Summary
This large-scale on-farm study across 54 Swiss fields demonstrates that soil microbiome indicators can reliably predict maize growth responses to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation, with pathogenic fungal abundance being the single strongest predictor of inoculation success. The highly variable response (−12% to +40%) was largely explained by pre-inoculation microbiome composition rather than nutrient availability, suggesting that soil microbiome profiling at the start of the growing season could improve the profitability and predictability of microbiome engineering as a sustainable agricultural tool.
UK applicability
The findings are potentially applicable to UK arable cereal production, though soil microbiome composition and climate conditions may differ between Switzerland and UK regions, requiring validation in British field conditions before routine adoption. The approach could support UK efforts to reduce mineral fertiliser and pesticide use in line with environmental and agricultural policy objectives.
Key measures
Maize growth response to AMF inoculation (percentage change); soil microbiome composition and abundance; pathogenic fungal abundance; soil nutrient parameters; predictive model accuracy (86% of variation explained)
Outcomes reported
The study quantified maize growth response to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation across 54 field trials in Switzerland, with responses ranging from −12% to +40%. Soil microbiome indicators were used to predict variation in plant growth response to inoculation.
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