Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The response of properties of soil cropped with shell beans and treated with disinfectant and fertiliser during the plant growing season

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Disinfectants and fertilisers exert strong impact on soil processes by affecting the structure and the activity of the soil microbial community. Most relevant studies examined these impacts independently, under laboratory conditions and without crop cover. In this study, we have monitored the response of soil chemical, microbial, and biochemical properties to disinfectant and fertiliser treatments in field plots cultivated with beans. The measured properties comprised microbial C and N, asparaginase, gultaminase, urease, and acid phosphomonoesterase activities and contents of organic N, organic C, inorganic N, and inorganic P. We ran four different treatments using different combinations of chemical (metham sodium) and biological disinfectant (a mixture of neem cake and essential oils) and fertilisers (NPK 8-16-24 and cow manure) in plots cultivated with shell beans, while the control soil was neither treated nor cropped with beans. The data were expressed as percentage (%RC) in relation to the control values. The disinfectant and fertiliser treatments had less impact on soil properties compared to bean crop growth (except for microbial C and N, and content of organic C). In comparison to the control, higher activities of urease and asparaginase and content of inorganic N were recorded in bean cropped plots at the stage of seedlings (June), while higher activities of acid phosphomonoesterase and glutaminase and content of organic N were recorded at the stage of plant flowering (August). In October, the values of all properties were higher in the control plots compared to the treated plots. The joint effect of disinfectants x fertilisers affected the response of content of organic C and N and extractable P and glutaminase activity. The %RC of the properties exhibited more negative values in plots treated with chemical disinfectant and chemical fertiliser than in the other treatments. We suggested that the response of soil properties to disinfectants and fertilisers were influenced by the growth of P. vulgaris.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akhtar M, Malik A (2000) Roles of organic soil amendments and soil organisms in the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes: a review. Biores Technol 74:35–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allen E (1974) Chemical analysis of ecological materials. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Alotaibi KD, Schoenau JJ (2011) Enzymatic activity and microbial biomass in soil amended with biofuel production byproducts. Appl Soil Ecol 48:227–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barford C, Lajtha K (1992) Nitrification and nitrate reductase activity along a secondary succesional gradient. Plant Soil 145:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes PC, Landman A, Pruden G, Jenkinson DS (1985) Chloroform fumigation and the release of soil nitrogen: a rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 17:837–842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaer G, Fernandes M, Myrold D, Bottomley P (2009) Comparative resistance and resilience of soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in adjacent native forest and agricultural soils. Microb Ecol 58:414–424

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins HP, Alva A, Boydston RA, Cochran RL, Hamm PB, McGuire A, Riga E (2006) Soil microbial, fungal, and nematode responses to soil fumigation and cover crops under potato production. Biol Fertil Soils 42:247–257

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coventry E, Allan EJ (2001) Microbiological and chemical analysis of neem (Azadirachta indica) extracts: new data on antimicrobial activity. Phytoparasitica 29:441–450

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Desaeger J, Csinos A, Timper P, Hamme G, Seebold K (2004) Soil fumigation and oxamyl drip applications for nematode and insect control in vegetable plasticulture. Ann Appl Biol 145:59–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dungan RS, Ibekwe AM, Yates SR (2003) Effect of propargyl bromide and 1, 3- dichloropropene on microbial communities in an organically amended soil. FEMS Microb Ecol 43:75–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fujino C, Wada S, Konoike T, Toyota K, Suga Y, Ikeda JI (2008) Effect of different organic amendments on the resistance and resilience of the organic matter decomposing ability of soil and the role of aggregated soil structure. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 54:534–542

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giannakou IO, Sidiropoulos A, Prophetou-Athanasiadou D (2002) Chemical alternatives to methyl bromide for the control of root-knot nematodes in greenhouses. Pest Manage Sci 58:290–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths BS, Ritz K, Bardgett RD, Cook R, Christensen S, Ekelund F, Sorensen SJ, Baath E, Bloem J, de Ruiter PC, Dolfing J, Nicolardot B (2000) Ecosystem response of pasture soil communities to fumigation-induced microbial diversity reductions: an examination of the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship. Oikos 90:279–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamido SA, Kpomblekou-A K (2009) Cover crop and tillage effects on soil enzyme activities following tomato. Soil Till Res 105:269–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houlton BΖ, Wang YP, Vitousek PM, Field CB (2008) Α unifying framework for dinitrogen fixation in the terrestrial biosphere. Nature 454:327–330

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ibekwe AM (2004) Effects of fumigants on non-target organisms in soils In: Sparks DL (Ed) Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 83, Elsevier, Great Britain, pp. 2–29.

  • Ibekwe AM, Papiernik SK, Gan J, Yates SR, Yang CH, Crowley DE (2001) Impact of fumigants on soil microbial communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 67:3245–3257

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS, Powlson DS (1976) The effects of biocidal treatments on metabolism in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 8:209–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kapagianni PD, Papatheodorou EM (2010) The effect of disinfection on soil bacterial functionality in organically and conventionally cultivated plots. In: Darren DC, Barrios TL (eds) Organic farming and peanut crops. Nova Science Publishers, New York, pp 137–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapagianni PD, Boutsis G, Argyropoulou MD, Papatheodorou EM, Stamou GP (2010) The network of interactions among soil quality variables and nematodes. Short-term responses to disturbances induced by chemical and organic disinfection. Appl Soil Ecol 44:67–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kern R, Chrispeels MJ (1978) Influence of the axis on the enzymes of protein and amide metabolism in the cotyledons of mung bean seedlings. Plant Physiol 62:815–819

