Distribution of microbial biomass in a vineyard soil in the Vinhos Verdes region

Abstract

Understanding the carbon distribution of metabolically active microbial biomass (MCB) in viticultural soils is essential to determine the carbon balance in sustainable viticulture and to integrate these determinations into routine analyzes that allow assessing the impact of sustainable soil management practices. The microbial biomass carbon was determined on three dates corresponding to the phenological stages of flowering, pea berry and maturation, in and between rows of a Loureiro grapevine subject to different irrigation strategies, and in a natural soil considered as a control. In this work it was possible to observe differences between the MCB of a viticultural soil and a natural soil. In viticultural soil, the highest values of microbial biomass were recorded in the pea berry phenological phase, coinciding with the beginning of irrigation. In part, higher values of microbial biomass were recorded in the row than in the inter-row.