Rotación de cultivos y aplicación de Microorganismos Promotores del Crecimiento Vegetal permiten reducir la fertilización química en cultivosde hortícolas

Abstract

The region of Campo de Cartagena is a reference for intensive horticulture, which represents an"economic engine" for the Region of Murcia. However, it faces agricultural problems such as the deficitof nutrients and soil biodiversity, pests, and diseases. Moreover, European Commission programs aimto reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers by 50% by 2030, but farmers lack the essential tools.Therefore, it is important to investigate novel strategies to switch from traditional agriculturalpractices to more sustainable ones. This three-year study aimed to reduce chemical fertilizer use (up to50%), improve profitability, and increase sustainability through proper rotation and application ofPlant growth-promoting microorganism (PGPM) formulations. The impact of crop rotation, reducedfertilization, and PGPM application and their interactions on crop growth, yield, and quality wereexamined. A potato crop planted between December and June of the 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 seasonswas intercropped with a rotation that included a broccoli cultivar (var. Parthenon) between October and January 2021/2022 and a melon crop (var. Paredes F1) between March and July 2022. The trialdesign consisted of four treatments: a) F100 (conventional fertilization); b) BA+FU (nutrientsolubilizing fungi and bacteria + 30% or 50% nutrient reduction); c) F100 (conventional fertilization);d) BA+FU (nutrient solubilizing fungi and bacteria + 30% or 50% nutrient reduction). The resultsobtained demonstrate that the use of biofertilizers together with an adequate crop rotation can reducemineral fertilization in horticultural crops while preserving yield, crop, and soil quality.