Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #138404
Title: SEASONAL CHANGES IN ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IN SOILS RECEIVING DIFFERENT ORGANIC AMENDMENTS

Author
item PARK, KEE CHON - UNIV OF MISSOURI
item Kremer, Robert

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/2002
Publication Date: 11/10/2002
Citation: PARK, K., KREMER, R.J. SEASONAL CHANGES IN ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IN SOILS RECEIVING DIFFERENT ORGANIC AMENDMENTS. AGRONOMY ABSTRACTS. 2002. CD-ROM (UNPAGINATED). AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY. MADISON, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil management strategies that include organic amendments and/or biodynamic fertilizers affect soil quality, including soil enzymes, and may lead to productive, environmentally sound agroecosystems. We determined the relationship of microbial parameters of soil quality with various organic soil amendments. Four organic sources (poultry litter, municipal compost, spring oat and red clover cover crops) with or without biodynamic fertilizer (Effective Microorganisms; EM) were investigated. Soil dehydrogenase and esterase [as fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis] activities were evaluated in early spring and monthly from July through October. Soil dehydrogenase increased in all soils and sampling dates after application of organic amendments. Soil esterase (FDA hydrolysis) increased only at final date but no differences among treatments were detected. EM combined with both cover crops and municipal compost generally increased soil dehydrogenase at all sampling dates. Results suggest soil dehydrogenase activity is a sensitive biological indicator for detecting improvement in soil quality due to application of organic amendments.