ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Agroecology and Ecosystem Services
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovative Approaches in Agroecology and Ecosystem Services for Transformative Sustainable Food SystemsView all 7 articles
Synergistic Effects of Integrating Date Palm Biochar, Compost, and Compost Tea: An Agroecological Approach to Enhancing Tomato Growth and Soil Fertility
Provisionally accepted
- 1Ecole Nationale d'Agriculture de Meknès, Meknès, Morocco
- 2Universite Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Faculte des Sciences et Techniques de Fes, Fes, Morocco
- 3Universite Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
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This study investigated the synergistic effects of integrating date palm biochar, compost, and compost tea on soil fertility, microbial activity, and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Roma') growth under controlled conditions within an agroecological framework. Five treatments were tested: control soil, compost tea, date palm biochar with compost tea, compost with compost tea, and a combination of date palm biochar, compost, and compost tea. The combined application of date palm biochar, compost, and compost tea resulted in the most pronounced improvements in soil properties, including a 51.9% increase in organic carbon, a 2.1% increase in total nitrogen, and enhanced cation exchange capacity. Soil enzymatic activities, such as those of β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease, increased significantly, reflecting improved nutrient cycling. The microbial populations, comprising bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, were also significantly higher in the amended soils. These enhancements corresponded with superior plant growth, with higher leaf nutrient concentrations of nitrogen (2.19%), phosphorus (0.53%), and potassium (4.64%), increased plant height and stem diameter, higher biomass accumulation, and improved chlorophyll content, underscoring the potential of these amendments in optimizing plant growth. Our findings highlight the potential of date palm biochar, compost, and compost tea as sustainable alternatives to conventional fertilizers. This integrated organic amendment strategy exemplifies a key agroecological practice by simultaneously enhancing nutrient cycling, stimulating microbial activity, and improving plant performance. As the first study to demonstrate the synergistic potential of this specific triple-amendment strategy, it provides a novel, integrated management practice for enhancing tomato production and soil quality. Further research is needed to validate these findings under field conditions across diverse agroecological systems.
Keywords: Date palm biochar, Compost, compost tea, Soil enzymes, microbial activity, Solanum lycopersicum, soil fertility, agroecology
Received: 06 Aug 2025; Accepted: 02 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rehali, Bouchboua, El Ghachtouli, Boutagayout and Bouamri. 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: Mariyem Rehali
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