Field productivity of sorghum and cowpea intercropping is increased by combining farm-made beneficial microorganisms with compost

Farm-made Beneficial Microorganisms (FBM), derived from forest litter, are an alternative to commercially available effective microorganisms. While initial field observations have been promising, scientific validation is required to confirm their effectiveness. A two-year study was conducted in Burkina Faso to evaluate the effects of FBM on soil microbial biomass and the response of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). Six practices were assessed: (i) Control (no fertilization), (ii) Foliar spraying of FBM (FSW), (iii) Simple compost (SC), (iv) Simple compost with foliar FBM (SC + FSW), (v) FBM-enriched compost (EC), and (vi) Enriched compost with foliar spraying of FBM (EC + FSW). Crop growth and yield were recorded, and soil microbial biomass was measured using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method. The lowest total microbial biomass was found in the untreated and FSW plots in both the years. Among microbial groups, only gram-positive soil bacteria were unaffected by the treatments. The combination of compost with FBM significantly improved both crop growth and yield, with compost making the largest contribution. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that foliar application of FBM alone is less effective than when combined with compost.