Litter from different sources influences the nutrient availability, biological and enzyme activity in the rubber growing soils in Kerala, India

Litter from different sources influences the nutrient availability, biological and enzyme activity in the rubber growing soils in Kerala, India

Authors

  • Geetha Jose Rubber Research Institute of India Kottayam Kerala 686 009
  • Mercykutty Joseph Rubber Research Institute of India

Keywords:

Hevea brasiliensis, Leguminous cover crops, Litter degradation, Microbial population, Mineralization, Soil enzymes

Abstract

Plants and microorganisms are key players within the soil ecosystem and are responsible for many important soil cycling processes, such as carbon mobilization and nitrogen mineralization. Since rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations are deciduous in nature and most of the plantation floors have either a leguminous cover crop of Mucuna bracteata or Pueraria phaseoloides and they contribute a lot to the soil biomass. Soil cellulase, dehydrogenase and nitrogenase activity is an important aspect to estimate soil biological properties as it acts as a biological indicator towards soil fertility. The specific influence of litter addition on the dynamics of cellulase, dehydrogenase and nitrogenase enzymes in the plantation floor when monitored continuously for three years though a field experiment indicated that cellulase enzyme values ranged from 38.35 to 999.85 μg g-1 of glucose hydrolyzed g-1 of soil 24 h-1 and dehydrogenase enzyme  level ranged from  61.70 to 293.37 μg of TPF hydrolyzed g-1 of soil  24 h-1 and the nitrogenase enzyme values ranged from 13.76 to 498.07 μ moles of ethylene produced g-1 of soil h-1. Among the three litter sources, Pueraria significantly lowered the pH and was brought to the extremely acidic range and coinciding with that reduced availability of K, Ca and Mg was recorded with Pueraria treatment. Among the soil properties, effect of pH on enzyme activity was more pronounced and cellulase exhibited positive correlation and dehydrogenase and nitrogenase exhibited negative correlation with soil pH. Mucuna litter addition was capable of enhancing the bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes populations in soil compared to Pueraria and rubber litter.

References

Acosta-Martínez, V., Dowd, S. E., Bell, C.W., Lascano, R., Booker, J.D., Zobeck, T.M., Upchurch, D.R. 2010. Microbial community composition as affected by dryland cropping systems and tillage in a semiarid sandy soil. Diversity, 2: 910–931.

Baligar, V. C., Wright, R. J. and Smedley, M. D. 1997. Enzyme activities in Appalachian soils: Dehydrogenase. Communication in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 22: 1797-1804.

Bandick, A. K. and Dick, R. P. 1999. Field management effects on enzyme activities. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 31: 1471-1479.

Becker, M., Ladha, J. K., Ottow, J. C. G. (1994). Parameters affecting residue nitrogen mineralization in flooded soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 58: 1666-1671

Black, C. A. (1965). Methods of Soil Analysis. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 770 p.

Bray R.H and Kurtz, L.T. 1945. Determination of total organic and available forms of phosphorous in soils. Soil Science, 59: 39-45.

Burns, R. G. 1978. Soil Enzymes. Academic Press, New York.

Burns, R. G. 1982. Enzyme activity in soil location and possible role in microbial ecology. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 14: 423-427.

Casida, L. E. Jr., Klein, D. A. and Santoro, T. 1964. Soil dehydrogenase activity. Soil Science, 98: 371-376.

Cooper, J. M. and Warman, P. R. 1997. Effects of the fertility amendments on phosphatase activity, organic carbon and pH. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 77: 281-283.

Deng, S. P. and Tabatabai, M. A. 1994. Cellulase activity of soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 26: 1347–1354.

Dick, R. P. 1994. Soil enzyme activities as indicators of soil quality. Defining soil quality for sustainable environment: Proceedings of symposium, Soil Science Society of America, Inc., pp. 107-124.

Doran, J.W. 1990. Soil microbiological changes associated with reduced tillage. Journal of the American Soil Science Society, 44: 765-774.

Doran, J. W. and Zeiss, M. R. 2000. Soil health and sustainability managing the biotic component of soil quality. Applied Soil Ecology, 15 (1): 3-11.

Fageria, N.K., Baligar, V.C. and Bailey, B.A. 2005. Role of cover crops in improving soil and row crop productivity. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 36(19&20): 2733-2757.

Fatondji, D., Martius, C., Zougmore, R., Vlek, L. G., Bielders, C. L. and Koala, S. 2009. Decomposition of organic amendment and nutrient release under the zai technique in the Sahel. Nutrient Cycling in Agro ecosystems, 85: 225-239.

Fraser, D. G., Doran, W. J., Sahs, W. W. and Leosing, G. W. 1998. Soil microbial population and activities under conventional and organic management. Journal of Environmental Quality, 17: 585-590.

García-Ruiz, R., Belén, V. O. M., Hinojosa and Carreira, J. A. 2008. Suitability of enzyme activities for the monitoring of soil quality improvement in organic agricultural systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40 (9): 2137-2139.

Girisha, G. K., Condron, L. M., Clinton, P. W and Davis, M. R. 2003. Decomposition and nutrient dynamics of green and freshly fallen radiata pine (Pinus radiata) needles. Forest Ecology and Management, 179(1&3): 169-181.

Glinski, J. and Stepniewski, W. 1985. Soil aeration and its role for plants. CRC press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 87 p.

Gomez, R., Burns, G. L., Walsh, J. A., and Moura, M. A. de 2003. A multitrait–multisource confirmatory factor analytic approach to the construct validity of ADHD rating scales. Psychological Assessment, 15: 3-16.

Greggio, T. C., Assis, L. C. and Nahas, E. 2008. Decomposition of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis litter at two depths. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, 68: 128-135.

