Effect of mineral and organic fertilization on rhizosphere microflora of maize under leached smolnica soil conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/PKIZ6968Keywords:
maize, mineral and organic fertilizers, microfloraAbstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important cereal crops worldwide and ranks third in terms of cultivated area in Bulgarian agriculture. A major challenge facing modern agriculture is the need to increase productivity on arable land while simultaneously reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with mineral fertilization, through the inclusion of fertilizers of organic origin.
In 2023, a field experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions on Haplic Vertisol soil at the Experimental Station of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources “N. Pushkarov” in Bozhurishte, Bulgaria. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of different mineral and organic fertilization regimes on the rhizosphere microflora of maize.
Soil microorganisms represent a valuable resource for the sustainable management of agroecosystems.
The results of the study indicate that the application of both mineral and organic fertilizers in maize cultivation has a positive influence on the distribution of major groups of soil microorganisms in Haplic Vertisol soils. Ammonifying microorganisms, mineral nitrogen–utilizing bacteria, and microscopic fungi exhibited the most favorable development under combined applications of organic fertilizers from both plant and animal origins. The highest abundance of actinomycetes was recorded in treatments receiving organic fertilizers of animal origin, while cellulose-decomposing microorganisms were most positively affected by mineral fertilization.
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