteer biomass at the end of growing season (average...
Changes in fungal communities in organically fertilized soil
B. Cwalina-Ambroziak, T. Bowszys
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):25-32 | DOI: 10.17221/327-PSE
The research project was carried out as a field experiment with application of the following crop rotation system: industrial potato, spring barley for fodder, winter rape and winter wheat, established in the random distribution of blocks in triplicate on gleyic luvisol formed of silty light loam. The aim of the research was to determine the influence of diversified organic fertilization based on composted wastewater sediments and farm manure on the community of soil fungi as compared to fields without fertilization and with NPK fertilization only. The fungi were cultured on the Martin medium and were counted and identified afterwards. As a result...
Effect of perforated foil and polypropylene fibre covers on growth of early potato cultivars
W. Wadas, E. Kosterna, A. Kurowska
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):33-41 | DOI: 10.17221/379-PSE
This paper presents the results of a three-year research on the effect of perforated polyethylene foil and polypropylene fibre covers on the growth of early potato cultivars at various lengths of plant covering period (2 and 3 weeks after plant emergence). Plants grown under covers were higher, produced higher mass of above-ground parts, and were characterised by a smaller value of leaf weight ratio (LWR) and leaf area ratio (LAR) compared with the cultivation without covering. In the case of plant covering for 2 weeks after emergence the mass of leaves at the time of cover removal was on average almost 2 times higher and the mass of stems over 2.5...
Boron sorption in soils and its extractability by soil tests (Mehlich 3, ammonium acetate and water extraction)
J. Matula
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(1):42-49 | DOI: 10.17221/377-PSE
The aim of the paper was to contribute to the acquisition of background data for the specification of safe boron levels in soils in relation to diagnostics by multi-nutrient soil tests and to CEC (cation exchange capacity) value of soil, pH and soil organic matter. The research was conducted on 24 soils. Sorption was determined after 97 days from the application of B at the rates of 0, 1, 2.5, 5 mg B/kg in H3BO3. The closest regression of B-sorption was with the CEC value of soil in NH4-acetate and water tests and it increased with the increasing application of B (regression at a rate of 5 ppm B; NH4-acetate:...