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Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.

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Main Author: Allardice, Roderick
Other Authors: Valentine, Alexander Joseph
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2015
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access_status_str Open Access
author Allardice, Roderick
author2 Valentine, Alexander Joseph
author_browse Allardice, Roderick
Valentine, Alexander Joseph
author_facet Valentine, Alexander Joseph
Allardice, Roderick
author_sort Allardice, Roderick
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/98107
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:26.328Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2015
publishDateRange 2015
publishDateSort 2015
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/98107 Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius? Allardice, Roderick Valentine, Alexander Joseph Botha, Alfred Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany and Zoology. Lupinus angustifolius -- Soil microbial diversity Lupinus angustifolius -- Nutrition Lupinus angustifolius -- Growth UCTD Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Vermicomposts (VCs) are the solid excreta of earthworms, known to contain plant available nutrients, large amounts of microbial life and diversity, and plant growth regulating hormones. VCs may play an integral role in the nitrogen nutrition of Lupinus angustifolius and function to reduce the reliance of legume crops on chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, the effects of the combination of VC solids and VC teas on legume growth and N nutrition, is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of varying concentrations of chicken manure VC, with and without the additions of varying VC tea concentrations, on the substrate bacterial functional diversity, plant biomass and N nutrition of the legume, L. angustifolius. In the first experiment the plants were grown in pots under glasshouse conditions and VC was substituted into the quartz sand growth media at rates of 5%, 10% and 100%. Furthermore, rhizobia inoculated and non-inoculated groups were established within the VC treatments. The plants were harvested after 30 days and analysed for tissue nutrient concentrations and biomass production. The VC-containing substrates were assessed for wide-spectrum soil analyses, nematode diversity and microbial diversity via Biolog EcoPlates. In the second experiment the plants were grown under similar conditions for 50 days and amended with 5% VC in the growth media as well as 50ml of aerated VC teas. The teas were brewed for 24 hours in concentrations of 4%, 10% and 20% (v/v), with molasses and kelp extract added as sugar sources. The combined treatments of 5% VC and rhizobia inoculation yielded the greatest biomass response. Furthermore the addition of VC allowed for bacterial nitrogen fixation within non-rhizobia treatments. However, changes in VC concentration had no effect on bacterial guild structure but were found to effect nematode funtional diversity. The additions of VC teas to soil media containing 5% VC had no effect on biomass production but were found to influence bacterial nitrogen fixation. Lower concentration teas increased BNF while the 20% tea reduced this parameter significantly over 50 days. The 20% tea also contained significantly greater bacterial functional diversity than the 5% and 10% teas. The findings of study indicate that the combined treatment of VC solids and teas do not increase the plant biomass of L. angustifolius, but that the additions of 20% teas result in greater microbial diversity in the soil. This in turn may lead to increases in soil fertility. Furthermore, additions of high concentration vermicompost teas (20%) shift the dependence of the plant from atmospheric N sources to soil N sources. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar 2015-12-14T07:44:16Z 2015-12-14T07:44:16Z 2015-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98107 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 141 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Lupinus angustifolius -- Soil microbial diversity
Lupinus angustifolius -- Nutrition
Lupinus angustifolius -- Growth
UCTD
Allardice, Roderick
Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title_full Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title_fullStr Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title_full_unstemmed Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title_short Does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth, N-nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume, Lupinus angustifolius?
title_sort does the application of vermicompost solid and liquid extracts influence the growth n nutrition and soil microbial diversity of the legume lupinus angustifolius
topic Lupinus angustifolius -- Soil microbial diversity
Lupinus angustifolius -- Nutrition
Lupinus angustifolius -- Growth
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98107
work_keys_str_mv AT allardiceroderick doestheapplicationofvermicompostsolidandliquidextractsinfluencethegrowthnnutritionandsoilmicrobialdiversityofthelegumelupinusangustifolius