Abstract
Soil fertility degradation and increasing water scarcity are major constraints to horticultural production in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly North Africa. Although compost is widely recognized as a sustainable soil amendment, integrated assessments linking soil fertility, plant responses, and probabilistic productivity outcomes under drought remain limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of compost in improving soil fertility and sustaining tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum L.) performance under controlled water stress (WS) in contrasting soil textures. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using sandy loam and silty clay soils amended with compost at 1 and 3%, chemical fertilizer, or no amendment, combined with irrigation regimes of 40, 60, and 80% field capacity (FC). Soil and plant responses across four growth phases were analyzed using a Soil Fertility Index (SFI), multivariate statistical approaches, and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The highest SFI values were obtained under 3% compost × 80% FC, reaching 0.42 in sandy loam and 0.92 in silty clay, compared with 0.06–0.10 in non-amended controls. Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions. Multivariate analyses (PCA and PLSR) identified soil moisture retention, chlorophyll stability, and Ca–Mg nutrition as the main drivers of yield, while MCS indicated a higher probability of achieving optimal SFI under compost amendments (3% compost × 80–60% FC). Using the probabilistic analysis, the findings demonstrate that compost application enhances soil fertility index, plant physiological resilience, and tomato productivity, providing a practical strategy for climate-resilient horticultural systems in drought-prone regions.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Three percent compost at 80% field capacity gave the highest soil fertility index in sandy loam.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- 3% compost × 80% FCe0
- Outcome
- SFI valuese0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 0.42e0
- Comparator
- non-amended controlse0
- Setting
- sandy loame0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest SFI values were obtained under 3% compost × 80% FC, reaching 0.42 in sandy loam and 0.92 in silty clay, compared with 0.06–0.10 in non-amended controls.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Three percent compost at 80% field capacity gave a soil fertility index of 0.92 in silty clay.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 3% compost × 80% FCe0
- Outcome
- SFI valuese0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 0.92e0
- Comparator
- non-amended controlse0
- Setting
- silty claye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest SFI values were obtained under 3% compost × 80% FC, reaching 0.42 in sandy loam and 0.92 in silty clay, compared with 0.06–0.10 in non-amended controls.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased plant height under drought by 35–55%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Compost applicatione0
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 35–55%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased leaf area under drought by 40–70%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Compost applicatione0
- Outcome
- leaf areae0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 40–70%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased relative water content under drought by 15–28%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Compost applicatione0
- Outcome
- relative water contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 15–28%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased chlorophyll content under drought by 20–45%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Compost applicatione0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 20–45%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased fruit yield under drought by 45–75%.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Compost applicatione0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 45–75%e0
- Qualifier
- under drought conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost application increased plant height by 35–55%, leaf area by 40–70%, relative water content by 15–28%, chlorophyll content by 20–45%, and fruit yield by 45–75% under drought conditions.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Multivariate analysis identified soil moisture retention, chlorophyll stability and Ca–Mg nutrition as main yield drivers.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Compound
- Ca–Mge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Qualifier
- main driverse0
Not reportedSettingDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Multivariate analyses (PCA and PLSR) identified soil moisture retention, chlorophyll stability, and Ca–Mg nutrition as the main drivers of yield”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Monte Carlo simulation indicated greater probability of optimal soil fertility index with compost.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- compost amendments (3% compost × 80–60% FC)e0
- Outcome
- probability of achieving optimal SFIe0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MCS indicated a higher probability of achieving optimal SFI under compost amendments (3% compost × 80–60% FC)”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)”
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