POTENTIAL of ENZYMATIC METHODS and BIOLOG ECOPLATE ANALYSIS for INVESTIGATION of MICROBIAL FUNCTIONALITY in AGRICULTURAL SOILS

Year 2021, Issue: 047, 218 - 234, 31.12.2021

Nilgün Poyraz , Suat Sezen , Mehmet Burçin Mutlu

Abstract

Agricultural systems and applications affects the soil ecological conditions and microbial structure.
However, it is important that the interventions do not disturb the balance and quality of the microbial
content of the soil. For this reason, enzymatic methods and Biolog Ecoplate method were applied to
research and evaluate the status of functional microbial diversity in four different agricultural soil
samples (A, B, C, D).
The results indicated that the pH, electrical conductivity, amounts of total nitrogen (N) and humidity
were generally similar but calcium carbonate rates were higher in A and B agricultural soils. Soil
enzymatic activity results showed some differences among the four different agricultural soils. The
activity measurements of urease, phosphatase and dehydrogenase were high and results showed the
differanties. Enzymatic activities and microbial populations correlated with each others and content of
organic carbon.
Evaluation of substrate utilization profiles and the diversity indices concluded that microbial
community structure and composition were different related to various conditions. The average well
color development (AWCD) which was calculated in the Biolog EcoPlate analysis showed some
variations in the catabolic ability of four different agricultural soil samples’ microbial communities.
Compared to other samples, C and D agricultural soil samples had a higher overall AWCD value.
AWCD of C soil was significantly higher than in the others. Lowest used substrates were α-
Cyclodextrin, α-Ketobutyric acid, β-Methyl-D-glucoside, α-D-Lactose and 2- hydroxybutyric acid.
The most extensively used substrates were aminoacids and carbohydrate groups. These results
indicates the degradation potential. With the Biolog EcoPlate and enzymatic measurements, changes
in the microbial community in agricultural soils can be detected, and also agricultural management
and application methods for tillage can be evaluated.

Keywords

Dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatase, AWCD, Biolog Ecoplate, microbial activity

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