Possibility of using diverse plant litter in soil restoration processes

We evaluated the effect of mulching degraded soil with plant litter composed of single or mixed species on humus accumulation and algal biomass in experimental field study. Sandy loam (sand mixed with loam) mesocosms were examined over the course of 2.5 years. Five litters composed of meadow plants; both grasses and herbs were used: single species (I - Dactylis glomerata, II -c Festuca rubra and III - Trifolium pratense) and species mixtures IV (mixture of 3 species I, II and III); V (mixture of 12 species -IV and 9 other grasses and herbs). The highest humus acid (sum of fulvic and humic acids) content and algal biomass were found under the most diverse litter (V) when compared to other treatments. In general, the results suggest that mulching with diverse plant litter is the most effective.