Microbial properties in saline soils of Vojvodina Province

Soil profiles have been dug in locations registered in a soil map of Vojvodina Province as solonchaks in order to assess the microbial activity down the soil profile. Unfavourable physical and chemical properties of the studied solonchak and solonetz soils (such as increased salt content, high pH, low humus content) significantly affected their microbial properties. Solonchak soils are characterized by an exceptionally low microbial activity and high numbers of certain groups of microorganisms in the saline surface horizon. Number of microorganisms and dehydrogenase activity improved with depth, to achieve highest values in the transitional BC horizon at the average depth of 60 cm, which can be associated with soil chemical properties becoming favorable for microbial organisms. High numbers of microbes were recorded only for the average number of actinomycetes, which is an indicator of alkaline environment. The number of actinomycetes declined with soil profile depth.