No abstract

Due to the impoverishment of agricultural and horticultural soils and replant diseases, there is a need to use bioproducts and beneficial microorganisms in order to improve the quality of soils and growth substrates. For this reason, research was undertaken to assess the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizosphere bacteria on changes in soil microbiology, the degree of colonization of plant roots by mycorrhizal fungi, selected physiological parameters, and fruit quality and yield of the strawberry cultivar "Rumba." The plants were inoculated with the mycorrhizal preparation Mykoflor (Rhizophagus irregularis, Funneliformis mosseae, Claroideoglomus etunicatum), MYC 800 (Rhizophagus intraradices), and the bacterial preparation Rhizocell C (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IT45). The applied preparations increased the total number of bacteria and fungi in the soil and mycorrhizal frequency in the roots of the strawberry plants. They increased the chlorophyll "a" and total chlorophyll concentrations in the leaves as well as the rate of transpiration and CO 2 concentration in the intercellular spaces in the leaves. The plants treated with Rhizocell C and MYC 800 exhibited a higher CO 2 assimilation rate than control plants. The biopreparations increased chlorophyll fluorescence parameters such as maximum fluorescence (F M) and the maximum potential photochemical reaction efficiency in PS II (F V /F M). The influence of the species of rhizosphere bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi used in the experiment on the physiological traits of strawberry plants contributed, especially in the second year of the study, to increase the yield and mean weight of strawberry fruit.

The purpose of this research was evaluation of the effect of soil contamination with waste coming from biomass gasification on chosen indicators of its biological activity, growth and development of spring barley, and change of physiological parameters of the plant. Chromatographic content and basic rheological parameters of the substances under research were also analyzed. Liquid wastes, tar, and mixture of tar and engine oil were introduced to the soil in the amount of 100 mg kg−1 DM soil. Based on the conducted research, it was ascertained that the changes in the number and activity of soil microorganisms were determined by the type of waste and its dose. Individual groups of microorganisms showed different sensitivity to the presence of pollution; however, the impact of tar and engine oil mixture was generally more disadvantageous. Presence of contaminants in the soil limited the growth of roots and aboveground parts of spring barley, especially when the dose was 10,000 mg kg−1 DM soil. The unfavorable impact of waste on photosynthesis efficiency on assimilation pigment synthesis and water content in the plant was recorded.

Strawberry is a species sensitive to water shortages, especially during fruit growth and ripening. Reduced availability of water induces physiological and biochemical changes in all organs of the plant. Limitation of gas exchange can reduce assimilation of carbon dioxide, which, as a result, limits plant growth and development. Strawberry sensitivity to drought results from the disproportion between a relatively high mass and

×Amarine hybrids are attractive ornamental geophytes grown for cut flower production. Their cultivation is limited due to lesser flowering percentages and lesser bulb weight gain. To optimize the growth and propagation of geophytes, plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used, but so far none have been tested in ×Amarine. We investigated the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3; 50, 100, and 200 mg dm−3) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA; 100, 500, and 1000 µmol dm−3) on growth, flowering, bulb yield, and select physiological parameters of ×A. tubergenii “Zwanenburg”. PGRs were applied as foliar sprays on the 70th and 77th day after planting. GA3 treatment at 200 mg dm−3 exhibited the greatest leaf number, leaf length, bulb weight, daughter bulb number, CO2 assimilation intensity, greenness index, total sugars, and total protein content in bulbs. GA3 application at 100 and 200 mg dm−3 accelerated flowering and at 50 and 100 mg dm−3 significantly increased the bulb flowering percentage. MeJA at all tested concentrations prolonged anthesis time and reduced the bulb flowering percentage. GA3 at all concentrations and MeJA at 500 and 1000 µmol dm−3 stimulated daughter bulbs formation. GA3, especially at 200 mg dm−3 can improve anthesis and increase ×A. tubergenii “Zwanenburg” bulb yield.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the foliar fertilizer InCa on the chemical composition of fruits and leaves of sweet cherry cultivar 'Burlat'. The study involved 14-year old sweet cherry trees of 'Burlat' cultivar, grafted onto 'PHL-A' rootstock and growing at 4×3 m spacing. The trees were sprayed with InCa calcium fertilizer based on CaT technology (manufacturer: Plant Impact). The fertilizer was applied three times, at a dose of 1.5 dm 3 •ha. The first foliar fertilization was performed at the beginning of the flowering period, and the next two took place at fourteen-day intervals. The fruits were analysed for nitrate content, and both fruits and leaves were considered for dry weight and macro-and micronutrient analysis. The use of InCa fertilizer improved the dry matter and calcium content and reduced potassium, magnesium and cadmium level in the leaves and fruits of sweet cherry. The fertilizer facilitated narrowing K:Ca and K:(Ca + Mg) ratioes and extending of K:Mg, and especially Ca:Mg ratio in both leaves and fruits. Foliar supplementation with the investigated preparation resulted in an increase in nitrogen and manganese content, and a drop in phosphorus, copper, nickel and lead concentration in the leaves of the studied sweet cherry cultivar.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of polymer supersorbent AgroHydrogel, added to soil, on the content of some mineral elements in leaves and fruit of strawberry cv. Elsanta. In 2007-2008, a pot experiment set up in a system of complete randomization was carried out in four replications in a greenhouse of the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin. The experimental factor was the addition of two doses of AgoHydrogel to the medium. The two rates were 1.8 and 3.6 g dm-3 , i.e. 15 and 30 g per a Kick's pot versus the control which was the medium with no gel. The experiment was carried out indoors. Soil moisture was measured by means of contact soil tensometers. The plants were watered with 0.5 dm 3 per pot and the tensometer, fitted in the medium with 15 g of gel per pot, showed 450 hPa. The content of the elements in strawberry leaves and fruit was determined by means of the AAS method. The applied polymer supersorbent decreased the cummulation of zinc and lead in leaves and copper, nickel and lead in fruit of strawberry. This effect particularly visible in plants growing in the medium with an increased dose of hydrogel. However, the application of AgroHydrogel did not affect the content of iron, manganese, copper and nickel in leaves and manganese, zinc and iron in fruit of the analyzed variety of strawberry.

The use of a soil fertiliser results in high, good quality yields. The most widely used fertilisers are mineral or organic, but there is increasing attention on organomineral fertilisers produced from sewage sludge. These contain beneficial components which may improve soil fertility and thus plant productivity, but there are some concerns associated with their application due to their composition. Using a short-term pot experiment the effect of such a soil conditioner called FS, produced from sewage sludge after stabilisation with lime, on the qualitative−quantitative composition and activity of soil microorganisms and selected physiological parameters of the maize was analysed. The study was carried out in a completely randomised design, including a control (soil + lime + NPK). The application of the FS had a positive effect on the soil pH, equivalent to the application of lime. Organomineral fertiliser, as a source of organic carbon and macroelements, had a positive effect on the number of soil microorganisms and their activity, and this influence was stable during maize vegetation. FS did not influence the gas exchange activity of maize, the content of assimilation pigments in leaves or and the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus determined by chlorophyll “a” fluorescence analysis, but it increased the light absorption efficiency of the PSII photosystem. Differences in biomass yield from organomineral and mineral fertilisation were statistically insignificant.