Humic substances and their effects on soil chemical and biological attributes and plant production

Author(s)

Cristiane Alcantara dos Santos

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2014-03-14

Examining board members

Elke Jurandy Bran Nogueira Cardoso; Diva de Souza Andrade; Carlos Clemente Cerri; Marco Antonio Nogueira

• Advisor: Elke Jurandy Bran Nogueira Cardoso

Abstract

The soil organic matter (SOM) is composed of a complex and heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds, in which the humic substances (HS) are considered to be the most recalcitrant fraction. HS have great influence on chemical and biological soil properties, contributing as energy source for microorganisms and as nutrient reservoir for plants. Furthermore, HS can contribute significantly to the development and production of crop plants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the activity and diversity of the soil bacterial community, nutrient availability and productivity of a wheat crop after application of increasing doses of HS. For this purpose, two experiments were performed and evaluated, one is an incubation essay with a sandy soil and the other a greenhouse experiment with wheat plants using two distinct tropical soils as substrates (sandy and clayey). Microbial activity was stimulated in both experiments, and this transient stimulus may have been due to a priming effect caused by the addition of HS. However, there was no change in the bacterial community structure which may be due to the fact that HS is a recalcitrant material and already present in the soil. Nevertheless, we found an increase in the availability of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and nitrogen, as well as in the CEC in both, sandy and clayey soils, showing that HS do improve chemical properties of tropical soils. Furthermore, we found a significant effect on wheat productivity related parameters. There was an increase of dry weight of roots and shoots, as well as increased weight and number of grains, which may be reflected in a significant increase in productivity. These results are important because they show that even the most recalcitrant SOM fraction can positively influence soil chemical and biological aspects, contributing to the improvement of the production system and also to higher plant productivity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/02140-9 - Addition of organic soil conditioner and its effect on the microbial community and mycorrhizal fungi
• Grantee: Cristiane Alcantara dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate