Impact of Chemically Diverse Organic Residue Amendment on Soil Enzymatic Activities in a Sandy Loam Soil

To monitor soil biological quality, it is of paramount importance to assess how chemically diverse organic residue amendments reciprocate to organic matter. The present incubation study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic residue amendments varying widely in their biochemical composition on the dynamics of soil enzymatic activity. The changes in the pattern of soil enzymatic activity have been monitored over a period of 63 days using a total of eleven different crop residues. The enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and phytase) in soils amended with chemically diverse organic residues were significantly higher as compared to the control. It was further observed that the enzymatic activities in Azadirachta indica, Avena sativa and Lens culinaris continued to be higher up to 28 days after their incorporation (DAI). Our study showed that plant residues varying in different cellulose and hemicellulose contents influenced the enzymatic activities as well as functional diversity of soil microbial communities.

Automated summary

In order to monitor soil biological quality, it is crucial to understand the impact of chemically diverse organic residue amendments on organic matter. This incubation study examined the effects of organic residue amendments with different biochemical compositions on soil enzymatic activity. Over a period of 63 days, changes in enzymatic activity patterns were observed using eleven different crop residues. The results showed that organic residues with diverse chemical compositions significantly increased soil enzymatic activity compared to the control. Furthermore, enzymatic activities remained high for up to 28 days after incorporation for Azadirachta indica, Avena sativa, and Lens culinaris. The study revealed that plant residues with different cellulose and hemicellulose contents influenced enzymatic activities and functional diversity of soil microbial communities.