article · American Journal of Plant Sciences
Field trials conducted over two consecutive years in Baboutcha-Fongam, West Cameroon, evaluated the performance of indigenous microorganism fertilisers, effective microorganism fertilisers, and conventional NPK mineral fertiliser on two local varieties of groundnut. Testing doses of zero, 10, 20, and 40 grams of the biofertilisers alongside a 3.2-gram NPK treatment demonstrated that all amendments enhanced crop yield and nutritional values relative to unfertilised controls. Yields achieved with 20 grams of effective microorganisms were comparable to those achieved using standard mineral fertiliser. However, applying 10 grams of indigenous microorganisms produced significantly higher yields across both groundnut varieties, reaching 2.65 and 2.24 tonnes per hectare. Because indigenous microorganisms are locally derived, they are already adapted to local conditions and present a viable biological approach for improving soil fertility.
Groundnut is an important crop, but reliance on synthetic mineral fertilisers can be costly and environmentally damaging. Demonstrating that small amounts of locally adapted, indigenous microbial fertilisers can outperform commercial mineral inputs provides a pathway to boost crop yields and enhance nutritional quality using accessible, biologically sustainable soil management practices.
This research provides applied field evidence of a biofertiliser alternative to chemical inputs for groundnut farmers. Agricultural input producers and farming cooperatives could formulate and distribute locally sourced indigenous microorganism treatments to improve yields. While the findings represent applied and tested field research, broader commercialisation would require clear production standards and larger-scale regional validation.
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This study was carried out with the aim of investigating the effect of indigenous microorganism (IMO), effective (EM) and mineral fertilizers (NPK) on the yield and nutritional value of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) in Western Cameroon (Baboutcha-Fongam). The study was conducted during two consecutive years, using a completely randomized block design of 8 treatments repeated three times in each subblock. The sub-plots were enriched with 0, 10, 20 and 40 g corresponding to the treatment of EM and IMO respectively and 3.2 g of NPK in 2019. Subsequently, the best dose that resulted in excellent yields was repeated for the rest of the experiment in 2020. The yield parameters and nutritional value of the two varieties of Arachis hypogaea used in the two consecutive years increase with the contribution of the different doses compared to the control. Overall, a significant increase (p A. hypogaea plants fertilized with EM 20 g (2.15 ± 0.24 and 2.01 ± 0.23 t/ha) and plants fertilized with NPK 3.2 g (2.36 ± 0.65 and 2.04 ± 0.17 t/ha) was not significant. On the other hand, there was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) between plants fertilized with IMO 10 g (2.65 ± 0.17 and 2.24 ± 0.2 t/ha) and plants fertilized with EM 20 g and plants fertilized with NPK 3.2 g for both varieties during the two years combined. In addition to being local and therefore adapted to environmental conditions, IMOs could be a promising biological means for improving soil fertility in Cameroon.
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DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2025.162018
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