Effect of Forage Plant Mixture and Biostimulants Application on the Yield, Changes of Botanical Composition, and Microbiological Soil Activity

Abstract

Recently, an increasing interest in such fertilizers and fertilization methods which not only directly supply nutrients to plants, but also stimulate soil bioactivity is noted. Their effect on both soil microbiota and forage plants has not been fully recognized. The aim of the study was to investigate the combined effect of forage plant mixture type and mineral fertilizers (NPK) with biostimulants based on a marine algae extracts on the botanical composition, yield, the structure of selected taxonomic and trophic groups of soil microorganisms, and the soil enzymatic activity. During the years 2018–2019 a field experiment established in split-plot design with two different forage plant mixtures, as a first factor, and different fertilization basing on mineral fertilizers amended with biostimulants, as a second factor was conducted. Two types of forage mixtures of sown species were used: grass mixture (GM) and legume-grass mixture (LGM). Every year the following biostimulants were applied: N-14, PinKstart, Physiostart, Physioactive and they were compared with standard NPK fertilisation and no fertilisation as a control. The reaction of forage plant mixtures on applied fertilisation was different. The intensive development of grass species, mainly Lolium perenne, at the expense of Trifolium repens share in LGM was observed. In GM sward dominated Dactylis glomerata. A beneficial effects of biostimulants’ application on the biomass yields of both grass mixtures was observed. The systematic soil acidification and a decrease of soil enzymatic activity in result of applied fertilization, except NPK + Physioactive treatment (calcium fertilizer containing 76% calcium carbonate), was noted. Soil reaction to applied fertilisation was dependent on the botanical composition of the sward. The counts of microorganisms in the soil under LGM were almost two times higher than in the soil under GM. The most effective, in reducing the negative effect of nitrogen mineral fertilization on the pH of soil, was fertilization with NPK + Physioactiv.