Effects of lime applications and seed inoculation on alfalfa yields and stand persistence on pseudoqley soils

Abstract

Soil acidity is one of the factors limiting the development of many cultivated plants, and alfalfa especially. In order to determine the possibility of growing alfalfa on an acid soil, a field trial was set up on the farm of the Agricultural High School in Kraljevo on a pseudogley with an acid reaction (pH 4.79). Reported in the presented paper are results for 2005/2006. There were four treatments in the study. The first and second treatments included pre-sowing applications of 3 and 6 t/ha of lime powder (70% Ca). In the third, alfalfa seeds were inoculated with a strain of Rhizobium meliloti. In the fourth treatment, there was no application of either limestone or Rhizobium. The study results showed that alfalfa responded to the lime applications of 3 and 6 t ha-1 by producing significantly higher dry matter yields. The higher of the two lime rates (6 t ha-') significantly increased alfalfa yields in the third year of plant life as well as over the whole period studied (2005/2006). Application of said lime rate also resulted in taller alfalfa plants and a larger number of internodes. Seed inoculation with Rhizobium meliloti with no lime application resulted in no significant increase in alfalfa yields on pseudogley. Use of higher time rates (6 t ha-1) on pseudogley in western Serbia produces higher alfalfa hay yields (30.5 t ha-1), greater stand persistence, taller plants (61.5 cm) and larger internode number (13) and length.

U radu su izneti rezultati ispitivanja kalcizacije i bakterizacije na prinos i trajnost lucerke na kiselim zemljištima. Poljski ogled je vođen 2004-2006. godine na imanju Poljoprivredne škole u Kraljevu. Prikazani su rezultati tokom 2005-2006. godine. Primenjena su četiri tretmana: 1. 3 t ha-1 kreča; 2. 6 t ha-1 kreča; 3. inokulacija semena lucerke sa Rhizobium meliloti; 4. kontrola (bez primene krečnjaka i Rhizobium-a). Dobijeni rezultati istraživanja ukazuju da lucerka reaguje značajno većim prinosom suve materije na primenu 3 t ha-1 i 6 t ha-1 kreča. Veća doza od 6 t ha-1 kreča daje značajno veći prinos u trećoj godini života biljaka lucerke, kao i za ispitivani period (2005-2006). Značajno veće prinose, više biljke, veći broj internodija ostvaruje varijanta sa većom dozom kreča (6 t ha-1) u odnosu na kontrolu i varijantu sa nižom dozom kreča. Sama inokulacija semena lucerke bez primene kalcijuma ne dovodi do značajnog povećanja prinosa u odnosu na kontrolu na zemljištu tipa pseudoglej.