Poultry manure and banana waste are effective biofertilizer carriers for promoting plant growth and soil sustainability in banana crops

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 2008-12, Vol.40 (12), p.3092-3095
• Main Authors: Rivera-Cruz, María del Carmen, Trujillo Narcía, Antonio, Córdova Ballona, Georgina, Kohler, Josef, Caravaca, Fuensanta, Roldán, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggregate stability; agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Azospirillum; Azotobacter; bananas; bioavailability; Biochemistry and biology; Biofertilizer; biofertilizers; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Enzymatic activity; enzyme activity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; leaves; Microbiology; Musa; Musa paradisiaca; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; PGPR; phosphorus; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; plant growth; poultry manure; soil bacteria; soil enzymes; soil inoculation; soil quality; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges; waste utilization
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.09.003

The aims of our study were to compare the effectiveness of poultry manure (PM) and banana waste (BW), with regard to their use as inoculant carriers of a bacterial consortium constituted by strains of Azospirillum, Azotobacter and P-solubiliser bacteria and to establish the most efficient dose of biofertilizer for a soil cultivated with banana ( Musa paradisiaca AAA Simmonds), with respect to improving plant performance and soil physical and microbiological properties. Six months after planting, plant growth had increased with increase in dose of the biofertilizers applied. The biofertilizer prepared on BW enhanced the density of P-solubiliser bacteria, the concentrations of available P and foliar P to a greater extent than with the biofertilizer prepared on PM. The increases produced by the biofertilizer prepared on PM for the soil aggregate stability, enzymatic activities and the labile carbon fractions were highly correlated to the dose applied. Both biofertilizers can be considered potentially useful as inoculant carriers of PGPR but the usefulness of BW appears to be restricted to moderate doses of application (≤3%).