Biofertilizers Enriched with PGPB Improve Soil Fertility and the Productivity of an Intensive Tomato Crop

The use of microorganisms capable of promoting the growth and development of crops is generating interest at a global level as a sustainable technique in modern agriculture, especially in intensive farming systems, where the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers has led to environmental problems. T...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ortega Pérez, Raúl, Nieto García, José Carlos, Gallegos-Cedillo, Victor M., Domene Ruiz, Miguel Ángel, Santos Hernández, Mila, Nájera, Cinthia, Miralles, Isabel, Diánez Martínez, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/360812
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/360812
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85172696319
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Plant growth-promoting microorganism
Biofertilizer
Reduced inorganic fertigation
Descripción
Sumario:The use of microorganisms capable of promoting the growth and development of crops is generating interest at a global level as a sustainable technique in modern agriculture, especially in intensive farming systems, where the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers has led to environmental problems. The objective of this research was to evaluate the biofertilizing power of formulations enriched with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) (Azotobacter spp. to fix N and strains of Bacillus spp. to solubilize P and K not bioavailable for plants) to improve the fertility, quality, and productivity of a tomato crop and their potential use as an alternative to conventional fertilizers. Thus, NPK levels in soils, leaves, and fruits were evaluated; various parameters of fruit quality were measured; and an exhaustive analysis of the production and economic yields of the harvest was carried out. The results showed that the periodic supply of biofertilizers based on PGPB increased the harvest yield (20–32%) and favored the development of larger fruit sizes, which are economically more valuable, and the incomes increased even more than production (32–52%). The biofertilizers also demonstrated a positive effect on the solubilization of P and K in the soil, and the levels of P in leaves were also promoted. The capacity to mobilize the nutrients from soil to fruits was clearly favored when PGPB were inoculated periodically, and a reduction of up to 20% in synthetic fertilizers was accomplished (16, 34, and 23% increases for N, P, and K, respectively, against the treatment without PGPB and no fertigation reduction). Finally, the use of PGPB did not show appreciable differences regarding fruit quality parameters