UPM Institutional Repository

Evaluation of soil biological properties of 9- and 15-year-old stands in the oil palm plantation in Perak, Malaysia


Citation

Karam Singh, Daljit Singh and Abdu, Arifin and Othman, Radziah and Jusop, Shamsuddin and Abdul Hamid, Hazandy and Nik Ab. Majid, Nik Muhamad and I., Zahari and Abd. Halim, Nor Halizah and Cheng, Kah Yen (2013) Evaluation of soil biological properties of 9- and 15-year-old stands in the oil palm plantation in Perak, Malaysia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 8 (29). art. no. 64FBDA334256. pp. 3904-3910. ISSN 1991-637X

Abstract

Opening land for oil palm cultivation provokes many debates around the world regarding on the fate of biodiversity. A study was conducted to evaluate and compare soil biological properties of 9-year-old (P1) and 15-year-old (P2) stands of an oil palm plantation in Bikam, Perak, Malaysia. Composite samples were collected at depths of 0-15 cm (topsoil) and 15-30 cm (subsoil) located within six subplots (20 m × 20 m). The microbial population count was estimated using a spread-plate technique, and the Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis assay was used to measure microbial enzymatic activity. A rapid ethanol-free chloroform fumigation extraction technique was used for microbial biomass extraction, and the extracts were respectively analyzed by wet dichromate oxidation and Kjeldahl digestion for biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). At the 0-15 cm depth, the microbial biomass C and N contents in the soils from both plots were significantly different (P<0.05). At the 15-30 cm depth, only microbial enzymatic activity was significantly different between plots. Although the addition of fertilizers to the soil is believed to be a predisposing factor, no significant differences in P1 and P2 plots for the biomass C and N in soils at the 15-30 cm depth were observed. Variations in the MBC/MBN ratio in soils of the P1 and P2 plots indicate that changes occurring in the soil microbial composition are due to the availability of soil organic substrates and N. Thus establishment of an oil palm plantation does contribute to changes in soil biological properties.


Download File

[img] PDF
29312.pdf
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (356kB)

Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Agriculture
Faculty of Forestry
Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products
DOI Number: https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR11.772
Publisher: Academic Journals
Keywords: Oil palm; Different ages; Microbial population; Enzymatic activity; Biomass C and N; Rapid chloroform-fumigation extraction technique
Depositing User: Nurul Ainie Mokhtar
Date Deposited: 13 Jul 2016 04:34
Last Modified: 13 Jul 2016 04:34
Altmetrics: http://www.altmetric.com/details.php?domain=psasir.upm.edu.my&doi=10.5897/AJAR11.772
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/29312
Statistic Details: View Download Statistic

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item