Abstract
High rates of fertilizer applications potentially have significant environmental consequences, such as soil and water contamination and biodiversity loss. This study aimed to compare the use of biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers in a broccoli crop to determine their impact on soil microorganism abundance, microbial community structure, functional gene diversity, yield, and greenhouse gas emissions. Four different fertilization treatments were designed: (i) inorganic fertilizers applied at a rate to cover the nutritional demands of the crop (F100); (ii) 50% of the rate of inorganic fertilizers added in F100 (F50); (iii) F50 + the application of a formulation of various bacteria (BA); and (iv) F50 + the application of a formulation of bacteria and non-mycorrhizal fungi (BA + FU). The results showed that reduced fertilization and the addition of both biofertilizer products had no significant effect on soil nutrients, microbial population, microbial activity, or yield when compared to conventional inorganic fertilization. Thus, microbial inoculants were ineffective in enhancing soil microbial abundance and activity, and there were no changes in GHG emissions or crop yields. Nonetheless, crop yield was positively related to total soil N, microbial activity, and CO2 emissions, confirming the positive effect of soil biodiversity on production. The application of biofertilizers can help reduce mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop with no negative effect on yield.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced fertilization and biofertilizers had no significant effect on soil nutrients, microbial population or activity relative to conventional fertilization.
- Taxon
- Broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italicat0 - Treatment
- reduced fertilization and the addition of both biofertilizer productse0
- Outcome
- soil nutrients, microbial population, microbial activitye0
- Direction
- no significant effecte0
- Comparator
- conventional inorganic fertilizatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced fertilization and the addition of both biofertilizer products had no significant effect on soil nutrients, microbial population, microbial activity, or yield when compared to conventional inorganic fertilization”
t0“Broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced fertilization and biofertilizers had no significant effect on broccoli yield relative to conventional fertilization.
- Taxon
- BroccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Treatment
- reduced fertilization and the addition of both biofertilizer productse0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- no significant effecte0
- Comparator
- conventional inorganic fertilizatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced fertilization and the addition of both biofertilizer products had no significant effect on soil nutrients, microbial population, microbial activity, or yield when compared to conventional inorganic fertilization”
t0“Broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
Biofertilizer treatments did not change greenhouse gas emissions.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- biofertilizerse1
- Outcome
- GHG emissionse0
- Direction
- no changese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there were no changes in GHG emissions or crop yields”
e1“The application of biofertilizers can help reduce mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Broccoli yield was positively related to total soil nitrogen.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Compound
- total soil Ne0
- Outcome
- crop yielde0
- Direction
- positively relatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop yield was positively related to total soil N, microbial activity, and CO2 emissions”
e1“mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Broccoli yield was positively related to microbial activity.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Outcome
- crop yielde0
- Direction
- positively relatede0
- Qualifier
- microbial activitye0
Not reportedMaterialGeneCompoundOrgan / stageInteractorTreatmentComparatorSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop yield was positively related to total soil N, microbial activity, and CO2 emissions”
e1“mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Broccoli yield was positively related to CO2 emissions.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Compound
- CO2e0
- Outcome
- crop yielde0
- Direction
- positively relatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop yield was positively related to total soil N, microbial activity, and CO2 emissions”
e1“mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude biofertilizers can lower mineral fertilizer use without reducing broccoli yield.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae0
- Outcome
- reduce mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop with no negative effect on yielde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The application of biofertilizers can help reduce mineral fertilization in a broccoli crop with no negative effect on yield”
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