Journal
BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE
Volume 37, Issue 3, Pages 168-182Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/01448765.2021.1929480
Keywords
Aggregate stability; horn manure; horn silica; VESS; viticulture
Categories
Funding
- Software AG - Stiftung
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The study used an on-vineyard approach to investigate the effects of biodynamic preparations on soil structure in five vineyards with different bedrocks. While there were no significant differences in soil aggregate stability, improvements were observed in various aspects of soil structure when using biodynamic preparations, indicating a potential link to microbial activity.
An on-vineyard approach was used to investigate effects of the biodynamic preparations horn manure and horn silica (BD) on the soil structure in five vineyards on different bedrocks and that had been under organic management for different time periods. The underlying hypothesis was that the effects of the biodynamic preparations increase aggregate stability and improve soil structure. The results showed that soil aggregate stability during wet sieving was not different in the treatment with biodynamic preparations (BD+), compared with that without preparations (BD-). Based on visual evaluation (VESS), improvements in soil structure in the BD+ treatment, compared with BD-, were not significant for macropores/biopores, drop test topsoil or subsoil colour, but significant improvements were observed in drop test subsoil (p = 0.009), topsoil colour (p < 0.000), root penetration (p = 0. 017), structure of surface (stable aggregates, little encrustation, p = 0.006), structure of topsoil (p = 0.030), structure of subsoil (p < 0.000) and the colour change from topsoil to subsoil was at a greater depth (p = 0.049). Based on previously reported results showing significant changes in the microbial activity in soil from the BD+ treatment, using the same soil samples, it was thought possible that the observed differences in soil structure between BD+ and BD- were linked to the differences in the microbial activity.
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