Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXV, Issue 1
Written by Roxana CICEOI, Aurora DOBRIN, Andrei MOŢ, Cristina FĂTU, Mihaela-Monica DINU
The sustainable management of agroecosystems and its resistance to pests in the context of climate change strongly depend on soil health. The soil is a living and dynamic ecosystem, maintaining nutrient cycling, providing water, oxygen, nutrients, and root support for crop plants, controlling plant diseases, insect and weed pests. One of the eco-friendly alternatives for sustainable production is the use of entomopathogenic fungi, providing multiple ecosystem services, as plant protection, promotion of plant growth, improving the nutrient uptake etc. Entomopathogenic fungi are also considered as indicators of soil health. In the present study we aim to evaluate the effect of inoculants based on Beauveria bassiana on micro- and macroelements content and soil mycoflora, in an organic tomato crop, in Buzău, România. The soil samples were taken in 2020, from 0-20 cm depth, and analyzed microbiologically and for nutrients content. The results showed that fungi inoculation has a variable, minor, influence on nutrients accumulation on short term, but higher impact on soil fungi communities. Further studies are required to establish the implications on medium and long term.
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