Scientists in Ferrara, Italy, have conducted a study using microbial biofertilizers and algae-based biostimulants instead of synthetic fertilizers on tomato crops — and the results were very promising, according to a Society of Chemical Industry writeup via Phys.org.
The results of the study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, found that the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms and algae-based biostimulants improved both the yield and quality of a crop of tomato plants.
This is a major discovery because synthetic fertilizers — relied on heavily by farmers around the world — are a growing problem for our planet. Its overuse has led to runoff that contaminates nearby water sources, contributing to algae blooms that harm wildlife, as the Union of Concerned Scientists has detailed.
In addition, synthetic fertilizers are expensive, a cost that farmers are increasingly unable to bear as they have to deal with more and more of the climate problems caused by the ongoing overheating of our planet.
Widespread droughts, in particular, have made it difficult or near impossible to grow many types of crops in areas where they have long thrived. (The scientists behind the study stressed that further research was needed to see how the biofertilizers would perform under drought conditions.)
"The adoption of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria has become an important strategy in sustainable agriculture due to the possibility of reducing synthetic fertilizers, promoting plant growth and health and enhancing soil quality," the study's authors wrote.
Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, have been used for basically all of human agricultural history — and, according to the new study, could conceivably be relied upon again on a massive scale in place of the synthetic ones.
"There is an urgent need to develop sustainable agroecosystems that can ensure sufficient crop yield over a long-term period," said Emanuele Radicetti, an associate professor at the University of Ferrara and corresponding author of the study, per the Phys.org post.
"Biofertilizers are gradually emerging as a promising, nature-based alternative that reduces agroecosystem inputs by enhancing organism interactions."
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