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Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar

Soil microbial properties are frequently used as indicators of soil fertility. However, the linkage of these properties with crop biomass is poorly documented especially in biochar amended soil with high carbon:nitrogen (C:N). A short-term field trial was conducted to observe the growth response of...

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Main Authors: Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan, Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah, Simarani, Khanom, Abdullah, Rosazlin
Format: Article
Published: MDPI 2018
Subjects:
Q Science (General)
QD Chemistry
QH Natural history
Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/21970/
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110255
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spelling my.um.eprints.219702019-08-20T03:55:43Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/21970/ Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah Simarani, Khanom Abdullah, Rosazlin Q Science (General) QD Chemistry QH Natural history Soil microbial properties are frequently used as indicators of soil fertility. However, the linkage of these properties with crop biomass is poorly documented especially in biochar amended soil with high carbon:nitrogen (C:N). A short-term field trial was conducted to observe the growth response of maize to biochar treatment in a highly weathered Ultisol of humid tropics and to observe the possible linkage of the measured microbial properties with maize biomass. Soil microbial biomass (carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)), enzyme activity (β-glucosidase, urease, phosphodiesterase) and gene abundance (bacterial 16S rRNA, fungal ITS) were analyzed. For comparison, total soil C, N, and P were also analyzed. The data revealed no significant linkage of soil C, N, and P with maize biomass. A significant association of enzyme activity and gene abundance with maize biomass was not recorded. Strong positive correlation between maize above ground biomass with microbial biomass N was found (r = 0.9186, p < 0.01). Significant negative correlation was recorded between microbial biomass C:N with maize biomass (r = -0.8297, p < 0.05). These statistically significant linkages observed between microbial biomass and maize biomass suggests that microbial biomass can reflect the soil nutrient status, and possibly plant nutrient uptake. Estimation of microbial biomass can be used as a fertility indicator in soil amended with high C:N organic matter in the humid tropics. MDPI 2018 Article PeerReviewed Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan and Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah and Simarani, Khanom and Abdullah, Rosazlin (2018) Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar. Agronomy, 8 (11). p. 255. ISSN 2073-4395 https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110255 doi:10.3390/agronomy8110255
institution Universiti Malaya
building UM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Malaya
content_source UM Research Repository
url_provider http://eprints.um.edu.my/
topic Q Science (General)
QD Chemistry
QH Natural history
spellingShingle Q Science (General)
QD Chemistry
QH Natural history
Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan
Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah
Simarani, Khanom
Abdullah, Rosazlin
Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
description Soil microbial properties are frequently used as indicators of soil fertility. However, the linkage of these properties with crop biomass is poorly documented especially in biochar amended soil with high carbon:nitrogen (C:N). A short-term field trial was conducted to observe the growth response of maize to biochar treatment in a highly weathered Ultisol of humid tropics and to observe the possible linkage of the measured microbial properties with maize biomass. Soil microbial biomass (carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)), enzyme activity (β-glucosidase, urease, phosphodiesterase) and gene abundance (bacterial 16S rRNA, fungal ITS) were analyzed. For comparison, total soil C, N, and P were also analyzed. The data revealed no significant linkage of soil C, N, and P with maize biomass. A significant association of enzyme activity and gene abundance with maize biomass was not recorded. Strong positive correlation between maize above ground biomass with microbial biomass N was found (r = 0.9186, p < 0.01). Significant negative correlation was recorded between microbial biomass C:N with maize biomass (r = -0.8297, p < 0.05). These statistically significant linkages observed between microbial biomass and maize biomass suggests that microbial biomass can reflect the soil nutrient status, and possibly plant nutrient uptake. Estimation of microbial biomass can be used as a fertility indicator in soil amended with high C:N organic matter in the humid tropics.
format Article
author Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan
Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah
Simarani, Khanom
Abdullah, Rosazlin
author_facet Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan
Hasenan, Siti Nahdiyyah
Simarani, Khanom
Abdullah, Rosazlin
author_sort Halmi, Muhammad Farid Azlan
title Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
title_short Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
title_full Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
title_fullStr Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
title_full_unstemmed Linking Soil Microbial Properties with Plant Performance in Acidic Tropical Soil Amended with Biochar
title_sort linking soil microbial properties with plant performance in acidic tropical soil amended with biochar
publisher MDPI
publishDate 2018
url http://eprints.um.edu.my/21970/
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110255
_version_ 1643691713593606144
score 13.211869

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