A CALCARIC ALLUVIAL SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AT SUBMICROSCOPIC SCALE USING SEM.

Soil characteristics play an important role on agricultural crop production, especially in the organic farming system. Increasing the productive potential of organic agroecosystems in the context of climate change is nowadays possible also using soil treatment with microbial bioinoculants. Microbial bioinoculants have the capacity to enhance nutrient availability, nutrients uptake, support the soil and plant health, by controlling the pest and diseases or enhance the plant defence responses. In 2018, at the Vegetable Research and Development Station Buzau, a soil micromorphology study was performed on an Aluviosol Molic Calcaric, in an organic testing field cultivated with vegetables. Soil samples taken at six different depths were analysed using SEM images. The soil micro and macromorphological characteristics were correlated with the analytical data. The results showed the CaCO₃ abundance in soil, while at sub-microscopic level it appears as acicular crystals into the efflorescences coatings. The soil skeleton is well represented, the sandsized mineral grains being abundant. Many skeleton grains (as feldspars and mica flakes) had altered surfaces, being partially covered with secondary decomposed products, whose presence favours the installation of microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]