ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Terrestrial Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1608689
This article is part of the Research TopicMicrobial Solutions for Restoring Depleted SoilsView all 7 articles
Synergistic effects of beneficial microbial inoculants and SMSamendments on improving soil properties and Pinus seedling growth in degraded soils
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- 2Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
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Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a promising organic amendment for remediating degraded soils, yet its effectiveness is often limited by poor compost maturity and stability. This study aimed to enhance the quality and functionality of SMS compost through microbial inoculation and to evaluate its impact on soil improvement and plant growth. Three plant growth-promoting strains (Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Azotobacter chroococcum (A. chroococcum), and Paenibacillus mucilaginosus (P. mucilaginosus)) and their combination as a mixed microbial inoculant (MMI) were used in composting. Subsequent pot experiments assessed changes in soil physicochemical properties, nutrient levels, microbial diversity, and the growth of Pinus sylvestris seedlings. Results showed that SMS amended with MMI significantly improved soil porosity, pH, and nutrient content, while enriching beneficial microbial communities dominated by Proteobacteria and Basidiomycota.Moreover, MMI treatment notably enhanced plant height, stem diameter, and chlorophyll content compared to control treatments. These findings highlight the synergistic effect of mixed microbial inoculants in optimizing SMS compost and promoting soil and plant health. The approach offers a sustainable strategy for the circular reuse of agricultural waste and effective restoration of degraded soils.
Keywords: Degraded soil, Soil remediation, Waste composting, mixed microbial inoculant, physicochemical properties, Microbial Diversity
Received: 09 Apr 2025; Accepted: 31 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bo, Zhang, Su, Miao and Liu. 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: Yong Liu, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
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