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Nostoc cyanobacterial inoculation in South African agricultural soils enhances soil structure, fertility, and maize growth

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Abstract

Many soils in South Africa have low nutrient supply, poor structural stability and are prone to soil erosion due to susceptibility to surface sealing and crusting. Two crusting soils from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were used to evaluate the effects of inoculation with a strain of Nostoc on soil structure, fertility and maize growth. The Nostoc suspension was uniformly applied over potted soils at a rate of 6g (dry weight) per square meter soon after maize germination. Nostoc inoculation increased soil N by 17% and 40% in Hertzog and Guquka soils, respectively. Soil C was also increased significantly and this increase was strongly associated with that of soil N (R 2 = 0.838). The highest contents of soil C, soil N and mineral N, however, were found in non-cropped Nostoc inoculated soils. Nostoc inoculation increased maize dry matter yields by 49% and 40% in Hertzog and Guquka soils, respectively. Corresponding increases in maize tissue N were 23% and 14%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that soil particles and fragments of non-cropped inoculated soils had coatings of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with other particles enmeshed in networks of filaments, whilst by contrast little or no EPS and/or filaments were observed on cropped and/or non-inoculated soils. This was consistent with chemical analysis which showed that Nostoc caused significant increases in the EPS and soil C contents of non-cropped soils. The proportion of very stable aggregates was increased by inoculation with Nostoc possibly due to the greater quantities of soil C and EPS observed in inoculated soils. Inoculated soils cropped with maize had a lower proportion of stable aggregates presumably due to their low soil C and EPS contents compared to non-cropped soils. The results suggested that Nostoc could improve the fertility and structural stability of the studied degraded soils.

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Abbreviations

SEM:

scanning electron microscopy

EPS:

extracellular polymeric substances

FSD:

fragment size distribution

MWD:

mean weight diameter

FW:

fast wetting

WS:

wet stirring

SW:

slow wetting

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Acknowledgement

This work was part of an EU, INCO-DEV funded research programme in Southern Africa (Cyanosoils), Project ICA4-CT-2001-10058. The first author is grateful to the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa for granting him a fellowship to undertake the study at the University of Fort Hare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, PBX 1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa

    M. P. Maqubela & P. N. S. Mnkeni

  2. Université de Reims Champagne, EA 3795 GEGENA, Ardenne 2 esplanade Roland Garros, Reims, France

    O. Malam Issa

  3. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centro De Ciencias Medioambietales, Serrano, 115dpdo, 28006, Madrid, Espana

    M. T. Pardo

  4. Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi ISE-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano n. 10, 50019, Sesto, Fiorentino, Italia

    L. P. D’Acqui

Authors
  1. M. P. Maqubela
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  2. P. N. S. Mnkeni
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  3. O. Malam Issa
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  4. M. T. Pardo
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  5. L. P. D’Acqui
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Correspondence to P. N. S. Mnkeni.

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Maqubela, M.P., Mnkeni, P.N.S., Issa, O.M. et al. Nostoc cyanobacterial inoculation in South African agricultural soils enhances soil structure, fertility, and maize growth. Plant Soil 315, 79–92 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9734-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9734-x

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