Soil Structure/Soil Biota Interrelationships. International Workshop on Methods of Research on Soil Structure/Soil Biota Interrelationships, Held at the International Agricultural Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 24–28 November 1991

807 Pages·1993·22.98 MB·English

by  L. Brussaard and M.J. Kooistra (Eds.)

soil structure/soil biota S€M
λ
interrelationships
International Workshop on Methods of Research
on Soil Structure/Soil Biota Interrelationships,
held at the International Agricultural Centre,
Wageningen, The Netherlands, 24-28 November 1991
Edited by
L. Brussaard
Department of Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural University,
P.O. Box 37, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands and
Department of Soil Biology, DLO—Institute for Soil Fertility Research,
RO. Box 30003, 9750 Haren, The Netherlands
and
M.J. Kooistra
Department of Soil Structure and Micromorphology,
DLO—The Winand Staring Centre for Integrated Land, Soil and
Water Research, P.O. Box 125, 6700 AC Wageningen,
The Netherlands
Reprinted from Geoderma, Vol. 56, Nos. 1-4 and Vol. 57, Nos. 1-2
OECD
OCDE
ELSEVIER, Amsterdam — London — New York —Tokyo 1993
ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHERS B.V.
Sara Burgerhartstraat 25
P.O. Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
International Workshop on Methods of Research on Soil Structure/Soil
Biota Interrelationships (1991 : International Agricultural Centre)
Soil structure/soil biota interrelationships : International
Workshop on Methods of Research on Soil Structure/Soil Biota
Interrelationships, held at the International Agricultural Centre,
Wageningen, The Netherlands, 24-28 November 1991 / edited by L.
Brussaard and M.J. Kooistra.
p. cm.
"Reprinted from Geoderma, vol. 56, nos. 1-4 and vol. 57, nos.
1-2."
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-444-81490-6 (alk. paper)
1. Soil biology-Research—Methodology—Congresses. 2. Soil
structure—Research—Methodology—Congresses. I. Brussaard, L.
(Lijbert) II. Kooistra, M. J. III. Title.
QH84.8.I58 1991 93-15218
631.4'6~dc20 CIP
ISBN 0-444-81490-6
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Printed in The Netherlands
V
Editors' Introduction
The aim of the conference on Methods of Research on Soil Structure/Soil
Biota Interrelationships, which we organized 24-28 November, 1991, was to
provide a thorough review of established and innovative methods of study
and assessment at the microscopic scale, that can be used in all aspects of
research on this subject in soil ecology and soil science. It appears that much
research on the transformation and transport of elements such as carbon and
nitrogen is either concerned with soil biota/plant relationships or with soil
structure/plant relationships, but very few studies explicitly take the interre-
lationships between soil structure and soil biota into account:
plant;
land qualities
soil structure; organic matter;
texture soil microbes
and fauna
Since both in reduced input agriculture and in (semi-)natural ecosystems
the plant depends on the contribution of the soil biota to the formation of soil
structure and to the release of nutrients, it is obvious that all aspects of the
triangle deserve adequate consideration. This calls for interdisciplinary re-
search among soil microbiologists, soil zoologists, soil micromorphologists,
soil physicists and root ecologists.
It appears, however, that state-of-the-art research in these disciplines is often
carried out on different scales, depending, e.g., on the size of the biota that is
studied or, rather trivial, on the technical equipment available. There is also
insufficient knowledge on techniques used in sister disciplines and on the
prospects of using those in one's own field of expertise. So one of the chal-
VI EDITORS' INTRODUCTION
lenges we face is to develop an adequate methodology for the study of soil
structure/soil biota interrelationships and for the translation of results from
such research to plant performance and land qualities, as indicated in the
figure.
Dealing with this challenge different levels of adequate methodology can
be distinguished:
\
identification observations
location &
features distribution description/
interrelations tables etc.
quantification
/
reflect
identification
— strength/frequency
processes interpretation
-^ interrelations
-*- actuality
result in
\
function/properties
extrapolation/
effects generalization > synthesis
models
predictions
/
The first level concerns the collection of the basic data: observation, de-
scription and quantification of primary features. Focussing on methodology
the question is: how do we observe, describe and quantify these features, the
interaction between soil structure and soil biota, in situ. The second level deals
with the arrangement of diagnostic features into processes. The question here
is: how do we translate observed soil features into biologically mediated pro-
cesses. The third level concerns the translation of processes into effects. The
basic question is: how to evaluate effects of the features and processes on soils
and plants. This set-up was chosen for the workshop and the articles in the
proceedings are arranged accordingly.
EDITORS' INTRODUCTION Vll
Although the conference was on innovative methodology in the first place,
we also received a number of excellent contributions in which conventional
methods were applied. It was therefore decided not to restrict the proceedings
entirely to methodology.
The response we have had from the scientific community, both in terms of
participation and in terms of manuscripts received, has convinced us that the
conference was timely and relevant. The financial support of the sponsors,
mentioned elsewhere in this volume, created the possibility to participate for
most of the invited speakers and for a considerable number of scientists from
developing countries.
Finally, we are confident that the proceedings, like the conference itself,
will stimulate co-operation among scientists interested in soil structure and
soil biota, to the benefit of application of knowledge in environmentally sound
plant production and use of land qualities.
Wageningen, 19 November 1992 L. BRUSSAARD
M.J. KOOISTRA
Vlll
Sponsors
h
Wageningen Agricultural University
Co-operative Research Project on
®@®S Biological Resource Management of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD)
