{"id":20953,"date":"2018-02-02T17:12:52","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T15:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/?p=20953"},"modified":"2018-02-02T17:13:30","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T15:13:30","slug":"soil-microbes-replace-fertiliser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/en\/2018\/02\/02\/soil-microbes-replace-fertiliser\/","title":{"rendered":"Soil microbes replace fertiliser"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beneficial soil microbes can significantly increase crop yields while reducing the amount of fertiliser. This is shown in a global meta-study by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL<\/em> and the University of Basel<\/em>, which was recently published in the renowned magazine “Frontiers in Plant Science”.<\/p>\n

FiBL (Frick, 02 February 2018). –<\/em>\u00a0Crop yields can be increased by up to 40 percent if beneficial soil microorganisms \u2013so-called bio-fertilisers\u2013 are added to the soil during sowing. This is the result of a worldwide meta-study conducted by FiBL<\/a> and the University of Basel<\/a>. The optimum efficacy of the inoculated microbes depends on the content of plant available phosphorus in the soil. Thus, it is crucial to adjust phosphorus fertilisation according to the needs of the specific added microbes. The highest level of predicted efficacy is achieved with added nitrogen-fixing nodule forming bacteria, living in a symbiosis with legumes, such as beans or peas, and which have been selected specifically for certain crops.<\/p>\n

Addition of microbes promising for dry areas<\/h3>\n

In general, the use of microbes to increase yields is most promising in dry areas, such as the Mediterranean region or dry tropical regions (e.g. parts of India and Africa). In these climatic areas, the highest yield increase was achieved.<\/p>\n

This is the conclusion of the researchers in their meta study, in which they took into account 171 systematically selected publications worldwide (1672 pairwise comparisons). The study<\/a> was published in the internationally renowned journal “Frontiers in Plant Science”.<\/p>\n

\"Farmers<\/a>
Farmers and scientists apply beneficial microbial inoculants to the soil to increase crop yields. A field study in Bangalore, India. (Photos: Mathimaran Natarajan, University of Basel)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further results of the study:<\/h3>\n