mgr inż. Miłosz Pastuszczak

ORCID: 0000-0003-3277-7378

The topic of my dissertation is: „Effect of unconventional fertilizer on enzymatic activity and bacterial diversity in soil under spring barley”

The aim of my research will be to design an unconventional fertilizer based on biomass ash and examine its effects on the physical and biological properties of the soil and the yield of spring barley plants. The formula and dosage of the fertilizer will be designed.

Ash is often a problematic waste, so it is important to look for solutions to recycle it, one possible solution is the ability to use ash as a fertilizer due to its high content of micro and macro elements. More and more often unconventional fertilizers are being used in the form of sewage sludge, ash from wood combustion, wood chips, etc. This is dictated by the fact that these wastes remain in landfills, and in many cases, after proper preparation, can be a safe fertilizer, provided that the dose of such fertilizer per hectare of soil is specified. The use of wood ash to fertilize cultivated soils can return valuable nutrients to ecosystems and prevent soil acidification. Soil bacteria are microorganisms without life on Earth could probably not exist. They are the key to processing carbon and nitrogen in the soil - some of the most important components of the soil, which are often treated marginally in research. The main functions of soil bacteria are to provide nutrients to crops; to stimulate plant growth, such as through the production of plant hormones; to control or inhibit plant pathogen activity; to improve soil structure; and to bioaccumulate or microbially decompose inorganic substances. Research on the responses of soil bacterial communities to wood ash application is scarce, and available results are inconclusive and remain at a general taxonomic level. Soil bacteria and their activities are essential factors of soil ecosystems, processes such as decomposition of organic matter, nutrients of greenhouse gas production and play a key role as part of the lower trophic levels of the soil food web.

As part of the dissertation preparation, a pot experiment is being conducted under a spring barley cultivation.

The research will provide valuable information on the use of ash for fertilization, and how ash affects the physicochemical and biological properties of soils, as well as the plant. The development of a new, unconventional ash-based fertilizer can provide a basis for its use on a wider scale in agriculture.

Publication:

1. Stanek-Tarkowska J, Pastuszczak M, Szpunar-Krok E, Kačániová M, Kluz MI, Czyż EA, Pieniążek R, Skrobacz K, Pietrzyk K. Comparison of the Effect of Fertilization with Ash from Wood Chips on Bacterial Community in Podzolic and Chernozem Soils for the Cultivation of Winter Oilseed Rape: A Preliminary Study. 2022; 12(3):576. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030576
2. Stanek-Tarkowska J, Czyż EA, Pastuszczak M, Skrobacz K. The Impact of Using Different Doses of Biomass Ash on Some Physical Properties of Podzolic Soil under the Cultivation of Winter Oilseed Rape. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(11):6693. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116693