Soil sickness in forestry

Abstract

Soil sickness is important area of research worldwide, however, little research has been done because it is complex phenomenon and caused by many factors (nutrients exhaustion, deterioration of soil structure, physical and chemical properties, development of phytopathogenic microflora, one-sided development of some groups of soil microflora, pest’s multiplication (nematodes), changes in pH, accumulation of phytotoxic substances in soil). This field did not receive the attention it deserved, however, in past few years, there is new impetus on soil sickness research mainly on autotoxicity of crops and trees. Hence Allelopathy Journal published special issue on soil sickness [Guest Editors: B. Politycka, Poland and J.Q. Yu, China Volume 18(1) 2006]. Till now there is only one book, A.M. Grodzinsky (1979). Allelopathy in Soil Sickness (Russian, English translated 2006). This book on methodology may initiate more research on soil sickness.

The book is divided in 2 sections: Section I. Abiotic factors, has 5 Chapters (Soil sickness: An overview, Plant Nutrients, Soil Salinity and Acidity, Soil Compaction, Soil Organic Matter), Section II. Biotic factors has 9 Chapters (Phytotoxic Substances, Soil Microorganisms and Soil-Borne Diseases, Soil Enzymes, Insects in Agrosystems, Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Weed Studies, Soil Sickness and Productivity, Morpho-anatomical changes in crops under soil sickness, Soil Sickness in Forestry)