Changes in Soil Properties with Combined Use of Probiotic Cultures and Organic Farming Practices in Degraded Soils of Bangladesh

Abstract

A shift in agricultural management from chemical to organic practices is expected to reduce environmental hazards and improve soil health and productivity in Bangladesh. To increase knowledge of the impact of probiotic cultures and organic farming practices on the physical and chemical properties of Bangladeshi soils, an investigation was carried out during the period from July 2016 to June 2019. The study included nine treatments using combinations of probiotic cultures and organic farming practices. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The probiotic cultures and organic practices increased soil moisture content, porosity and silt particle and decreased bulk density, particle density and sand particles. The organic matter content (11.66%), nutrient availability and electrical conductivity (8.96%) increased with the organic practices, while pH of the soil decreased. The largest significant change in the physical properties (p ≤ 0.05) was in the compost + vermicompost + green manuring treatment, while for chemical properties this was in the poultry manure + vermicompost + green manuring. These findings suggest that the above combinations of organic treatments provide most benefit to the soils of the practices considered.