ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Irrigation and Organic Mulching on the Abundance and Biomass of Earthworms
 
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1
Institute of Crop Production Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
 
2
Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
 
3
Institute of Economics, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
 
 
Submission date: 2021-08-12
 
 
Final revision date: 2021-10-06
 
 
Acceptance date: 2021-10-21
 
 
Online publication date: 2022-03-23
 
 
Publication date: 2022-05-05
 
 
Corresponding author
Barbara Simon   

Department of Soil Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter K., H-2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
 
 
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(3):2811-2821
 
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ABSTRACT
Soil is an important medium of biomass production due to storing, transforming, and harmonizing natural resources. This experimental site (Kungyalu, Central-East Hungary) on Chernozem soil was examined based on: a) irrigation (linear – LI; drum irrigation – DI; no irrigation – NI); and b) mulching (mulched – M; unmulched – U). The objective was to investigate the effect of irrigation and organic mulching (wheat straw) on earthworm abundance, biomass and species composition. The earthworm abundance and biomass under U (60.7 ind m-2, 16.8 g m-2) and M (68.1 ind m-2, 17.3 g m-2) were greater in autumn compared to summer (U: 16.6 ind m-2, 3.14 g m-2; M: 29.9 ind m-2, 6.6 g m-2), but the difference was only significant in summer. Significantly greater earthworm abundance and biomass were found under NI in autumn (92.5 ind m-2, 23.9 g m-2). Five earthworm species were detected (Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea georgii, Proctodrilus opisthoductus, Octolasion lacteum), mostly juveniles. Soil mulching significantly increased earthworm abundance and biomass in summer, while irrigation significantly decreased it.
eISSN:2083-5906
ISSN:1230-1485
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