ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Changes in Enzymatic Activities and Microbial
Communities in Soil under Long-Term Maize
Monoculture and Crop Rotation
Anna Gałązka1, Karolina Gawryjołek1, Andrzej Perzyński1,
Rafał Gałązka3, Jerzy Księżak2
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1Department of Agriculture Microbiology,
2Department of Forage Crop Production
3Department of Soil Science Erosion and Land Protection
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute,
Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Submission date: 2016-07-15
Final revision date: 2016-08-17
Acceptance date: 2016-08-18
Online publication date: 2017-01-31
Publication date: 2017-01-31
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(1):39-46
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ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to examine the effects of long-term maize monoculture and crop rotation on
biological activities of soil, especially soil enzymatic activities and microbial communities. We investigated
the reaction of maize cultivated in perennial monoculture with direct sowing and compared it to full tillage
monoculture and crop rotation full tillage cultivation in the following phases: six leaves, 12 leaves, flowering
phase, before harvest, and after harvest. The results of the experiment conducted from 2004 to 2012 in the
Experimental Station in Grabów (Mazowieckie Voivodship) on podzolic soil (very good rye soil), were
the basis for this elaboration. Three objects were included in this research: maize cropped continuously
(monoculture) with zero tillage, maize monoculture cropped continuously with full tillage, and crop rotation
(spring barley, winter wheat, maize) with full tillage. The evaluation of the biological activity of the soil was
based on the determination of the number of basic groups of soil microorganisms and enzyme activities. The
maize was sown with the use of a seed drill. The statistically significant increase in soil enzymatic activity
and total number of bacteria and actinomycetes in soil were observed where direct sowing in monoculture
was implemented.