Respiration and enzymatic activities in agriculture soils
Studies of microbial and enzymatic activities performed on soils manured with different doses of compost or cultivated with different precessions grain leguminous-wheat, are performed at Battipaglia Section. Soil microbiological activity will be assessed by measuring soil respiration and enzymatic activities as hydrolase, dehydrogenase and phosphatase. Soil respiration, the most used soil activity parameter, is detected by measuring CO2 evolution from microbial metabolism. Dehydrogenase activity is carried out by a broad group of enzymes only existing in viable cells, which transfer hydrogen and electrons from the substrate to the oxygen: they are involved in several metabolic processes, such as Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorilation and nitrogen metabolism. Phosphatase activity is due to extra-cellular enzymes which are released in the soil returning to the plant, inorganic phosphate from organic matter. All this enzyme activity are detect by incubation of soil samples with synthetic substrates and subsequent spectrophotometric measuration of the coloured compounds released during their hydrolysis. These parameters are able to compare the effects of soil treatments in the same environmental condition and are often used to assess organic fertilization effects.
Contacts:
Dr. Massimo Zaccardelli, m.zaccardelli@isci.it
Bacteria of nitrogen cycle and antagonistic bacteria in agriculture soils
The level of populations
of bacteria that are implicated in the nitrogen cycle and of bacteria with antagonistic
activity (Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) are periodically
monitored at Battipaglia Section in soils manured with different doses of compost
or cultivated with different precessions grain leguminous-wheat.
Contacts:
Dr. Massimo Zaccardelli, m.zaccardelli@isci.it