ROLE OF NEMATODES IN THE SOIL FOOD CHAIN AND MINERALIZATION OF NUTRIENTS

Tlo, osim što pridonosi kvaliteti okoliša, utječe i na kvalitetu proizvedene hrane. Nematode, kao njegov sastavni dio, sudjeluju u bogatstvu hranidbenog lanca tla te pridonose kvaliteti tla. S obzirom na način ishrane, odnosno različite trofičke grupe, nematode nam omogućuju uvid u procese koji se događaju u tlu. Indeksi hranidbenog lanca tla po Ferris-u omogućuju kvalitetniju i jasniju procjenu uvjeta hranidbenog lanca tla, temeljem određivanja gustoće populacije različitih trofičkih grupa nematoda. Indeks strukture tla (SI), Indeks obogaćenja (EI) i Indeks puteva razgradnje u tlu (CI) omogućuju kvalitetnu procjenu uvjeta koji prevladavaju u tlu, a mogu pružiti jednostavniju i bržu analizu puteva razgradnje i mineralizacije hranjiva u odnosu na temeljne metode za procjenu mineralizacije -dušika (N2). Slobodnoživuće nematode utječu na mineralizaciju u tlu, dok je gustoća populacije bakterivora i fungivora u ovisnosti o uvjetima okoliša i ishrane. Zbog toga bi poljoprivredna praksa trebala imati u cilju stalno poboljšavanje uvjeta u tlu, uz povećanje populacije slobodnoživućih i smanjenje populacije biljnoparazitnih nematoda.The soil, in addition to contributing to the quality of the environment, affects the quality of food produced. Nematodes, as an integral part of the richness of the soil food chain, contribute to these qualities of the soil. With regard to diet, or different trophic groups, nematodes provide insight into the processes that occur in the soil. Indexes of the soil food chain by Ferris in enabling better and clearer assessment of the conditions of the soil food chain, which allowed the assessment of the population density of different trophic groups of nematodes. Index of soil structure (SI), Enrichment index (EI) and the Index pathways of degradation in soil (CI) allow for quality assessment of conditions prevailing in the soil, and can provide simpler and faster analysis of pathways of degradation and mineralization of nutrients in relation to the basic methods for assessing mineralization of nitrogen (N2). Free living nematodes affecting mineralization in the soil, while the population density of bakterivora and fungivora depending on the environmental conditions and nutrition. Therefore, in order to improve conditions in the soil, agricultural practices should constantly work on increasing of the population of free living and reduction of plant parasitic nematodes