Using Biogation to Increase Peanuts and Soil Productivity

Abstract Innovative biogation techniques can be an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional irrigation and fertilization practices. Hence, this paper discusses the effect of microbial inoculation through different modern irrigation systems on peanuts, sandy soil productivity and irrigation systems. To the best of our knowledge, this approach has not been previously applied under drip irrigation system and during the crop’s physiological stages. An open field experiment was conducted in thirty-six controlled lysimeter containers with prepared sandy soil during the 2021–2022 growing seasons at the Dokki side, belongs to the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate, Agricultural Research Center, Giza Governorate, Egypt. The objective was to evaluate a new technique of continuous supply of bio-fertilizers (Mycorrhizal or Yeast) within the effective root zone of peanuts during the different critical physiological stages, through drip irrigation systems (surface or subsurface), compared to traditional techniques directly to the soil or without. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with four replicates to evaluate the performance of biogation on soil characteristics, growth, quantity and quality of Peanut crop, beside the post-application irrigation systems. Biogation techniques using surface and subsurface drip irrigation significantly enhanced the efficiency of bio-fertilizer application, resulting in improved soil health and peanuts productivity with superiority 24.2% over traditional techniques. The results confirmed the hypothesis, biogation techniques can significantly improve soil health and crop productivity, opening up prospects for supporting agricultural production sustainability, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, further studies are needed to examine biogation techniques under different conditions.