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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Agron.
Sec. Plant-Soil Interactions
Volume 6 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1422876
This article is part of the Research Topic Strategies to Reduce Fertilizers: How to maintain crop productivity and profitability in agricultural acidic soils View all 6 articles
Enhancing Sustainable Crop Production Through Integrated Nutrient Management: A Focus on Vermicompost, Bio-enriched Rock Phosphate, and Inorganic Fertilisers -A Systematic Review
Provisionally accepted- 1 University Zambeze, Beira, Mozambique
- 2 Department of Soil and Geological Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- 3 Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Securing a consistent food supply remains a pressing global challenge, particularly for small-scale farmers grappling with obstacles in enhancing agricultural yields, especially in tropical soils. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) techniques, employing organic manures like vermicompost and bio-enriched rock phosphate, emerge as recommended solutions. Vermicompost is lauded for its nutrient richness and positive soil health impacts. At the same time, bio-enriched rock phosphate serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional phosphorus fertilisers, specifically tailored for tropical soil conditions. Despite individual studies assessing the effects of vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and soluble fertilisers on plant growth, a comprehensive overview of their combined application is noticeably lacking. To fill this gap, this study employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method to explore the synergies of combining these elements and their impacts on crop production and the environment. This review is among the first to comprehensively summarize the complexities of combining vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and chemical fertilisers on various crops. It thoroughly examines potential advantages, disadvantages, effects on agricultural systems, socio-economic implications, and existing policies governing their usage. Our findings reveal that the combined application of vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and soluble fertilisers leads to significant improvements in plant growth, yield, and soil properties. The optimal impact is observed when vermicompost constitutes 25% and soluble fertiliser comprises 75 or 100% of the recommended fertiliser dosage. Moreover, incorporating a mixture of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) strains in rock phosphate further enhances its positive effects. Despite these positive findings, we identified gaps in comprehensive approaches addressing socio-cultural dimensions and the lack of literature on prevailing policies regarding vermicompost use in agricultural systems highlighting the need for a more holistic understanding of vermicompost incorporation and a better grasp of the institutional frameworks guiding these practices. However, to secure sustainable crop production, farmers need to integrate vermicompost and biofertilisers with chemical fertilisers. In fostering the adoption of sustainable and inclusive 2 agricultural practices on small rural properties, it is advisable to incorporate agricultural education into farmer training programs.
Keywords: sustainable agriculture, organic manures, Mineral fertilizers, crop yield, Soil health
Received: 24 Apr 2024; Accepted: 17 Jul 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Sande, Tindwa, Alovisi, Chitindi and Semoka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Tamara J. Sande, University Zambeze, Beira, Mozambique
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Alessandra T. Alovisi
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