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koul O (2004) Neem: a global perspective. In: Koul O, Wahab S (eds) Neem: today and in the new millennium. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands, pp 1–19

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Martin FN (2003) Development of alternative strategies for management of soil borne pathogens currently controlled with methyl bromide. Ann Rev Phytopathol 41:325–350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mikola J, Setala H (1998) Relating species diversity to ecosystem functioning: mechanistic backgrounds and experimental approach with a decomposer food web. Oikos 83:180–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monokrousos N, Papatheodorou EM, Diamantopoulos JD, Stamou GP (2006) Soil quality variables in organically and conventionally cultivated field sites. Soil Biol Biochem 38:1282–1289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Landi L, Badalucco L (1995) La capacita metabolica e la qualita del suolo. Agronomia 29:312–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Kandeler E, Ruggiero P (2002) Enzyme activities and microbiological and biochemical processes in soil. In: Burns R, Dick RP (eds) Enzymes in the environment. Activity. Ecology and applications. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, pp 1–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Giagnoni L, Landi L, Renella G (2011) Role of phosphatase enzymes in soil. In: Bunemann EK et al (Eds) Phosporus in Action. Soil Biology 26. Springer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 215–241

  • Olsen SR, Cole CV, Watanabe FS, Dean LA (1954) Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. United States Department of Agriculture, Circ. 939, Washington, DC, pp. 19

  • Omirou M, Rousidou C, Bekris F, Papadopoulou KK, Menkissoglou-Spiroudi U, Ehaliotis C, Karpouzas DG (2011) The impact of biofumigation and chemical fumigation methods on the structure and function of the soil microbial community. Microb Ecol 61:201–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Papatheodorou EM (2008) Responses of soil microbial communities to climatic and human impacts in Mediterranean regions. In: Liu TX (ed) Soil ecology research developments. Nova Science Publishers, New York, pp 63–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Paz-Ferreiro J, Trasar-Cepeda C, del Leirós CM, Seoane S, Gil-Sotres F (2011) Intra-annual variation in biochemical properties and the biochemical equilibrium of different grassland soils under contrasting management and climate. Biol Fertil Soils 47:633–645

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peacock AD, Mullen MD, Ringelberg DB, Tyler DD, Hedrick DB, Gale PM, White DC (2001) Soil microbial community responses to dairy manure or ammonium nitrate applications. Soil Biol Biochem 33:1011–1019

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romero E, Bayo JF, Diaz JMC, Nogales R (2010) Enzyme activities and diuron persistence in soil amended with vermicompost derived from spent grape marc and treated with urea. Appl Soil Ecol 44:198–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross DJ (1990) Measurements of microbial biomass C and N in grassland soils by fumigation–incubation procedures: influence of inoculums size and the control. Soil Biol Biochem 3:289–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stromberger ME, Klose S, Ajwa H, Trout T, Fennimore S (2005) Microbial populations and enzyme activities in soils fumigated with methyl bromide alternatives. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69:1987–1999

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabatabai MA (1994) Soil enzymes. In: Weaver RW, Angles JS, Bottomley PS (Eds) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Microbiological and biochemical properties. Soil Science Society of American Journal, Madison, WI, pp 775–833

  • US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs (2008) Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for methyldithiocarbonate Salts- metam sodium/potassium and MITC. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/metamsodium-red.pdf. Accessed May 2012

  • van Gestel M, Merckx R, Vlassak K (1992) Microbial biomass responses to soil drying and rewetting: the fate of fast- and slow-growing microorganisms in soils from different climates. Soil Biol Biochem 25:109–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venterink HO (2011) Legumes have a higher root phosphatase activity than other forbs, particularly under low inorganic P and N supply. Plant Soil 347:137–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wada S, Toyota K (2007) Repeated applications of farmyard manure enhances resistance and resilience of soil biological functions against soil disinfection. Biol Fertil Soils 43:349–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilhelmová N, Procházková D, Macháčková I, Vágner M, Srbová M, Wilhelm J (2004) The role of cytokinins and ethylene in bean cotyledon senescence. The effect of free radicals. Biol Plantar 48:523–529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WWF–Greece. Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP), Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), Macedonian Alliance for Prespa (MAP) (2002). Strategic Action Plan for the Sustainable Development of the Prespa Park, Agios Germanos. www.medwet.org/ prespa/ publications/sapen.pdf

  • Zaman M, Cameron KC, Di HJ, Inubushi K (2002) Changes in mineral N, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in different soil depths after surface applications of dairy shed effluent and chemical fertilizer. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 63:275–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zonia LE, Stebbins NE, Polacco JC (1995) Essential role of urease in germination of nitrogen-limited Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. Plant Physiol 107:1097–1103

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the three unknown referees and the editor for their instructive criticism on the manuscript. This work was part of the project “Use of alternative methods for improving soil fertility” (PENED 2004), funded by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (Greek Ministry of Development). We would like to thank Gail Schofield for her contribution to the linguistic correction of the text.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, U.P. Box 119, 54 124, Greece

    Pantelitsa Kapagianni, Nikos Monokrousos, George P. Stamou & Efimia Papatheodorou

Authors
  1. Pantelitsa Kapagianni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nikos Monokrousos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. George P. Stamou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Efimia Papatheodorou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Efimia Papatheodorou.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kapagianni, P., Monokrousos, N., Stamou, G.P. et al. The response of properties of soil cropped with shell beans and treated with disinfectant and fertiliser during the plant growing season. Biol Fertil Soils 49, 225–233 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-012-0712-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-012-0712-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation