Atividade microbiana na rizosfera de fruteiras no semiárido cearense

Abstract

Microorganisms are essential to keep the normal soil functioning in both natural and agricultural areas, mainly due to their implication in key processes occurring in soil structure, such as organic matter decomposition, nutrients cycling and energy captation, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, xenobiotics degradation and biological pests and diseases control. Assuming the existence of a higher number of r-strategists individuals in agricultural systems, while forest areas have more K-strategists, this study aimed to evaluate the populational dynamics and microbial activity in the rhizosphere of fruit plants, comparing them to a natural vegetation from the semiarid region of Ceará. Soil samples under the influence of pineapple plants, cultivars MD2 and imperial, and of sapodilla plants, clone BRS 228, and also without the influence of fruit plants, but from a natural vegetation adjacent to the orchard, were collected. This collection was made in Trairi municipality, Ceará state. Superficial soil sampling (layer from 0 to 10 cm) were made in June, September and December 2010, for microbiological and biochemical analysis. Microbial biomass and metabolic quotient (qCO2) varied between the areas and periods evaluated, whereas the organic carbon content and the microbial quotient (qMIC) varied only between areas. Soil respiration varied along the year. There was a little variation in the glomalin concentration estimation between the areas and there was a tendency of reduction of this protein along the year. Acid phosphatase and urease showed greater activity in soil under natural vegetation, while the dehydrogenase enzyme was most active in orchard areas. The population density of culturable bacteria was higher in the orchard soil, while the populations of culturable fungi were similar between areas and ranged between periods of the year. The spores density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil was negatively influenced by the establishment of fruit plants, when compared to the natural vegetation area. The prevalence of Glomus species was common in different areas; relative abundance of those fungi communities was higher in soil under natural vegetation. Under conditions of this study we conclude: microbiological parameters are sensitive to the type of vegetation cover and can be used to evaluate the soil quality, the organic carbon and microbial biomass, basal respiration and metabolic and microbial quotients are influenced by the soil and orchard management. Agricultural practices can influence the diversity of AMF species, presumably selecting the r-strategists fungi.