Increased drought stress is anticipated to impact crop productivity adversely, mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Drought-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have emerged as a ray of hope as an effective bio-enhancer and sustainable strategy for agriculture under water-deficit and recovery conditions to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and improve soil fertility. Keeping this in view, a field experiment was conducted to check the effectiveness of commercial bio-fertilizers Phosphorine, Microbine, Potassiumag individually, or in combination with organic fertilizer (compost), and natural mineral rock (rock phosphate), as a substituent of chemical fertilizer. Two drip irrigation schedules W1 (100%) and W2 (60% of field capacity FC) were applied to evaluate growth and biochemical traits of Moringa oleifera under varying biofertilizer inputs. The highest values of plant growth under W1 were recorded in the plants amended with BioMix1 (Microbine mixed with rock phosphate and compost), plant height (150 cm), number of branch plant−1 (19), plant dry weight (203 g). On the other hand, individual application of Potassiumag (Bio3) showed the highest of plant growth under W2 water scheduling, with plant height (130 cm), number of branch plant−1 (17), plant dry weight (137 g). The present work evaluated a broad range of both non-enzymatic antioxidant components including phenolics, proline, ascorbate and carotenoids, in addition to peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) enzymes. Microbine with compost and rock phosphate improved Moringa oleifera yield and quality at 100% FC, while Potassiumag followed by Phosphorine sustained growth under drought 60%FC.
Abstract. Harwanto, Purwanti EW, Sunaryono JG, Wandansari NR. 2026. Plant-based elicitor improves nutrient efficiency and sustains rice yield under reduced fertilizer in a one-season field study. Asian J Agric 10 (1): g100179. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjagric/g100179. Excessive dependence on chemical fertilizers raises environmental concerns and reduces long-term soil fertility. A plant-based elicitor containing bioactive compounds (flavonoids, phenols, tannins) and phytohormones (IAA, cytokinins, gibberellins) such as Biosaka, has been promising elicitors to enhance nutrient efficiency and crop resilience. A field experiment was conducted in East Java, Indonesia, using a randomized block design with five treatments: 100% inorganic fertilizer (control), 100% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka, 75% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka, 50% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka, and 25% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka. Each treatment was replicated four times. Variables measured included plant growth, yield components, straw nutrient content (N, P, K), and soil chemical properties (pH, organic C, available N, P, K). The combination of 50% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka maintained straw nitrogen comparable to full fertilizer and resulted in higher straw phosphorus content. The combination of 100% inorganic fertilizer + Biosaka produced the highest straw Kalium (0.53%) and milled rice weight (454.41 g 2 m-2). Biosaka treatments were associated with higher soil pH (6.30), organic carbon (0.99%), and available N and K compared to non-Biosaka treatments. Biosaka supplements have not compensated for the nutrient deficiency in the treatments with excessive fertilizer reduction (≤25%). It resulted in lower nutrient content and reduced milled rice weight (265.09 g 2 m-2). This study provides novel evidence that integrating Biosaka treatment with 50% inorganic fertilizer can sustain rice yield equivalently to the conventional 100% inorganic fertilizer application.
Harwanto Harwanto, Eny Wahyuning Purwanti, Joko Gagung Sunaryono et al.· Asian Journal of Agriculture· 0 citations
Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) is a short-duration pulse crop of global importance, valued for its nutritional quality, nitrogen-fixing ability, and adaptability to semi-arid climates. In Afghanistan, particularly under Kabul agro-climatic conditions, productivity remains below global averages due to poor soil fertility, limited access to improved varieties, and inadequate nutrient management. This review synthesizes recent evidence (2022–2026) on organic and inorganic fertilizer practices in mung bean cultivation. Organic amendments such as poultry manure at higher application rates (8–10 t ha⁻¹) significantly enhance vegetative growth, pod formation, and grain yield [1,2,4]. Inorganic NPK fertilizers provide immediate nutrient availability but risk long-term soil degradation if applied alone [3,6]. Integrated nutrient management (INM), combining mineral fertilizers with organic inputs, improves soil fertility, microbial activity, and sustainability, offering superior productivity outcomes [7,11,12]. Improved varieties such as Enam demonstrate positive responses under INM strategies, underscoring the importance of genotype × environment × management interactions [2,5,9]. Recent studies highlight biofertilizers and micronutrient supplementation as promising approaches to further enhance nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and seed quality [3,8,10]. Key research gaps remain in varietal performance, soil fertility constraints, and region-specific INM practices. Adoption of integrated fertilizer management can substantially improve mung bean productivity and soil health in Kabul and similar semi-arid regions, contributing to food security and sustainable agriculture.
Shafiullah Mohmand, Prof. Mohammad Hamid Osmankhil· International Journal of Cur...· 0 citations
Sandy soils are widely distributed in Egypt and are characterized by poor physical properties and a limited capacity to retain irrigation water and nutrients, which severely constrains agricultural productivity. Addressing these limitations has become increasingly critical to ensure sustainable crop production under arid and semi-arid conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of biochar as a soil amendment for improving growth performance, yield, nutrient accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, and essential oil production of Mentha spicata cultivated under sandy soil conditions over two successive seasons (2024–2025). The field experiment consisted of four treatments: untreated control, NPK at 5 g L-1, biochar at 12.5 ton ha-1, and combined NPK (5 g L-1) and biochar (12.5 ton ha-1). The results showed that biochar application, either alone or in combination with mineral fertilizer, significantly improved all vegetative growth parameters, fresh and dry herbage yields, essential oil percentage and yield, leaf macronutrient content (N, P, and K), and chlorophyll b concentration. Biochar applied alone consistently outperformed mineral fertilizer alone, while the combined biochar–NPK treatment produced the highest values for all measured traits, with improvements exceeding the additive effects of individual applications. These enhancements were closely associated with increased nutrient accumulation and improved nutrient use efficiency, reflecting the ability of biochar to retain nutrients, reduce leaching losses, and synchronize nutrient availability with plant demand. The synergistic interaction between biochar and mineral fertilization highlights the potential of biochar as a sustainable soil amendment for improving productivity, quality, and resource-use efficiency of mint grown in low-fertility sandy soils.
Y. Soliman, W. Soliman· Scientific Reports· 0 citations