Abstract
Introduction Soil salinity is a major constraint to agricultural productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, affecting approximately 1.4 billion hectares globally (over 10% of the world’s land area) and causing substantial yield losses in staple crops, with reductions reaching up to 50% or more in sensitive species under moderate salinity levels. Methods While the individual effects of biofertilizers or organic amendments have been widely studied, there remains a critical gap in field-based evidence regarding their synergistic integration—particularly the combined use of dual nitrogen (N 2 )-fixing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria ( Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum ) with a balanced blend of sewage sludge and poultry manure (1:1 on N basis) as a 50% substitution for inorganic N in marginally saline soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of such integrated fertilization on soil health, nutrient availability, physiological performance, and productivity of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Sakha 93) and sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L. cv. Kawemira) in marginally saline soil (initial EC e 3.47 dS/m). A strip-plot field experiment with five treatments was conducted: control (T1), biofertilizer alone (T2), 50% inorganic N + 50% organic manure (T3), biofertilizer + T3 (T4), and conventional NPK (T5). Soil and plant parameters were assessed at 70 days after sowing (DAS), with final yield and quality parameters determined at harvest. Results and discussion Treatment T4 significantly improved soil organic matter (23.3 g/kg in wheat and 22.9 g/kg in sugar beet), reduced EC e (to 3.90 dS/m in wheat and 3.13 dS/m in sugar beet), and enhanced available N (up to 63.0 mg/kg) and potassium. It also increased microbial biomass carbon, soil enzyme activities, photosynthetic rate (14.0 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in wheat and 26.5 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in sugar beet), and alleviated salinity-induced stress indicators. The highest yields were recorded under T4, with wheat grain yield reaching 6719 kg/ha and sugar beet root yield 78.8 tons/ha, accompanied by superior sugar quality. These results demonstrate that the integration of dual PGPR with blended organic amendments (T4) offers a synergistic, low-input strategy that enhances soil fertility, mitigates salinity stress, and boosts crop productivity while reducing inorganic fertilizer use by 50%. This approach provides a scalable and sustainable solution for marginally saline soils in arid regions, supporting food security with a reduced environmental footprint. Further multi-site and multi-year validation across a wider range of salinity levels and soil types is recommended.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
T4 raised soil organic matter in wheat plots to 23.3 g/kg.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- Treatment T4e0
- Outcome
- soil organic mattere0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 23.3 g/kge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment T4 significantly improved soil organic matter (23.3 g/kg in wheat and 22.9 g/kg in sugar beet)”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 raised soil organic matter in sugar beet plots to 22.9 g/kg.
- Taxon
- sugar beet
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0 - Treatment
- Treatment T4e0
- Outcome
- soil organic mattere0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 22.9 g/kge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment T4 significantly improved soil organic matter (23.3 g/kg in wheat and 22.9 g/kg in sugar beet)”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 reduced soil ECe in wheat plots to 3.90 dS/m.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- EC ee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 3.90 dS/me0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced EC e (to 3.90 dS/m in wheat and 3.13 dS/m in sugar beet)”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 reduced soil ECe in sugar beet plots to 3.13 dS/m.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- EC ee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 3.13 dS/me0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced EC e (to 3.90 dS/m in wheat and 3.13 dS/m in sugar beet)”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat and sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 increased available nitrogen to 63.0 mg/kg and potassium.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- Treatment T4e0
- Outcome
- available Ne0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 63.0 mg/kge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment T4 significantly improved soil organic matter (23.3 g/kg in wheat and 22.9 g/kg in sugar beet), reduced EC e (to 3.90 dS/m in wheat and 3.13 dS/m in sugar beet), and enhanced available N (up to 63.0 mg/kg) and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 increased soil potassium availability.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- Treatment T4e0
- Outcome
- potassiume0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment T4 significantly improved soil organic matter (23.3 g/kg in wheat and 22.9 g/kg in sugar beet), reduced EC e (to 3.90 dS/m in wheat and 3.13 dS/m in sugar beet), and enhanced available N (up to 63.0 mg/kg) and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 increased microbial biomass carbon and soil enzyme activities.
- Taxon
- wheat and sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarisTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- microbial biomass carbon, soil enzyme activitiese0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It also increased microbial biomass carbon, soil enzyme activities”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat and sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 increased wheat photosynthetic rate to 14.0 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 14.0 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /se0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“photosynthetic rate (14.0 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in wheat and 26.5 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in sugar beet)”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 increased sugar beet photosynthetic rate to 26.5 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 26.5 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /se0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“photosynthetic rate (14.0 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in wheat and 26.5 µmol CO 2 /m 2 /s in sugar beet)”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat and sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 alleviated salinity stress indicators.
- Taxon
- wheat and sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarisTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manuret0
- Outcome
- salinity-induced stress indicatorse0
- Direction
- alleviatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“alleviated salinity-induced stress indicators”
t0“nitrogen, sewage sludge, and poultry manure on integrative fertilization for wheat and sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 produced the highest wheat grain yield, 6719 kg/ha.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- T4e0
- Outcome
- wheat grain yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 6719 kg/hae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest yields were recorded under T4, with wheat grain yield reaching 6719 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 produced the highest sugar beet root yield, 78.8 tons/ha.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- T4e0
- Outcome
- sugar beet root yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 78.8 tons/hae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest yields were recorded under T4, with wheat grain yield reaching 6719 kg/ha and sugar beet root yield 78.8 tons/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
T4 yielded superior sugar quality.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- T4e0
- Outcome
- sugar qualitye0
- Direction
- superiore0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest yields were recorded under T4, with wheat grain yield reaching 6719 kg/ha and sugar beet root yield 78.8 tons/ha, accompanied by superior sugar quality”
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See all 49 papers →8 of 14 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.