MSB_2025v16n3

Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 103-113 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 108 5.2 Enhanced microbial activity and soil food web restoration Adding microbial agents and organic materials can greatly increase the activity and variety of microorganisms in the soil. After using organic agents such as "Jeevamrit", the number of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes will increase, which can help restore the soil's micro-ecosystem (Lohia et al., 2024). Deep tillage combined with biological organic fertilizers can also increase the number of growth-promoting bacteria, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and make soil enzymes more active (Chen et al., 2020). The use of microbial agents can also increase the microbial carbon content and nitrification capacity in the soil, helping to optimize the microbial community structure (Prasanna et al., 2016). After virus removal treatment, the roots of chrysanthemum will secrete more substances, which can attract more beneficial microorganisms to gather near the roots (Yang et al., 2022). Planting with other crops (such as intercropping) can also increase the number of good bacteria in the soil and make the relationship network between microorganisms healthier (Liao et al., 2024). 5.3 pH regulation, organic matter buildup, and improved water-holding capacity Ecological materials such as rice husks and leaf humus can be used as soil substrates to help the soil maintain a suitable pH and avoid acidification or salinization (Liu et al., 2023). At the same time, using wastewater for irrigation or adding organic fertilizers can also increase the organic carbon in the soil, make the soil structure more stable, and improve water retention (Yang et al., 2022; Gurjar et al., 2023). If organic fertilizers and biological fertilizers are used together, the soil can accumulate more organic matter and the overall physical and chemical state will also improve (Ardebili and Sharifi, 2018; Pandey et al., 2018). 5.4 Suppression of soil-borne pathogens Eco-friendly practices can also help reduce harmful pathogens in the soil. Deep tillage combined with biological organic fertilizers and soil fumigation can reduce the number of pathogens and make good bacteria dominate in the soil, so that there will be fewer problems with continuous cropping (Chen et al., 2020). Adding microbial agents such as Trichoderma and nitrogen-fixing bacteria can not only increase the activity of defense enzymes in the soil, but also enhance disease resistance (Prasanna et al., 2016). Intercropping can also indirectly inhibit the spread of pathogens by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria (Liao et al., 2024). 6 Effectiveness of Eco-Friendly Techniques in Chrysanthemum Cultivation 6.1 Growth and yield metrics (flower number, size, plant height) Using organic fertilizers (such as bio-organic fertilizers, vermicompost, jeevamrit, etc.) and a reasonable substrate combination can make chrysanthemum grow faster, bloom more, and have higher yields. Studies have found that jeevamrit treatment (T6 and T7) can significantly increase yields (Lohia et al., 2024). Another approach is to use vermicompost and microbial strains together, so that the chrysanthemums grown in this way grow stronger and have more flowers (Khan et al., 2020). If a reasonable soil preparation method is used, such as mixing coconut bran, peat moss, perlite and pine needles in a ratio of 2:4:2:2, the plants can also be made taller, the flowers larger, and the number of flowers can also be increased (Lu et al., 2024). NPK fertilizers can also be used in a drip irrigation manner to effectively increase the diameter, number and weight of flower buds (Choudhary et al., 2022). 6.2 Improvement in soil physicochemical parameters Eco-friendly practices, such as using jeevamrit or organic fertilizers, can increase the number of good bacteria in the soil, such as bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, and can also increase the total amount and activity of soil microorganisms and improve fertility (Lohia et al., 2024; Pathania et al., 2024). If organic fertilizers and microbial agents are used together, the main nutrients such as organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil will increase, and the soil micro-ecosystem will become healthier (Khan et al., 2020; Choudhary et al., 2022). Overall, organic fertilization has a significant effect on increasing soil activity and improving soil fertility, laying the foundation for long-term cultivation (Pathania et al., 2024). 6.3 Resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses The resistance of chrysanthemum to pests can be improved through hybrid breeding and regulating the odor released by plants. Studies have found that hybrids of aromatic wild chrysanthemums are particularly resistant to aphids, and they can also release some odor substances (such as cis-4-thujanol), which can effectively drive away

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