Short-term response of methane oxidation to biofertilizer treatments in sandy and clay soil.

The use of biofertilizers is a promising method of improving the quality of degraded and cultivated soils. High soil quality ensures high crop yields as well as is prerequisite to the proper soil functioning in the ecosystem. We tested methanotrophic activity of sandy and clayey soil (located in Poland - in Biszcza and Basznia, respectively) as affected by the use fertilizers with microorganisms and humic acids. Nine soil treatments were included (B: without microbial enrichments: (C) - Control zero without fertilization; (CF) - Control zero + fungal strains; (CB) - Control zero + bacterial strains; (UC) - Urea without microbiological amendment; (UA100) - Urea (100% + bacterial strains; (UA60) - Urea (60%) + bacterial strains; (NPK) - Control + NPK; (NPKF) - Control + NPK + fungal strains; and (NPKB) – Control + NPK + bacterial strains. Soil samples were collected two months after fertilization, and incubated in laboratory with methane (1% vol.) for 21 days. Soils differed in CH4 uptake rate and showed various response to the treatments. Generally, sandy soil showed higher methanotrophic activity than clayey soil. Fungal and bacterial strains (CF and CB) delayed CH4 oxidation in sandy soil, while not affected the process in the clay soil. Urea apparently inhibited CH4 oxidation in sandy soil without as well as with microbial enrichment (UC, UA100, UA60). In clayey soil urea had no effect. The use of NPK fertilizer without microbes inhibited CH4 consumption compared to Control (C) in sandy soil but not in clayey soil. Fungal (NPKF) and bacterial (NPKB) enrichments resulted in acceleration of the CH4 oxidation in sandy soil. In clayey soil fungal enrichments (NPKF) accelerated CH4 oxidation while bacterial amendments (NPKB) gave the opposite effect.

 

The presentation is financed by the National Centre for Research and Development under the program BIOSTRATEG3, contract number BIOSTRATEG3/347464/5/NCBR/2017 "BIO FERTIL"