Involvement of soluble organic matter in increased plant growth in solarized soils

Although soil solarization is used to control soil-borne pests, it also results in increased growth response (IGR) of plants, beyond the effect of pest control. IGR is attributed to various abiotic factors (e.g. increased mineral nutrient concentrations) and biotic factors. In this work, we studied the role played by dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soil extracts in the IGR. DOM concentrations were about twice as high in solarized soil than in untreated soil. In two out of three soils, solarization appeared to increase amino acid synthesis, indicating that it had a favorable effect on microbial activity. Elemental composition, carbohydrate levels, E-4:E-6 ratios and FTIR spectra did not differentiate between DOM extracted from solarized soils and DOM extracted from untreated soils. Growth of corn plants increased with increasing concentrations of DOM. Addition to the soil of DOM extracted from leonardite increased populations of fluorescent pseudomonads, known as beneficial bacteria, and reduced fungal populations. We conclude that the increase in DOM concentration following soil solarization is a potentially positive plant-growth-enhancement factor.