©tie®
Netherlands Integrated Soil Research Programme
/ «-ir>\
!M
Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences
Diürt:
Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature Management and Fisheries
MM
Netherlands Council for Agricultural
Research
Foundation for Biological Research
^ΙΟΝ
Netherlands Soil Science Society
\&
International Agricultural Centre
IX
Preface
Reductions of chemical and energy inputs to agriculture could lead to more
economical production systems while minimising pollution. This might be
achieved by modifying farming systems (e.g. reduction of tillage), the use of
improved efficiency organic fertilisers, and the partial replacement of crop
protection chemicals with micro-organisms (including those which have been
genetically modified).
Theme 1 of the OECD Co-operative Research Project on Biological Re-
source Management 1990-1994, Modification of plant/soil/microbial inter-
actions to reduce inputs in farming systems, focuses on the role of micro-
organisms in these managed ecosystems and their relevance to crop produc-
tion and protection.
Particular priorities are to:
- Improve existing and develop new detection and assessment methodologies
for microbes.
- Identify physicochemical aspects of the soil environment which regulate
microbial function.
- Determine population dynamics and survival of soil and rhizosphere
communities.
- Analyse the potential of sustainable agriculture systems using inter-discipli-
nary approaches.
In a planning meeting which was held in Wageningen in the summer of
1990, the following topics were identified as priorities for the Theme to fund
fellowships and workshops:
(1) The soil environment and microbes.
(2) Plant effects on micro-organisms.
(3) The soil and plant environment in relation to fertilizer use.
(4) Food webs and soil fauna.
(5) Soil quality and biodiversity.
(6) Biocontrol of pests and diseases.
When it was indicated that Professor Lijbert Brussaard and colleagues were
to arrange a workshop on the Topic in Wageningen in 1991, it was obvious
that this should be supported by OECD. From the programme arranged, I am
sure that our decision to finance the attendance of a large proportion of the
overseas speakers was fully vindicated.
In future workshops, we will be endeavouring to cover the remaining topics
X PREFACE
and will meet at varying locations with the network of participating countries
(Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States at the time of
this publication).
It is critical that sustainability of agricultural systems be addressed on in-
terdisciplinary and international bases. Hopefully then reduction in inputs
will be achieved in a manner which maintains profitability for farmers whilst
protecting the environment, particularly the soil itself on which agricultural
productivity depends.
J.M. LYNCH
Horticulture Research International,
Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6LP, UK
(Scientific co-ordinator of theme 1)
The International Workshop on Methods of Research on Soil Structure/Soil Biota Inter-
relationships was sponsored, in part, by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD). Financial support for this workshop came from the Co-operative
Research Project on Biological Resource Management, a four-year endeavour that involves
creating fellowships to encourage exchange among scientists in the field, and the organisa-
tion of workshops and publications on the proceedings. For more information, please con-
tact the OECD - Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, 2, rue Andre Pascal, 75775
Paris Cedex 16, France.
XI
Opening address
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome you today on behalf of
Wageningen Agricultural University. Together with the research institutes of
the ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Fisheries, our
University has made the small town of Wageningen known in many parts of
the world as a centre for agricultural research. Ironically, this has not only
contributed to a reputation of some degree. Today, agricultural research is
under severe attack. A production-oriented approach in agricultural science
has been, and still is, successful in leading to the production of abundant,
cheap food of good quality. Current production methods, however, have also
led to food surpluses in large parts of the industrialized world, to inefficient
use of resources, and to environmental pollution and health hazards. In con-
trast, adequate technology for sufficient food production in less-endowed
countries is not yet provided for to an acceptable degree.
Although the problematic nature of these issues should not be denied, they
present at the same time challenges and responsibilities for the scientific com-
munity to work on. A major shift is now occurring within the agricultural
sciences from a production-oriented to an environmental safety-oriented ap-
proach. Sustainable land use and sustainable agriculture are key issues in this
respect. They require research on efficient use of external inputs wherever
these are scarce, such as in large parts of the developing countries, and wher-
ever outputs should be reduced, such as in some parts of the industrialized
world. Efficient use of resources is easier said than done. It calls for a lot of
basic knowledge on the functioning of natural and managed ecosystems both
from a production and an environmental point of view. Soil research is of
prime importance in this context, first because supply of water and nutrients
depend mainly on soil factors, and second because sooner or later human ac-
tivities aboveground have repercussions belowground.
Soil research has always been one of the strengths of Wageningen but, until
recently, the biological aspects have received relatively little attention. Truly
interdisciplinary and basic research is now needed, involving soil biologists,
physicists, chemists and plant scientists to unravel the functioning of soils as
ecosystems, a prerequisite for an operational approach towards sustainable
Xll OPENING ADDRESS
land use and agriculture. Such basic soils research is at the heart of the man-
date of Wageningen Agricultural University and an important reason to spon-
sor your workshop.
I wish you every success over the next few days and I hereby declare this work-
shop open.
H.C. VAN DER PLAS
Rector Magnificus
Wageningen Agricultural University