Agroecological Engeering Institute, Gansu Agicultual University, Lanzhou, China 730070.
Abstracts, II Chinese Allelopathy Conference, November 3–5, 2005. Agricultural University, Hangzhou, China. Pp. 17, (2005).
The environmental factors and management practices influence the soil microbial diversity and enzymatic activity. A pot experiment was done to find the effect of water application rates (45, 60 and 75% of soil water holding capacity) and the allelochemical 3-methyl-phenol (300×10−6mol/kg soil) on soil microbial diversity and enzymatic activity in mono and intercropping systems of wheat and fababean in the middle of growth period. Results show that decrease in water supply significantly decreased the population of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in all cropping patterns, The 3-methyl-phonel can improve the negative effect of less water availability and the 3-methyl-phonel show negative allelopathic effect on the soil microbial diversity. The improved water application decreased the adverse effect on intercropping system. In monocropping systems, 3-methyl-phonel show strongest allelopathic effect at 75% water holding capacity the intercropping at water holding capacity, can maintain relatively stable soil microbial diversity compared to sole cropping with 3-methyl-phonel. The allelopathic effect of 3-methyl-phonel on soil catalase activity was not significant, but the influence on the activity of urease and phosphatase were significant. The available soil moisture also influences the soil enzymatic activity, the lower available soil moisture, the weaker was the soil enzymatic activity. The interactions between water and 3-methy-phonel or cropping patterns were not significant. Intercropping significantly affected the soil enzymatic activity of catalase and phosphatase.
