Influence of bio-inoculants (earthworms and nitrogen-fixing bacteria) on rhizosphere microflora of alfalfa
Keywords:
inoculation, earthworms, Rhizobium meliloti, alfalfa, soil microfloraAbstract
The impact of bio-inoculants on soil environment is insufficiently studied in our country. The present work is based on a pioneer investigation on earthworm inoculation in Chromic-Vertic Luvisol in pot experiment with alfalfa. In addition to the main subject, we aimed to study the influence of inoculation with the three main ecological groups of Lumbricidae and with nitrogen-fixing bacteria on rhizosphere microflora of alfalfa. Single inoculations with endogeic, anecic and epigeic earthworms, and with the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria Rhizobium meliloti strain 116 were performed. Mixed inoculation with endogeic, anecic and epigeic individuals, and another with endogeic, anecic and epigeic earthworms+ Rhizobium meliloti 116 were also set. Analyses of rhizosphere soil were made at the beginning of the experiment (first alfalfa cut) and at the end (fourth alfalfa cut). Microbial counts were presented as CFU/g soil. It was found that bio-inoculants had markedly positive effect on the amount of heterotrophic bacteria at the beginning, as well as at the end of the experiment. Inoculation impact on the amount of actinomycetes, microscopic fungi and cellulolytic microorganisms in the investigated stages was characterized by specificity but, in general, a decreasing trend prevailed. Amongst the single earthworm inoculations, endogeic earthworms showed significantly positive effect on most microbial groups (heterotrophic bacteria, microscopic fungi and cellulolytic microorganisms). Both mixed inoculations increased basal soil respiration at the end of the experiment.
References
Alef, K. (1995). Soil respiration. In: Alef, K. & Nannipieri, P. (eds), Methods in Applied Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, London, pp. 214-218.
Bhadauria, T., & Saxena, K. G. (2010). Role of earthworms in soil fertility maintenance through the production of biogenic structures. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, 2010.
Bisht D., Pandey, A., &. Palni, L. M. S. (2003). Influence of microbial inoculations on Cedrus deodara in relation to survival, growth promotion and nutrient uptake of seedlings and general soil microflora. J. Sustainable Forestry, 17, 37-54.
Brown, G. G. (1995). How do earthworms affect microfloral and faunal community diversity? Plant Soil, 170(1), 209-231.
Elmer, W. H. (2009). Influence of earthworm activity on soil microbes and soilborne diseases of vegetables. Plant Disease, 93, 175-179.
Grudeva, V., Moncheva, P., Nedeva, S., Gocheva, B., Antonova-Nedeva, S., & Naumova, S. (2007). Handbook of microbiology. University edition SU “St. Kl. Ohridski”, p. 356 (Bg)
Lavelle, P., Charpentier, F., Villenave, C., Rossi J.P, , Derouard, L., Pashanasi, B., Andre, J., Ponge, J. F., & Bernier, N. (2004). Effects of earthworms on soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics at a landscape scale over decades. Earthworm ecology, 2, 145-160.
Lv, M., Shao, Y., Lin, Y., Liang, C., Dai, J., Liu, Y., Fan P., Zhang W., & Fu, S. (2016). Plants modify the effects of earthworms on the soil microbial community and its activity in a subtropical ecosystem. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 103, 446-451.
Nyoki, D., & Ndakidemi, P. A. (2018). Selected Chemical Properties of Soybean Rhizosphere Soil as Influenced by Cropping Systems, Rhizobium Inoculation, and the Supply of Phosphorus and Potassium after Two Consecutive Cropping Seasons. International Journal of Agronomy, vol. 2018, Article ID 3426571.
Petkova, G., Nedyalkova, K., Perfanova, J., & Eftimova, D. (2018). Effect of Microbial Inoculants on Plant Biomass of Lucerne. Journal of Balkan Ecology 21(4), 370-377.
Schwieger, F., & Tebbe, C. C. (2000). Effect of field inoculation with Sinorhizobium melliloti L33 on the composition of bacterial communities in rhizospheres of a target plant (Medicago sativa) and a non-target plant (Chenopodium album) - linking of 16S rRNA gene-based-single-strand conformation polymorphism community profiles to the diversity of cultivated bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66(8), 3556-3565.
Trabelsi, D., & Mhamdi, R. (2013). Microbial inoculants and their impact on soil microbial communities: a review. BioMed research international, 2013.
Valchovski, H., Kercheva, M., Perfanova, J., Nedyalkova, K., & Hodjev, J. (2018). Effect of Inoculation of Earthworms and Soil Microorganisms on Soil Structure and Productivity of Alfalfa. Eurasian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2 (8), 22-29.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 Bulgarian Journal of Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
