Abstract
Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are an effective tool for improving nutrients in agricultural systems; however, their efficacy depends on successful colonization in soils. To address this challenge, biochar has been identified as an effective material for enhancing soil ecosystem services and can serve as a protective for PGPB. However, the impact of biochar and PGPB on soil health indicators and plant growth remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar and PGPB on soil chemical and biological properties in cowpea. We used biochar from bean husk (BHB) and grape fermentation residue (GFB) and Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76 (BRA), Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416 (PRB), or Rhizobium altiplani BR10423 (RHI). BHB and PRB stimulated cowpea growth, while GFB and PRB promoted soil phosphatase activity. Overall, different combinations of biochar and PGPR increased soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon content, and urease activity, but did not affect microbial biomass carbon and β-glucosidase activities. The biochars inoculated with the BRA showed the highest productivity. For example, plants subjected to the BRA + GFB treatment exhibited a 3.85-fold increase in productivity compared to the additional treatment that involved the use of commercial peat. The study demonstrated a positive effect of biochar and PGPB on soil enzymatic activity, nutrient content, and cowpea growth suggesting a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, especially in poor soils. These findings highlight the potential of biochar as an environmentally sustainable carrier of PGPB while addressing the issue of agricultural waste reuse.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Bean husk biochar with Burkholderia cepacia stimulated cowpea growth.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Treatment
- BHBe0
- Interactor
- Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416e2symbiont
- Outcome
- cowpea growthe0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“BHB and PRB stimulated cowpea growth”
e1“biochar from bean husk (BHB)”
e2“Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416 (PRB)”
Claim · model-written summary
Grape fermentation residue biochar with Burkholderia cepacia promoted soil phosphatase activity.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- GFBe0
- Interactor
- Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416e2symbiont
- Outcome
- soil phosphatase activitye0
- Direction
- promotede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“GFB and PRB promoted soil phosphatase activity”
e1“grape fermentation residue (GFB)”
e2“Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416 (PRB)”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and bacterial combinations increased soil pH, phosphorus, and potassium.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- different combinations of biochar and PGPRe0
- Outcome
- soil pH, phosphorus, potassiume0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“different combinations of biochar and PGPR increased soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon content, and urease activity”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and bacterial combinations increased soil organic carbon content and urease activity.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- different combinations of biochar and PGPRe0
- Outcome
- organic carbon content, and urease activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“different combinations of biochar and PGPR increased soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon content, and urease activity”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and bacterial combinations did not affect microbial biomass carbon or β-glucosidase activity.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- different combinations of biochar and PGPRe0
- Outcome
- microbial biomass carbon and β-glucosidase activitiese0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“different combinations of biochar and PGPR increased soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon content, and urease activity, but did not affect microbial biomass carbon and β-glucosidase activities”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochars inoculated with Bradyrhizobium elkanii had the highest cowpea productivity.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- biochars inoculated with the BRAe0
- Interactor
- Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76e1symbiont
- Outcome
- productivitye0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The biochars inoculated with the BRA showed the highest productivity”
e1“Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76 (BRA)”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
BRA plus GFB gave 3.85-fold higher cowpea productivity than commercial peat treatment.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Treatment
- BRA + GFB treatmente0
- Interactor
- Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76e1symbiont
- Outcome
- productivitye0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 3.85-folde0
- Comparator
- commercial peate0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“plants subjected to the BRA + GFB treatment exhibited a 3.85-fold increase in productivity compared to the additional treatment that involved the use of commercial peat”
t0“Cowpea”
e1“Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76 (BRA)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose biochar as a sustainable carrier for plant growth-promoting bacteria and an alternative to chemical fertilizers in poor soils.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Outcome
- sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizerse0
- Qualifier
- especially in poor soilse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“suggesting a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, especially in poor soils”
e1“potential of biochar as an environmentally sustainable carrier of PGPB”
t0“Cowpea”
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See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.