ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Change in Microbiological Conditions
of Lawn Grass Root Zones as a Result
of Fertilization with Sewage Sludge
Tomasz Paweł Kurowski1, Sebastian Wojciech Przemieniecki1,
Kazimierz Grabowski2, Marta Damszel1, Edyta Kwiatkowska1
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1Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Molecular Diagnostics,
University of Warmia and Mazury, Prawocheńskiego 17, 10-721 Olsztyn, Poland
2Department of Grassland and Green Space Management, University of Warmia and Mazury,
Plac Łódzki 1, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
Submission date: 2015-04-22
Final revision date: 2016-04-08
Acceptance date: 2016-04-12
Publication date: 2016-10-05
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2016;25(5):2015-2026
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ABSTRACT
Sewage sludge, thanks to its content of nutrients, can be used as a fertilizer for lawns. The aim of this
study was to determine the relationship between the applied dose of sewage sludge and variety of lawn grasses
and changes in the quality and quantity of microorganisms in the root zone of grass.The community of fungi
isolated from the rhizoplane was significantly dominated by fungi belonging to the Fusarium genus, including
F. oxysporum. The share of these fungi in the isolated community increased with the dose of sewage sludge.
It was also found that the share of some saprotrophic fungi significantly increased after application of the
sludge at a dose of 60 t•ha-1 and decreased after its application at the highest dose of 150 t•ha-1. The lowest
number of fungi of the Fusarium genus was observed in the roots of perennial rye-grass (30.3% of all
isolates), while their highest number occurred in creeping red fescue (44.3% of all isolates). Based on all the
results, such as the level of dominance, the number of potential pathogens and bacteria and fungi saprotrophic
observed that the dose of 60 t•ha-1 is the most favorable option, while the use of a dose of 150 t•ha-1 may
increase the share of pathogenic fungi in the community fungi, without causing beneficial changes in the
number of microorganisms inhabiting rhizosferę terms lawns where no fertilizer was applied.