Archives of Agriculture Research and Technology
[ ISSN : 2832-8639 ]
Improving Productivity of Small Farmers by Bio-Rational Soil Management: II. The Case of Horticultural Crops
1Private Consultant and Technical Manager of Agro Innovation Co. in Lima, Peru
2Integrated Crop Management, Foundation for Promotion and Research of Andean Products (PROINPA),
Cochabamba, Bolivia
Corresponding Authors
Keywords
Abstract
Production of horticultural crops in the Andean region of Bolivia is low as a result of various abiotic and biotic soil constraints, and the recourse to pesticides and fertilizers is frequently too expensive. Agricultural soils in this region of Bolivia are generally characterized by a low fertility with low content of organic matter and yields of most crops are limited. Therefore, it was proposed a recycling of organic waste into compost and the use of natural microbial soil inhabitants, - AMF and PGPR - to reduce chemical–dependence of small-scale agriculturists Several field trials located in Cochabamba department (Bolivia) with different horticultural crops were conducted. After four years. farmers are able to prepare with post-harvest organic residues and animal manures their own compost for its field incorporation at planting time (7-10 t/ ha). Several native isolates of PGPR and AMF were identified (B. amyloliquefaciens & G. intraradices, respectively). However with a commercial B. subtilis product (BZF 24WP), which later on was locally multiplied and formulated, and a Bolivian commercial mycorrhiza of G. fasciculatum (DESAmic), a biofertilizer was formulated and evaluated in several trials with different horticultural and orchard crops in farmer fields showed both plant growth promoting effect (horticultural and orchard crops:42.0 to 98.0 %). It was also observed a suppressive/inhibitory soil borne diseases effect. Therefore, it was also showed that micro-scale composting production based on organic waste from rural post-harvest residues in combination with animal manures, represent an alternative to chemical fertilizers