Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Background: Vegetable-based growing methods require high nutrition, but long use of chemical fertilizers has impacted negatively on soil microbe diversity and efficiency of nutrient cycling. Integrated biofertilizers can be the biologically oriented solution, using microbe inoculants and organic and partially inorganic products.
Objective: The aim of this study is to check the effects of integrated biofertilizers on the ability of the soil to provide nutrients, the level of microbial mass, and the production of vegetables in comparison to chemical fertilizers. 
Methods: The experiments performed on the field included five methods of treatment—no treatment, recommended chemical fertilizer, biofertilizers alone, biofertilizer and manure, and integrated method of biofertilizer application plus organic fertilizer plus 50% of the chemical fertilizers within the framework of randomized block scheme of tomato growing (Solanum Lycopersicum). The points to be measured included the amount of organic carbon, the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the mass of microorganisms in the soil, the quantity of enzymes and the total yield of crops.
Results: The integrated technology contributed to 24% of organic carbon, 21% of nitrogen, 33% of phosphorus, and 38% of microbial mass in comparison to the method where only chemical fertilizers were used.