Jie Yin1, Ling Yuan1, Jianguo Huang1. 1. College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
Abstract
The overuse of chemical nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers in tomato cultivation is common for high fruit yields to meet the ever-increasing industrial needs, resulting in poor fruit quality, fertilizer waste, and environmental pollution. Nutrient-mobilizing microbes increase soil nutrient supply and decrease fertilizer use without yield sacrifices. Thus, the influence of a new white-rot fungus Ceriporia lacerata HG2011 was studied on soil N and P mobilization in lab and ketchup tomato performances in field. Compared with noninoculation, soil pH decreased, while ammonia (NH4+-N), available P, microbial biomass N and P, and activities of protease and phosphatase in the inoculated soil increased as the fungus grew on and in the sterile soil. Protease activity was positively correlated with NH4+-N and phosphatase activity was with water-soluble P and Olsen P in the sterile soil. Soil pH showed an inverse correlation with available P. In the field experiment, the treatments included a blank control, C. lacerata, chemical fertilizers, and chemical fertilizers plus C. lacerata. Fungal inoculation enhanced the available N and P and the activities of protease and phosphatase in both fertilized and unfertilized soils, leading to the increment of plant nutrient uptake. Fungal application increased the fruit yield by 18.18-20.16%, soluble solids by 3.17-6.30%, soluble sugar by 10.67-43.33%, sugar-acid ratio 20.19-52.91%, and vitamin C by 8.83-34.90%. Therefore, our results first demonstrated the new functions of C. lacerata HG2011 in the mobilization of soil N and P and the improvement of plant nutrient uptake, yield, and quality, showing a potential use as biofertilizers in ketchup-processing tomato cultivation.
The overuse of chemical nitrogen (N) and n>an class="Chemical">phosphorus (P) fertilizers in tomato cultivation is common for high fruit yields to meet the ever-increasing industrial needs, resulting in poor fruit quality, fertilizer waste, and environmental pollution. Nutrient-mobilizing microbes increase soil nutrient supply and decrease fertilizer use without yield sacrifices. Thus, the influence of a new white-rot fungus Ceriporia lacerata HG2011 was studied on soil N and P mobilization in lab and ketchup tomato performances in field. Compared with noninoculation, soil pH decreased, while ammonia (NH4+-N), available P, microbial biomass N and P, and activities of protease and phosphatase in the inoculated soil increased as the fungus grew on and in the sterile soil. Protease activity was positively correlated with NH4+-N and phosphatase activity was with water-soluble P and Olsen P in the sterile soil. Soil pH showed an inverse correlation with available P. In the field experiment, the treatments included a blank control, C. lacerata, chemical fertilizers, and chemical fertilizers plus C. lacerata. Fungal inoculation enhanced the available N and P and the activities of protease and phosphatase in both fertilized and unfertilized soils, leading to the increment of plant nutrient uptake. Fungal application increased the fruit yield by 18.18-20.16%, soluble solids by 3.17-6.30%, soluble sugar by 10.67-43.33%, sugar-acid ratio 20.19-52.91%, and vitamin C by 8.83-34.90%. Therefore, our results first demonstrated the new functions of C. lacerataHG2011 in the mobilization of soil N and P and the improvement of plant nutrient uptake, yield, and quality, showing a potential use as biofertilizers in ketchup-processing tomato cultivation.