Date Palm Waste Compost Application Increases Soil Microbial Community Diversity in a Cropping Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Field

Abstract

Application of date palm waste compost is quite beneficial in improving soil properties and crop growth. However, the effect of its application on soil microbial communities is less understood. High-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were used to evaluate the effect of compost application on the soil microbial composition in a barley field during the tillering, booting and ripening stages. The results showed that compost treatment had the highest bacterial and fungal abundance, and its application significantly altered the richness (Chao1 index) and α-diversity (Shannon index) of fungal and bacterial communities. The dominant bacterial phyla found in the samples were Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria while the dominant fungal orders were Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota. Interestingly, compost enriched the relative abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Chaetomium, Actinobacteriota, Talaromyces and Mortierella and reduced those of harmful microorganisms such as Alternaria, Aspergillus and Neocosmospora. Functional prediction based on Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) showed that amplicon sequence variant (ASV) sequences related to energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were associated with compost-treated soil. Based on Fungi Functional Guild (FUNGuild), identified fungi community metabolic functions such as wood saprotroph, pathotroph, symbiotroph and endophyte were associated with compost-treated soil. Overall, compost addition could be considered as a sustainable practice for establishing a healthy soil microbiome and subsequently improving the soil quality and barley crop production.

Circular Economy Approaches in the Palm Oil Industry: Enhancing Profitability through Waste Reduction and Product Diversification

“…However, elongation at break decreased with most increased fiber content levels. This balance between tensile strength and morphology, underlined by the SEM findings, emphasizes the critical importance of precise fiber treatments [121,122] and loading levels in developing sustainable bioplastics. Another study developed natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites using two different sizes of EFB fibers (605 μm and 633 μm) and acrylic thermoplastic resin.…”

“…Furthermore, EFB fibers are composted into nutrient-rich fertilizers, enhancing sustainable agriculture practices [121,122], and used in the production of green materials and biomaterials [123,124]. The morphology of palm oil flower and fruit fibers was studied using scanning electron microscopy, revealing distinct characteristics (Figure 4(a)-(d)).…”

Using Date Palm Residues to Improve Soil Properties: The Case of Compost and Biochar

“…In terms of the microbiological context, the tested sandy soil exhibited a higher organic carbon content, and all treatments (chicken manure compost and composted date palm tree wastes) showed an increase in the number of microorganisms compared to the control [132]. Ghouili et al (2023) [295] demonstrated that the application of date palm waste compost significantly improved soil microbial diversity and richness during the tillering, booting, and maturing stages of barley growth. In particular, palm compost fertilization significantly raised the fungal richness and diversity indices relative to the control, while the bacterial richness and diversity indices decreased significantly.…”