Photosynthesis and Leaf Traits of Tree Species Influenced by Green Manure Associated with Soil Treatments

ABSTRACT

The use of green manure (GM) associated with soil decompaction treatments has shown to be an alternative to improve soil attributes. This study associated the use of GM with tree species nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing (N-fixing and non-N-fixing, respectively), hypothesizing that non-N-fixing species are more beneficial by GM. The experiment was carried out in a disabled clay extraction deposit. Previously, chemical analysis and mechanical resistance to soil penetration was registered in order to characterize the initial soil properties of the experimental site. The soil treatments were scarification (SCA), scarification + harrowing (SCAH), and subsoiling + harrowing (SUBH) with presence/absence of GM (+GM and -GM, respectively) and four native tree species, N-fixing (Dalbergia ecastophyllum (L.) Taub., Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd., and non-N-fixing (Psidium cattleianum Sabine and Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi), were planted. Growth and leaf traits were measured after 6 and 12 months. The response patterns of leaf attributes were well defined in the non-N-fixing species. Over time, GM increases the level of chlorophyll (Chl) in N-fixing species and, consequently, improves the maximum quantum yield for photosystem II (PSII) primary photochemistry (φP_o), quantum yield for PSII electron transport (φE_o), the number of active reaction centers (RC/CS_o), and the performance index (PI/abs). GM increased these same photochemical parameters in non-N-fixing species after 12 months. The samples cultivated in the SCA and SUBH treatments showed a better performance. The species responded in different ways to GM, which improved the leaf traits in non-N-fixing species. GM improved the leaf traits of N-fixing species. The positive effect of GM over time give us a good alternative for fertilization in revegetation areas. Furthermore, our findings shown that the subsoiling promotes the highest soil decompaction, which associated with GM, can be efficiently used in projects of revegetation of degraded areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Chlorophyll a fluorescence
• compacted soil
• soil scarification
• N-fixing tree species

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Petrobras for its partnership with the Federal University of Espirito Santo and for funding the project for the development of technologies for the revegetation of areas degraded by the exploitation of petroleum and natural gas ecosystems of the north of the state of Espirito Santo. The authors would also like to thank the Research and Innovation Support Fund of the state of Espirito Santo (FAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for funds provided to the Vegetal Ecophysiology Laboratory (LEV) where the experiment’s analyses were carried out. This work was funded by Petrobras S.A., regulated by the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP resolution 05/2015).

Author’s contribution

FRP, AAF, and LFTM designed the study; ACRP, and MMM performed the experiments; MMM, ACRP, IDPP, VFS, and LAL collected the data; ACRP performed the soil analyses, DC performed the data analyses; MMM, DC, and ARF analyzed the data; MMM wrote the first version of the manuscript; FRP, AAF, LFTM, DC, ARF participated in revision of the manuscript; MMM, DC, and ARF finalized the manuscript. All authors discussed the results, contributed substantially to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2022.2070195

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP resolution 05/2015); Research and Innovation Support Fund of the state of Espirito Santo (FAPES); and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).