Soil material sampled from a reclamation experiment established in a former “Jeziórko” Sulphur Mine was analysed. The reclamation was carried out on a soil-less substrate with a particle size distribution of slightly loamy sand characterised by high acidity and poor sorption capacity. The different variants of the experiment consisted in the addition of post-flotation lime, mineral fertilisation, sewage sludge, and mineral wool to the reclaimed soil-less substrate. Next, the plots prepared in this way were sown with a mixture of grasses. A plot without any reclamation treatments served as a control. The analyses consisted in the determination of soil enzymatic parameters. The results obtained revealed a positive effect of the reclamation treatments on the analysed properties. All wastes and combinations thereof introduced into the degraded substrate stimulated catalase, protease, and urease activity. The activity of the other enzymes, i.e. dehydrogenases and acid phosphatase, as well as the level of fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis increased only in objects treated with sewage sludge. In turn, in objects receiving mineral fertilisation, a decline in the acid phosphatase activity was noted. In objects treated with mineral wool, the level of stimulation was dependent on the mode of application of this additive. In general, a mixture of 500 m³ ha⁻¹ of mineral wool with the substrate proved more beneficial (with the exception of the acid phosphatase activity and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis). A higher increase in the analysed enzymatic parameters was also found in objects treated with sewage sludge combined with post-flotation lime than in objects where sewage sludge was used alone.

The aim of the work was to evaluate the impact of use of conventional and organic cultivation systems on selected parameters of microbial activity in the soil under wheat, barley and oat cultivation. Microbiological, biochemical, enzymatic and metabolic activities were analyzed during three seasons over 3 years in soil. The more beneficial effect of organic cultivation was reflected in the increase in bacterial growth, the intensification of the nitrification and higher activity of all analyzed enzymes. The conventional system was more favorable for the development of fungi. The assessment of the metabolic profile of soil microorganisms demonstrated clear differences between the activity of microorganisms in the organic and conventional systems. The results indicate that cultivation of soil in the organic system is more conducive to the environment. The authors conducted research, because there is no unambiguous answer to the question which growing system is more beneficial for soil biological life, i.e., the basis for food production. Microorganisms that are the object of these studies form the basis for the fertility of all soil ecosystems. Graphic

The intensification of agriculture leads to worrying changes in agro-ecosystems. Research has been conducted to bridge the gap between the desire to maintain ecological balance and harmful interference with ecosystems. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) can become the basis of a farming system that improves soil quality. The aim of the study was to assess the potential of SMS in improving the following soil quality indicators: abundance and activity of microorganisms, and to assess the impact of SMS and manure (M) on the increase in the greenhouse effect. The plots were fertilized with SMS, M, and SMS in combination with NPK mineral fertilization. The application of SMS had a varied but generally positive effect on the parameters studied, particularly on the number of proteolytic microorganisms, urease activity but also ammonification and nitrification. In contrast, inhibition of protease activity was observed. The stimulation of most of the indicators was recorded in the first and second years, followed by a weakening of their effect. M also positively influenced the tested parameters, especially nitrification, where this effect lasted longer than for SMS. This indicates that the application of manure contributes more to the formation of products from which denitrification can potentially generate greenhouse gases.

The huge volumes of currently generated agricultural waste pose a challenge to the economy of the 21st century. One of the directions for their reuse may be as fertilizer. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) could become an alternative to manure (M). A three-year field experiment was carried out, in which the purpose was to test and compare the effect of SMS alone, as well as in multiple variants with mineral fertilization, and in manure with a variety of soil quality indices—such as enzymatic activity, soil phytotoxicity, and greenhouse gas emissions, i.e., CO₂. The use of SMS resulted in significant stimulation of respiratory and dehydrogenase activity. Inhibition of acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase activity via SMS was recorded. SMS showed varying effects on soil phytotoxicity, dependent on time. A positive effect was noted for the growth index (GI), while inhibition of root growth was observed in the first two years of the experiment. The effect of M on soil respiratory and dehydrogenase activity was significantly weaker compared to SMS. Therefore, M is a safer fertilizer as it does not cause a significant persistent increase in CO₂ emissions. Changes in the phytotoxicity parameters of the soil fertilized with manure, however, showed a similar trend as in the soil fertilized with SMS.

Purpose: The use of glyphosate in agriculture raises a lot of controversy because research concerning its impact on the soil provides contradictory information. However, despite these negative opinions, glyphosate is still used in agricultural practice. Therefore, for a more complete assessment, the authors carried out research using traditional microbiological methods and a modern method of metabolic profile analysis in glyphosate-treated soil. Methods: The study was carried out on the soil witch was sown with six cultivars of rapeseed. Seven days before harvest, the plants were sprayed with the herbicide. The analyses consisted in determining the number of selected groups of microorganisms, biochemical and enzymatic activity, and differentiation of the catabolic potential of soil microbial communities. Results: The results showed significant changes in the analyzed parameters. Respiratory activity and ammonification processes were stimulated in the treatments with rapeseed cultivation treated with the herbicide. Changes in the enzymatic activity were generally positive. The EcoPlate assessment of microbial community catabolism showed that the highest activity was recorded in the soil sown with the cultivars Belinda, Tamarin, and Sw svinto. Concurrently, these soils were characterized by the highest correlations between rapeseed cultivar and metabolic activity. Conclusion: Cultivation of specific plant varieties that reduce the negative effect of herbicides used in agriculture may be one of the methods to prevent soil degradation. In our research, Belinda turned out to be a cultivar, under the cultivation of which an increase in the activity of microorganisms was recorded most frequently compared to soil not sown with rapeseed.