The use of fertilizers is a powerful means of increasing soil fertility. It is well known that the use of fertilizers is aimed at creating such conditions for the root nutrition of plants that are necessary for obtaining a high yield and improving its quality.
At the same time, the effect of fertilizers is not limited to the direct improvement of plant nutrition. Fertilizers, interacting with the soil, cause significant changes in the course of physicochemical and biochemical processes that determine soil fertility.
Leonardite Carbon-Humic Fertilizers
Carbon-humic fertilizers are fertilizers made from leonardite, complex organo-mineral fertilizers. They contain nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, copper, manganese, humic acids, etc. Among these substances, humic compounds are the active substance. Humic fertilizers are very promising, as they have high agrotechnical indicators.
This report is devoted to the issue of the influence of humic fertilizers on the vital activity of soil microflora and the biological activity of gray forest soils under field and vegetation experiments.
Study of microbiological processes
The study of the effect of leonardite fertilizers on the activity of microbiological processes is closely connected with the study of the transformations in the soil of humus substances, which constitute the active principle of the fertilizers we are studying.
The participation of individual physiological groups of soil microflora in complex processes of mineralization and synthesis of soil organic matter should be considered not only depending on the physiological characteristics of individual groups of microorganisms, but also taking into account the possibility of stimulating one or another process under certain metabiotic conditions.
The participation of microorganisms in the complex, stage-by-stage process of decomposition and formation of humus should be determined by the ability of some microorganisms to coexist with others.
The role of microorganisms in the mineralization of soil humus
Much attention has been paid to studies that determine the specific role of individual physiological groups of microorganisms in the processes of decomposition of soil organic matter.
Much attention was also paid to issues determining the role of individual physiological groups of microorganisms in the processes of mineralization of soil humus. The main role in the processes of mineralization of humus substances is assigned to fungi and mycorrhiza.
Research by scientists points to the active role of individual bacteria in the decomposition of humus and attaches great importance to actinomycetes in the processes of soil humus development. These microorganisms are capable of decomposing soil humic compounds that are difficult to mineralize.
The literature expresses an opinion about the mineralization of soil humus by microorganism complexes (communities).
Experimental research
The determination of the microbiological basis for the use of humic fertilizers based on leonardite was carried out on graded gray forest soils, widely distributed in the Chernihiv region.
The studied gray forest soils, by definition, are transitional types of the cultural evolutionary genetic series of soddy weakly podzolic soils. Depending on the accumulation of humus, these soils prograde into light gray, gray and dark gray forest soils.
When determining the progradation of gray forest soils, scientists consider the main factors of soil change to be the increase in biological accumulation and weathering processes.
Field test results
The effect of humic fertilizers from leonardite was tested on light-grey forest soils.
The arable horizon of the studied soils contained 3.4-3.6% humus (determined according to Tyurin), 0.242-0.256% total nitrogen (according to Jodlbauer), including easily hydrolyzed nitrogen - about 9 mg per 100 g of soil.
The effect of humic fertilizers in comparison with ammonia water under spring wheat was studied on light-gray forest soil of the agricultural experimental station. Experiments were conducted on the experimental field to determine the effect of humic fertilizers on the yield of corn, oats, sugar beets, potatoes and other agricultural crops.
| Experimental variant | Application rate | Culture |
|---|---|---|
| Humic fertilizers | According to the recipe | Spring wheat, corn, oats |
| Ammonia water (control) | 240 l/ha | Spring wheat, corn, oats |
The experimental design includes the option of introducing a 25% aqueous solution of ammonia in the amount of 240 liters per hectare, based on the fact that a 25% aqueous solution of ammonia is used in the production of humic fertilizers. In addition, ammonia water is a tested, highly effective fertilizer in the Chernihiv region, with which the agronomic efficiency of humic fertilizers based on leonardite is compared in our experiments.