Soil fertility conservation and management in forest nurseries
(Information about project, 1991 - 1994)

Methodical background:

The aim of the research is the elaboration of instructions for conservation and improvement of soil fertility in Czech forest nurseries. Information of this type are missing in Czech nursery practice. There is a necessity to complete and summarize available data, and reorganize them in the form directly applicable in the forest nursery management. The main activity consists in compilation and analysis of information and available data about soil conditions in Czech forest nurseries.

Results:

The soil texture was, in the last time (before 1991 year), held as a decisive criterion for the judgement of soil-condition suitability for the forest nursery establishment. Exclusive preferring the soil texture over complex appreciation of soil properties has adversely affected choice of site for large forest nurseries. These nurseries then were established on extremely sandy soils with portion of particles above 0.05 mm exceeding 85%.

Another topical problem of Czech forest nursery management is the lack of humus content in the soil and ignorance of its importance for soil fertility. A perspective ameliorative measure in both cases should be the complex application of basic rocks meals and green manure in appropriate combination.

The necessity of green manuring follows not only from the necessary contribution to the stabilization of humus content and in this way to the improvement of production properties of soils. This procedure also increases the microbial activity, stabilizes the soil structure, reduces the consequences of the soil compression due to heavy machines. The deep root system contributes to the reverse transport of the nutrients in to the mould. As a cover culture, green manure limits wind and water erosion and has other positive effects. The successful use of green manure cultures requires to pay attention to function which they are to fulfill, i.e., at soil preparation, species choice, choice of crops, seed doses and sowing terms.

The advantage of the use of basic rocks meals is mainly enrichment of soil by important basic mineral nutrients and trace elements, the improvement of physical properties of soils, strengthening of the sorption complex, effect on humification, reduction of the acid soil reaction, etc.