Characterization of glomalin fractions in Red Ferralitic soils with different use

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiosis with most land plants; producing and releasing to soil a glycoprotein named glomalin, which promote the formation of water stable aggregates and improve soil structure. The objective of the present work was to characterize various Red ferralitic soils of the Red plain of Havana, with different uses, by means of several biological and chemical properties (organic matter, pH, P, Ca, C, N); as well as to establish correlations between both variable types. The biological variables were the AMF spore number and the contents of glomalin-related soil proteins (total and easily extractable). To this, different extraction methods were used following by the estimation of protein concentration or the total spore counting. Results revealed differences in the determined variables related to crop presents and soil management. In general, the forests showed superior values in the glomalin fractions, followed by sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and grasslands. The inferior values corresponded to potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivated soils. These variables constitutes better indicators of soil quality than the spore number, due to its correlation with several chemical variables of soil such as organic matter, C, N, pH and Ca. Future researches are suggested to elucidate obtained results, mainly towards the use of glomalin as biological indicator of soil degradation/rehabilitation according to the ecosystem to study. Key words: agricultural management, soil improvement, arbuscular mycorrhizae