Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Konôpka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest Protection and Game Management, Forest Research Institute Zvolen, National Forest Centre, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest Protection and Game Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Pagès Author-Workplace-Name: Plants and Horticultural Systems Unit, INRA Research Centre of Avignon, Avignon, France Author-Name: C. Doussan Author-Workplace-Name: Mediterranean Environment and Modeling of Agro-Hydrosystems Unit, INRA Research Centre of Avignon, Avignon, France Title: Soil compaction modifies morphological characteristics of seminal maize roots Abstract: An evaluation of the effects of soil structural heterogeneity on maize (Zea mays L.) root system architecture was carried out on plants grown in boxes containing fine soil and clods. The clods were prepared at two levels of moisture (0.17 and 0.20 g/g) and bulk density (ranges 1.45-1.61 g/ml and 1.63-1.79 g/ml). Soil moisture directly affected the probability of clod penetration by maize roots. Primary roots inside the clods manifested morphological deformations in the form of bends. We observed a significant increase of bends per root length at lower soil moisture (P = 0.02). Root diameter and branching density increased, and lateral root length decreased considerably inside the clods. However, once emerging out of the clods and into free soil, values of all three characteristics remained low. While changes in root diameter were caused mainly by clod moisture (P < 0.05), length of lateral roots was related to bulk density (P < 0.01). Branching density was modified exclusively by an interactive effect of both factors (P < 0.05). Keywords: clod, penetration resistance, root morphology, water content, Zea mays Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 1-10 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/380-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/380-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:380-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: O. Mikanová Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Friedlová Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Šimon Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Title: The influence of fertilisation and crop rotation on soil microbial characteristics in the long-term field experiment Abstract: Soils were sampled from the plots with four variants of fertilisation: Nil - without fertilisation, NPK - mineral fertilisation, FYM - farmyard manure, FYM + NPK - farmyard manure with mineral fertilisation, and two variants of crop rotation: field IV - classical 9-year crop rotation, field B - 2-year rotation of alternative growing. Determination of urease, CFU of Azotobacter spp. and potential nitrogenase activity was conducted during the period 1999-2004. The urease activity was positively affected by manure fertilisation (FYM) and by the combination of FYM + NPK. The statistically significantly highest counts of Azotobacter spp. and the highest nitrogenase activity were determined on field B in variants FYM and FYM + NPK. The results show that there was a higher amount of accessible nitrogen present on field IV than on field B. This might explain the lower counts of Azotobacter spp. and therefore the lower nitrogenase activity. According to our results, activity of urease, CFU of Azotobacter spp. and potential nitrogenase activity are very closely connected with N inputs. Keywords: urease, Azotobacter spp., fertilisation, potential nitrogenase aktivity Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 11-16 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/326-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/326-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:326-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: V. Brant Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Neckář Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Pivec Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Duchoslav Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Holec Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Fuksa Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. Venclová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Competition of some summer catch crops and volunteer cereals in the areas with limited precipitation Abstract: Competitive ability of six summer catch crops (Brassica napus, Lolium multiflorum, Lolium perenne, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Sinapis alba and Trifolium incarnatum) in volunteer winter wheat based on field trials was experimentally tested during the years 2004-2007 in central Bohemia (Czech Republic). The production of aboveground biomass and plant cover of sown catch crops, volunteers and weeds was assessed on experimental plots. General linear models revealed significant influence of catch crops, year and their interaction on dry-mass of the volunteers. The lowest average values of volunteer biomass at the end of growing season (average from 2004-2007) were recorded on plots sown with S. alba (124.7 kg/ha) and P. tanacetifolia (186.3 kg/ha). The average biomass of volunteer plants in stands of S. alba was significantly lower than the biomass of volunteers in stands of L. perenne, L. multiflorumand T. incarnatum. The lowest average biomass of weeds was recorded also in S. alba stands. In the context of our study, catch crop is a crop sown between seasons of regular plantings to make use of temporary idleness of the soil. Keywords: summer catch crops, volunteer cereal, biomass production, plant cover Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 17-24 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/378-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/378-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:378-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Cwalina-Ambroziak Author-Workplace-Name: Department Phytopathology and Entomology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland Author-Name: T. Bowszys Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland Title: Changes in fungal communities in organically fertilized soil Abstract: The research project was carried out as a field experiment with application of the following crop rotation system: industrial potato, spring barley for fodder, winter rape and winter wheat, established in the random distribution of blocks in triplicate on gleyic luvisol formed of silty light loam. The aim of the research was to determine the influence of diversified organic fertilization based on composted wastewater sediments and farm manure on the community of soil fungi as compared to fields without fertilization and with NPK fertilization only. The fungi were cultured on the Martin medium and were counted and identified afterwards. As a result of three-year field experiments it was established that organic fertilization had a more determining effect on qualitative composition than numbers of soil fungi. Total number of fungal colony-forming units in the soil fertilized with Biohum at 10 t/ha and 5 t/ha was significantly higher than in soil with mineral NPK fertilization and without fertilization. Most frequently pathogens populated the soil in fields without fertilization and to a lesser extent the soil with mineral NPK fertilization. A positive influence of organic fertilizers on the fungal community structure was recorded. The number of pathogens was limited (to 1.2% in fields fertilized with farm manure) while the population of saprotrophic fungi possessing antagonistic properties increased. Keywords: soil, organic fertilization, pathogenic fungi, saprotrophic fungi, water extract from kompost Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 25-32 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/327-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/327-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:327-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: W. Wadas Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Podlasie, Siedlce, Poland Author-Name: E. Kosterna Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Podlasie, Siedlce, Poland Author-Name: A. Kurowska Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Podlasie, Siedlce, Poland Title: Effect of perforated foil and polypropylene fibre covers on growth of early potato cultivars Abstract: This paper presents the results of a three-year research on the effect of perforated polyethylene foil and polypropylene fibre covers on the growth of early potato cultivars at various lengths of plant covering period (2 and 3 weeks after plant emergence). Plants grown under covers were higher, produced higher mass of above-ground parts, and were characterised by a smaller value of leaf weight ratio (LWR) and leaf area ratio (LAR) compared with the cultivation without covering. In the case of plant covering for 2 weeks after emergence the mass of leaves at the time of cover removal was on average almost 2 times higher and the mass of stems over 2.5 times higher than in the cultivation without covering; the values of LWR and LAR were however smaller by 0.094 and 0.137 m Keywords: early potato, perforated polyethylene foil, polypropylene fibre, height of plants, mass of leaves, mass of stems, leaf weight ratio (LWR), leaf area ratio (LAR) Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 33-41 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/379-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/379-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:379-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Matula Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Title: Boron sorption in soils and its extractability by soil tests (Mehlich 3, ammonium acetate and water extraction) Abstract: The aim of the paper was to contribute to the acquisition of background data for the specification of safe boron levels in soils in relation to diagnostics by multi-nutrient soil tests and to CEC (cation exchange capacity) value of soil, pH and soil organic matter. The research was conducted on 24 soils. Sorption was determined after 97 days from the application of B at the rates of 0, 1, 2.5, 5 mg B/kg in H3BO3. The closest regression of B-sorption was with the CEC value of soil in NH4-acetate and water tests and it increased with the increasing application of B (regression at a rate of 5 ppm B; NH4-acetate: linear R Keywords: boron in soil, sorption, soil tests, Mehlich 3, ammonium acetate extraction, water extraction, CEC value, pH value, soil organic matter, quantification of relations Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 42-49 Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Year: 2009 DOI: 10.17221/377-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/377-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200901-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:55:y:2009:i:1:id:377-PSE