Abstract
Abstract Mounting fertilizer costs are disproportionally affecting farmers in developing countries. Alternative soil fertility amendments [worm compost, pyrolyzed carbon (biochar)] and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have the potential to reduce these costs while promoting soil health. Our greenhouse study investigated the role of mycorrhizal associations and alternative fertility amendments on the productivity and plant nutrition of grain sorghum. We assessed sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor cv. Macia) grown with ten different treatments (combinations of biochar, worm compost, and commercial N and P fertilizers) plus a non‐amended control. An amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer rate produced similar plant biomass and protein, similar total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn), and supported ≈ 60% more mycorrhizal fungi in the host plant's roots, compared to sorghum grown with the recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P). Our results indicate the potential of biochar and worm compost to enhance the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi for grain sorghum production and plant nutrition while reducing commercial fertilizer applications.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
An amendment blend of worm compost, biochar and 50% of the recommended commercial fertilizer produced plant biomass and protein similar to sorghum given the recommended commercial fertilizer rate.
- Treatment
- amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer ratee0
- Outcome
- plant biomass and proteine0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)e1
SorghumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“An amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer rate produced similar plant biomass and protein”
e1“compared to sorghum grown with the recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)”
Claim · model-written summary
The same blend produced total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P and Zn) similar to the recommended commercial fertilizer.
- Treatment
- amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer ratee0
- Outcome
- total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn)e0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“An amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer rate produced similar plant biomass and protein, similar total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn)”
e1“compared to sorghum grown with the recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)”
Claim · model-written summary
The same blend supported about 60% more mycorrhizal fungi in sorghum roots than the recommended commercial fertilizer.
- Treatment
- amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer ratee0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie0symbiont
- Outcome
- mycorrhizal fungie0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- ≈ 60%e0
- Comparator
- recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“An amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer rate produced similar plant biomass and protein, similar total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn), and supported ≈ 60% more mycorrhizal fungi”
e1“compared to sorghum grown with the recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that biochar and worm compost have potential to enhance the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi for grain sorghum production and nutrition while reducing commercial fertilizer.
- Taxon
- grain sorghum
Sorghum bicolore0 - Treatment
- biochar and worm composte0
- Outcome
- production and plant nutritione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our results indicate the potential of biochar and worm compost to enhance the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi for grain sorghum production and plant nutrition while reducing commercial fertilizer applications”
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