Increasing Tomato Productivity through Integrated Nutrient Sources and Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Azospirillum spp.

Abstract

An open-field experiment was conducted in Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines to investigate the effects of combining chemical fertilizers, vermicompost, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Azospirillum spp.) on the growth, nutrient uptake, and yield of tomato plants. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated four times. The treatments include the recommended rate of chemical fertilizer (RRC) and three integrated nutrient management (INM) strategies. The results revealed that AMF inoculation significantly increased the uptake of P, K, Ca, and Mg while INM 3 recorded the highest N uptake. Treatments with vermicompost application recorded a significantly higher uptake of Cu. INM 1, INM 2, and INM 3 gave a significantly higher fruit yield than the RRC with an increase of 8%, 13%, and 14%, respectively. The percentage of mycorrhizal root colonization and number of rhizosphere spores were higher in mycorrhizal plants. Fruit yield and AMF root colonization were positively correlated with the uptake of several nutrients. INM strategies obtained a higher net income than the current fertilizer recommendation by 4–15%. These findings imply that the INM strategies can increase tomato productivity, reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer inputs, increase profitability, and potentially lead to soil health and environmental benefits.