BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF SOIL, ITS IMPORTANCE FOR SOIL FERTILITY AND PLANT NUTRITION

Abstract

Purpose. It is established that biological activity is one of the main indicators of soil fertility and it plays an important role in the cycle of nutrients, in their availability to plants. Methodology. Based on the analysis of literature sources, the article presents the results of scientific research of domestic and foreign authors on the patterns of passage in the soil microbiological processes in intensive land use. Findings. The mineral and organic composition of the soil and its physicochemical state regulate the number and composition of microbiocenoses, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa and bacteriophages. The microflora is used as an indicator to determine the direction of over flow in the soil of such processes as the rate of humification and mineralization of humus, the growth of unproductive losses of nitrogen gas in the processes of denitrification and nitrification, the accumulation of nitrates in the soil. The process of humification depends on the amount of microflora involved in the synthesis and decomposition of humus. The rate of carbon dioxide release allows you to assess objectively the intensity of the process of mineralization of organic matter. Mycorrhizal fungies are important in the soil ecosystem, as they play a key role in the close relationship between plants and soil. Soil bacteria (bacilli) can be used as an indicator of the depth of development of the soil formation process. Originality. The peculiarity of the soil microorganisms is their ability to decompose complex macromolecular compounds into simple final products. With the change of nutrient, air and water regimes during the intensive agriculture, the anthropogenic impact on the soil increases. Practical value. The application of mineral and organic fertilizers in sufficient quantities provides the plant with nutrients that are the sources of nutrition for microorganisms in the soil and the energy for biochemical processes taking place in it. It was studied that the application of manure, straw, cereals and greens leads to an increase in total biological activity of the soil by 8.24 %, activates the flow of microbiological and biochemical processes in the soil, increases the intensity of carbon dioxide by 1.7–2.5 times. The use of mineral fertilizers slows down the microbiological and cellulosolytic processes of mineralization of organic residues and the development of soil biota. The combined use of organic and mineral fertilizers makes it possible to achieve maximum values of soil nitrification capacity, carbon dioxide emissions and the intensity of decomposition of linen. References 29.