Use of Organic and Biological Fertilizers as Strategies to Improve Crop Biomass, Yields and Physicochemical Parameters of Soil

Abstract

Interest in the sustainability of soil resources has been stimulated by increasing concerns that soil is one of the most critical components of the earth’s biosphere, participating in food production and management maintenance of environmental quality. In arid and semiarid regions, oases appear to be a major threat model in the soil component. The palm plantations contribute to the formation of oasis ecosystems by promoting the creation of a suitable microclimate for the development of underlying crops and offsetting the effects of drought. These ecosystems play key roles in multiple socioeconomic and environmental issues. Nevertheless, they remain fragile and undergo impacts of human and/or natural origins permanently such as extreme temperatures, soil salinity, drought, erosion, and low contents in organic matter and native fertility. In order to ensure good yields, farmers use an intensive amount of chemical fertilizer, but it can have detrimental effects on soil. In this chapter, we will focus on the improvement of the biomass and yield of different agricultural crops – i.e., cereals (wheat, corn), vegetable crops (lettuce, tomato, leek), leguminous (alfalfa), and trees (date palm) – in field via the enrichment of soil by setting up an efficient biological protocol integrating arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), PGPR, and/or organic soil conditioners resulting from green waste, phosphogypsum, phosphate wash sludge, and agro-industrial poultry waste manure. Our results confirmed the advantages of various biological and organic fertilizers in improving the biomass and yields for different crops. The combination of AMF and compost green waste appeared to be interesting for the improvement of the growth, mineral nutrition, and physiological and water parameters of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Furthermore, the combination of low dose (5%, 10%) and indigenous AMF is clearly beneficial for the growth of alfalfa and tomato under a greenhouse. Concerning the experiments carried out in the field, it confirmed the advantages of biological and organic fertilizers in improving the yield for leguminous (alfalfa), vegetable crops (lettuce, tomato, and leek), and cereals (wheat). Application of the tripartite combination AMF-PGPR compost was more efficient in increasing the yield of the tested plants. Indeed, biological treatments had an important effect on the physicochemical properties of the soil. Finally, we have elucidated the positive impacts of biofertilizers used and the interest of adopting the innovative practices improving soil fertility, preserving water resources, respecting the environment, and ensuring the development of sustainable organic agriculture.