Effects of Compound Microbial Fertilizer on Soil Characteristics and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivumL.)

In order to find a more efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly chemical fertilizer alternative, we have developed a new type of microbial fertilizer. The reported types of functional microorganisms in biofertilizers are mostly single and concentrated in nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. Here we evaluate the effect of the compound microbial fertilizer with several kinds of functional bacteria. A field experiment was conducted with five treatments (no-fertilization control, regular fertilization 600 kg ha(-1), compound microbial fertilizer 750 kg ha(-1), compound microbial fertilizer 900 kg ha(-1), compound microbial fertilizer 1050 kg ha(-1)). The effects of the compound microbial fertilizer on wheat traits, grain yield, soil physical and chemical properties, and microbial community structure were investigated. The results showed that the compound microbial fertilizer as base fertilizer could not only enhance the contents of soil available phosphorus and available potassium but also enhance the grain yield markedly. The compound microbial fertilizer could affect the microbial community, and the change of the microbial community was more correlated with growth period of wheat. The results established that the compound microbial fertilizer which can reduce part of the amount of chemical fertilizer can enhance wheat yield and the recommended dose of the fertilizer is 750 kg ha(-1)in the study area.