Soil quality index (SQI)

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Table of contents

General introduction
Chapter 1: Literature review
I. Definition of soil quality and soil health
II. Indicators of soil quality and soil health
II.1 Physical indicators
II.2 Chemical indicators
II.3 Microbiological indicators
II.4 Soil quality index (SQI)
III. Agricultural practices and their impact on soil quality
III.1 Irrigation
III.2 Organic amendments
III.3 Liming
IV. Research aims
Chapter 2: Materials and methods
I.Study sites
I.1 General presentation
I.1.1 Geology
I.1.2 Climate
I.2 Detailed presentation of studied sites
I.2.1 Location Gačnik
I.2.1.1 Soils
I.2.1.2 Application of treatments
Irrigation
Fertilising and mulching
Application of pesticides
I.2.2 Location Pohorski dvor
I.2.2.1 Soils
I.2.2.2 Application of treatments
Organic fertilising
Liming
Application of pesticides
Mechanical applications
I.2.3 Pohorski dvor and Gačnik: similarities and differences
II. Methods
II.1 Soil and water sampling
II.1.1 Location Gačnik
II.1.2 Location Pohorski dvor
II.2 Soil and water regime characterization
II.2.1 Soil characterization
II.2.2 Water regime characterization
II.2.2.1 Water retention curves
II.2.2.2 Tensiometers
II.3 Analytical methods for soils and water characterization
II.3.1 Chemical methods
II.3.1.1 Analytical methods for determining C, N and δ13C in each size fraction
II.3.2 Analytical methods of physical soil properties characterization
II.3.2.1 Bulk density (γb)
II.3.2.2 Gravimetric water content (W)
II.3.2.3 Clods porosity
II.3.2.4 Structural stability
II.3.2.5 Organic matter grain size fractionation
II.3.3 Analytical methods of microbiological soil and water properties
II.3.3.1 Soil microbial biomass
II.3.3.2 Labile organic matter pool
II.3.3.3 Carbon mineralization (respiration of soil microbes)
II.3.3.4 Enumeration of bacteria and fungi present in soil and water samples
II.3.3.5 Detection of enteroviruses in soils and water
Isolation of enteroviruses in water
Isolation of enteroviruses in soil
II.3.3.6 Qualitative analysis of HEV and Rotavirus with dotblot assay
II.4 Statistical analysis
Chapter 3: Results in Gačnik
I. Soil morphology
I.1 Soil profiles
I.1.1 Upslope soil profile
I.1.2 Downslope soil profile
I.1.3 Comparison of soils from different water regime and slope positions
II. Soil water regime and quality of irrigation water
II.1 Water retention curves
II.2 Soil water regime in 2004 and 2005
II.2.1 Evolution of soil water potential along 2004 summer
II.2.2 Evolution of soil water potential along 2005 summer
II.2.3 Comparison summers 2004 and 2005
II.3 Quality of irrigation water
III. Physico-chemical soil characteristics
II.1 General soil characteristics
III.1.1 Results
III.1.2 Discussion
II.2 Spatial distribution of organic carbon and calcium carbonate
II.2.1 Distribution of Corg and CaCO3 through soil profile
II.2.2 Distribution of Corg and CaCO3 along the slope in the soil surface
II.2.3 Discussion
IV. Pore space characterization
IV.1 Downslope position
IV.1.1 Bulk density
IV.1.2 Clods void ratio
IV.2 Variations along the slope
IV.3 Discussion
V. Organic matter characterization and origin
V. 1 Characterization of the grain size fractions
V.1.1 Grain size fractions abundance
V.1.2 Total carbonates content
V.1.3 Organic carbon content
V.1.4 C/N ratio
V.1.5 Isotopic signature of organic carbon: δ13C
V.2 Discussion
VI. Microbiological soil characteristics
VI.1 Soil physico-chemical characteristics and wetness at the sampling periods
VI.1.1 Organic carbon and nitrogen, C/N and exch. Cu
VI.1.2 Gravimetric water content
VI.2 Spatio-temporal variation of the biological parameters
VI.2.1 May 2004
VI.2.2 September 2004
VI.2.3 May 2005
VI.2.4 September 2005
VI.3 Discussion
VII. Structural stability of soil aggregates
VII.1 Variations of structural stability according to seasons
VII.1.1 October 2004
VII.1.2 May 2005
VII.2 Discussion
VIII. Discussion and conclusions – Gačnik site
Chapter 4: Results in Pohorski Dvor
I. Soil morphology
II. Physico-chemical soil characteristics
II.1 General soil characteristics
II.1.1 Comparison among blocks
II.1.2 Comparison between treatments
II.2 Soil pH evolution according treatment and year
II.3 Discussion
III. Physical soil characteristics
III.1 Soil water characteristics
III.1.1 Soil water retention curve (SWRC)
III.1.2 Soil water potential measurements
III.2 Evolution of gravimetric water content according to treatment and year
III.3 Discussion
IV. Microbiological soil parameters evolution according to treatments and seasons
IV.1 May 2004
IV.2 September 2004
IV.3 May 2005
IV.4 September 2005
IV.5 Discussion
V. Discussion and conclusions – Pohorski dvor site
Chapter 5: Pathogenic microbes in soil
I Gačnik site: effect of irrigation
I.1 Summary of previous results
I.2 Specific microbes characterization
I.2.1 Enumeration of Fungi
I.2.2 Enumeration of Bacteria
I.2.3 Presence of viruses
I.3 Discussion
II Pohorski dvor site: effect of organic fertiliser and lime
II.1 Summary of previous results
II.2 Specific microbes characterization
II.2.1 Fungi enumeration
II.2.2 Bacteria enumeration
II.2.3 Presence of viruses
II.3 Discussion
III. Short conclusion for both locations
General discussion and conclusions
References
Annexes