Gupta, R. P, Dakshinamoorthy, C. 1980. Procedures for physical analysis of soil and collection of agro meteorological data. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

Jackson, M. L. 1973. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall of India Private Ltd., New Delhi, 498 p.

Kanzawa, S. and Miyashita, K. 1987. Cellulase activity in forest soils. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 33(3): 399-406.

Karlen, D. L., Mausbach, M. J., Doran, J. W., Cline, R. G., Harris, R. F., and Schuman, G. E., 1997. Soil quality: a concept, definition, and framework for evaluation. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 61: 4–10.

Kothandaraman, R., Mathew, J., Krishnakumar, A. K. Joseph, K., Jayarathnam, K. and Sethuraj, M. R. 1989. Comparative effeicency of Mucuna bracteata. D.C. and Pueraria phaseoloides Benth on soil nutrient enrichment, microbial population and growth of Hevea. Indian Journal of Natural Rubber Research, 2: 147-150.

Makoi, J. and Ndakidemi, P. 2010. Effect of plant densities and cropping systems on yield components of cowpea (vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) genotypes and sorghum (sorghum bicolor L. Moench.). Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 48: 28-33.

Martinez, V., and Tabatabai, M. A. 2000. Enzyme activities in limed agricultural soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 31: 85-91.

Mille-Lindblom, C., Fischer, H. and Tranvik, L. J. 2006. Litter associated bacteria and fungi a comparison of biomass and communities across lakes and plant species. Freshwater Biology, 51: 730–741.

Orimoloye, J. R., Ugwa, I. K. and Idoko, S. O. 2010. Soil management strategies for rubber cultivation in an undulating topography of Northern Cross River State. Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management, 1(2): 34-39.

Pancholy, S. K. and Rice, E. L. 1973. Soil enzymes in relation to old field succession: amylase, cellulase, invertase, dehydrogenase and urease. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, 37: 47-50.

Panse, V.G. and Sukhatme, P.V. 1967. Statistical methods for agricultural workers. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India, pp.381.

Philip, A. and Abraham, J. 2009. Litter chemistry and decomposition in rubber plantations. Natural Rubber Research, 22(1&2): 10-16.

Piper, C. S. (1970). Plant and Soil Analysis. Hans publications, Bombay.

Regina, S.I. and Tarazona, T. 2001. Nutrient pools to soil through organic matter and through fall under a Scots pine plantation in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain. European Journal of Soil Biology, 37: 125-133.

Roper, M. M., Turpin, J. E. and Thompson, J. P. 1994. Nitrogenase activity (C2H2 reduction) by free-living bacteria in soil in a long-term tillage and stubble management experiment on a Vertisol. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 26(8): 1087-1091.

Ross, D. J. 1971. Some factors influencing the estimation of dehydrogenase activities of some soils under pasture. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 3: 97-110.

Salazar, S., Sanchez, L., Alvarez, J., Valverde, A., Galindo, P., Igual, J., Peix, A. and Santa-Regina, I. 2011. Correlation among soil enzyme activities under different forest system management practices. Ecological Engineering, 37: 1123-1131.

Seneviratne, G. and Jayasinghearachchi, H. S. 2005. A rhizobial biofilm with nitrogenase activity alters nutrient availability in a soil; Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 37: 1975–1978.

Stougaard, J. 2000. Regulators and regulations of legume root nodule development. Plant Physiology, 124: 531-540.

Suvannang, N., Clermont-Dauphin, C., Cheylan, V., Promratrak, K., Ninchawee, C. and Sakonnakhon, S.P.N. 2010. Decomposition of cover crops residues in a rubber tree plantation in northeast Thailand. 19th World Congress of Soil Solutions for a Changing World. 1-6 August, 2010, Brisbane, Australia. Published on DVD.

Tian, G., Kang, B.T. and Brussaard, L. 1992. Biological effects of plant residues with contrasting chemical compositions under humid tropical conditions decomposition and nutrient release. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 24: 1051-1060.

Tian, L., Dell, E. and Shi, W. 2010. Chemical composition of dissolved organic matter in agro ecosystems: Correlations with soil enzyme activity and carbon and nitrogen mineralization. Applied Soil Ecology, 46(3): 426-428.

Timonin, M. I. 1940. The interaction of higher plants and soil microorganisms: Study of the microbial population of the rhizobium in relation to resistance of plants to soil borne disease. Canadian Journal of Research, 18: 446-456.

Turner, G. L. and Gibson, A. K. 1980. Measurement of nitrogen by indirect means. In: Methods for Evaluation of Elemental Nitrogen. Bergersen R.J. (Ed.) John Wiley, New York, pp. 111-138.

Vitousek, P. M. and Turner, D. R. 1994. Litter decomposition on the Mauna Loa environmental matrix, Hawaii: patterns, mechanisms, and models. Ecology, 75(2): 418-429.

Vitousek, P.M., Cassman, K., Cleveland, C., Crews,T., Field, C.B., Grimm, N.B., Howarth, R.W.,Marino, R., Martinelli, L., Rastetter, E.B. and Sprent, J.I. (2002). Towards an ecological understanding of biological nitrogen fixation. Biogeochemistry, 57/58: 1-45.

Walkley, A. and Black, I. A. 1934. An examination of Degtjareff method for determining organic carbon in soils: effect of variations in digestion conditions and of inorganic soil constituents. Soil Science, 63: 251–263.

Downloads

Published

26-02-2022

How to Cite

Jose, G., & Joseph, M. (2022). Litter from different sources influences the nutrient availability, biological and enzyme activity in the rubber growing soils in Kerala, India. Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 59(2). Retrieved from https://jtropag.kau.in/index.php/ojs2/article/view/1088

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

<< < 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Loading...