Plant, Soil and Environment, 2017 (vol. 63), issue 6

Effects of biochar addition on CO2 and CH4 emissions from a cultivated sandy loam soil during freeze-thaw cyclesOriginal Paper

Xiang LIU, Zhiming QI, Quan WANG, Zhiwen MA, Lanhai LI

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):243-249 | DOI: 10.17221/618/2016-PSE  

This study was conducted to examine the effects of biochar additions (0, 2 and 4%, w/w) on soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions during freeze-thaw cycles (FTC). The results showed that soil CO₂ emissions were stimulated by both FTC and biochar addition. However, the differences in soil CO₂ emissions between control (CK) and FTC treatments were not significant when biochar addition rate was 4%, indicating that high biochar addition rate may have stronger effect on stimulating soil CO₂ emissions than FTC. The increased soil dissolved organic carbon content, which attributed to the...

Response of soil sulfur availability to elevation and degradation in the Wugong Mountain meadow, ChinaOriginal Paper

Zhi LI, Ling ZHANG, Jing CHEN, Xueling ZHANG, Suqin YU, Wenyuan ZHANG, Xiaochi MA, Xiaomin GUO, Dekui NIU

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):250-256 | DOI: 10.17221/83/2017-PSE  

Vegetation restorations of degraded meadows have been widely implemented. The evaluation of soil nutrient changes as affected by degradation is vital for efficient restorations. However, while macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) have been widely investigated, sulfur (S) as one important element correlated tightly with other nutrients has not been thoroughly studied. Two studies were conducted to determine changes of sulfur as affected by degradation and elevation gradients. The results showed that available S (AS) changed non-linearly with elevation and the first principal component based on other soil nutrient variables. Soil AS depended...

Earthworms are little affected by reduced soil tillage methods in vineyardsOriginal Paper

Florian FABER, Elisabeth WACHTER, Johann G. ZALLER

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):257-263 | DOI: 10.17221/160/2017-PSE  

Inter-rows in vineyards are commonly tilled in order to control weeds and/or to conserve water. While impacts of tillage on earthworms are well studied in arable systems, very little is known from vineyards. In an experimental vineyard, the impact of four reduced tillage methods on earthworms was examined: rotary hoeing, rotary harrowing, grubbing and no tillage. According to an erosion prevention programme, tillage was applied every other inter-row only while alternating rows retained vegetated. Earthworms were extracted from the treated inter-rows 10, 36, 162 and 188 days after tillage. Across dates, tillage methods had no effect on overall earthworm...

Microbial community diversity and the interaction of soil under maize growth in different cultivation techniquesOriginal Paper

Anna GAŁĄZKA, Karolina GAWRYJOŁEK, Jarosław GRZĄDZIEL, Magdalena FRĄC, Jerzy KSIĘŻAK

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):264-270 | DOI: 10.17221/171/2017-PSE  

Soil microbial functional diversity under maize grown in different agricultural management practices was determined using the Biolog EcoPlates and other microbial and biochemical methods. Comparisons of substrate utilization and the diversity indices showed differences in community composition of microorganisms related to different cultivation techniques and seasons. The soil samples collected in spring were characterized by statistically significant lower indices of biological activity in comparison to the soil collected from the flowering stage of maize. The soils collected in spring from the plots with full tillage had a similarly high biological...

Antioxidant response to cold stress in two oil plants of the genus JatrophaOriginal Paper

Carmelina SPANŇ, Stefania BOTTEGA, Monica RUFFINI CASTIGLIONE, Hilda Elizabeth PEDRANZANI

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):271-276 | DOI: 10.17221/182/2017-PSE  

Jatropha curcas and J. macrocarpa, suitable for production of biodiesel oil from their seeds, are able to live in arid and semi-arid regions, where most crops cannot survive. J. curcas is characterized by higher oil quality and seed yield, but it is not a good candidate for oil production in arid areas with freezing temperatures, due to its sensitivity to chilling in comparison to J. macrocarpa. In this work, for the first time, the effects of cold stress and different mechanisms activated in these conditions have been studied in the two species. Seedlings were treated with low non-freezing temperatures with or without...

Antagonistic activity of selected bacteria of the soil environment of carrotOriginal Paper

Elżbieta PATKOWSKA, Marzena BŁAŻEWICZ-WOŹNIAK, Dariusz WACH

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):277-281 | DOI: 10.17221/216/2017-PSE  

The purpose of the present studies was to determine the antagonistic effect of bacteria Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. towards selected fungi from the soil environment of carrot. Oats (Avena sativa L.), tansy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Bentham) and vetch (Vicia satica L.) were used as cover crops in the cultivation of this plant. In the traditional cultivation of carrot the population of bacteria was the smallest, while after the application of oats it was the largest. Laboratory tests showed that cover crops promoted the development of antagonistic Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas...

Effect of zinc fertilisation on yield and selected qualitative parameters of broccoliOriginal Paper

Miroslav ŠLOSÁR, Ivana MEZEYOVÁ, Alžbeta HEGEDÜSOVÁ, Alena ANDREJIOVÁ, Peter KOVÁČIK, Tomáš LOŠÁK, Tomáš KOPTA, Anna J. KEUTGEN

Plant Soil Environ., 2017, 63(6):282-287 | DOI: 10.17221/220/2017-PSE  

Three treatments were used in two-year (2014-2015) field experiments with broccoli cv. Bejo 2914 F1: (1) untreated control; (2) Zn_0.75 - Zinkuran SC as foliar fertiliser at the rate of 0.75 L/ha (375 g Zn/ha); (3) Zn_1.50 - Zinkuran SC as foliar fertiliser at the rate of 1.50 L/ha (750 g Zn/ha). The statistically significant differences of individual broccoli parameters were found after zinc applications. In both experimental years the yield of broccoli with additional zinc fertilisation was significantly higher by about 8.2-14.4% (Zn_0.75) and 12.5-17.5% (Zn_1.50), respectively, than in the control. Foliar...