Impact of activators of organic matter on soil and crop stand properties in conditions of very heavy soils

Abstract

Agricultural land in the Czech Republic is characterized by a high proportion of arable land. The current land management is characterized by a loss of livestock and biofuel production. This leads to a decrease in the level of soil carbon in the soil. Decrease in organic carbon levels also leads to easier soil degradation by other factors (erosion, compaction). Application of large amounts of organic matter into soils is the only remedy. Decomposition of organic matter may be problematical in the decarburized soils. Therefore, organic matter can be supplemented by biological transformation activators. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of activators of organic matter in improving the soil environment. Field experiment was established at locality Sloveč in the Central Bohemia Region. Very heavy soil is located on the experimental plot. Results of the six variants with cattle manure are presented in this paper. The soil activator used was PRP Sol (PRP Technologies). The activator of the biological transformation of manure was PRP Fix (PRP Technologies). Favourable effect on the bulk density and other physical soil properties could be observed during the measurement of the physical properties of soil. Vegetation indices were another consideration for rating. They suggest a beneficial effect of application of bio-activators.