Effect of biofertilizers and chemical fertilizers on soil biological properties and potato yield

Abstract EN

Understanding of the interactions between biofertilizers and chemical fertilization in soil is beneficial to soil microbes and plant growth.

However, these combinations are not fully comprehended.

A field experiment was conducted in a silty clay soil using RCBD design to study the effect of mycorhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae), algae (Ascophyllum Nodosum), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and chemical fertilization (0%, 50% and 100%) of the recommended addition on some bio-soil characteristics, and potato yield (Solanum tuberosumL.

).

It was found that the combination of mycorhizal fungi with algae (B3) recorded the highest increase in soil respiration (7.

00 mg CO2 g-1.

soil).

Furthermore, the application of chemical fertilization at 100% raised soil respiration (6.

36 mg CO2 g-1 soil) as compared with control treatments (5.

75 mg CO2 g-1 soil).

In addition, aggregate stability was largely increased (34.

64 %) by the combination of mycorrhizal fungi with yeast (B5).

More importantly, the application of the chemical fertilizers at 100% reduced aggregate stability (30.

39 %) and bacterial counts (44.

67 × 106g -1) as compared with the control treatments (33.

25 %) and (51.

10× 106g -1) respectively.

It's noted also that the highest mycorhizal infection rate was 55.

93 % when mycorhizal fungi was combined with yeast (B5).

In contrast, the applied chemical fertilization at 100% reduced highly the mycorrhizal infection rate (21.

34 %) as compared with the control (51.

04 %).

Moreover, the combinations of mycorhizal fungi, yeast and algae (B6) proved a significant increase in the total yield (18.

91 tons ha-1).

This study concluded that chemical fertilization negatively inversely influenced soil aggregate stability, infection rate and microbial community while the combination of mycorhizal fungi, algae and yeast with a higher rate of chemical fertilization was beneficial to microbial respiration and potato yield.