Increasing the income of crop growers per unit area and restoring the fertility of marginal soils are major challenges of agricultural sustainability in the Indian agrarian economy. This study investigates the benefits of plant communities consisting of Indian licorice (Abrus precatorius L.), stevia (Stevia rebaudiana B.), chilli (Capsicum annum L.), and a microbial consortium of four plant growth-promoting bacteria and fungi (Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus firmus, Aspergillus luchuensis, and Aspergillus tamarii) on production of plant biomass, income of growers, and its ability to improve soil fertility over a 2 year period. The three crop species were planted in all possible groupings at one, two, and three species diversity levels with three replication and two treatments, that is, with plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM) and without PGPM. The maximum increases in biomass (6.8 mega gram ha⁻¹) and aboveground carbon sequestration (3.2 mega gram ha⁻¹) were found for the three species diversity level of LSC (Indian licorice–stevia–chilli) plus PGPM. The highest belowground carbon sequestration (35 mega gram ha⁻¹) and maximum soil fertility benefits [for example, pH (1.16-times), electrical conductivity (7.53-times), bulk density (1.84-times), soil total organic carbon (3.99-times), available nitrogen (5.95-times), dehydrogenase (6.16-times), microbial biomass carbon (4.06-times), and colony-forming units (4.44-times)] were recorded at the two species diversity level of LC (Indian licorice-chilli) with and without PGPM, compared with the soil properties before cultivation of these plants/additives. The highest net income (9.9 Lac ha⁻¹ yr⁻²) was estimated for the two species diversity level (LS) plus addition of PGPM.

中文翻译：

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物种多样性水平和微生物群落对生物量产量、净经济收益和边际土地肥力的影响

增加作物种植者单位面积的收入和恢复边缘土壤的肥力是印度农业经济中农业可持续性的主要挑战。本研究调查了由印度甘草 ( Abrus precatorius L.)、甜叶菊 ( Stevia rebaudiana B.)、辣椒 ( Capsicum annum L.) 和四种植物生长促进细菌和真菌 (芽孢杆菌) 组成的微生物群落的益处。假蕈类、硬芽孢杆菌、芦竹曲霉和塔马里曲霉) 关于植物生物量的生产、种植者的收入及其在 2 年内提高土壤肥力的能力。三种作物物种在所有可能的分组中以一种、两种和三种物种多样性水平种植，具有三种复制和两种处理，即使用植物生长促进微生物 (PGPM) 和不使用 PGPM。对于 LSC（印度甘草-甜叶菊-辣椒）加 PGPM 的三个物种多样性水平，发现生物量（6.8 兆克 ha ^-1）和地上碳封存（3.2 兆克 ha ^{-1 ）的最大增加。}最高的地下碳封存（35 兆克公顷^-1) 和最大的土壤肥力效益 [例如，pH（1.16 倍）、电导率（7.53 倍）、容重（1.84 倍）、土壤总有机碳（3.99 倍）、有效氮（5.95 倍） , 脱氢酶 (6.16 倍), 微生物生物量碳 (4.06 倍), 和菌落形成单位 (4.44 倍)] 在有和没有 PGPM 的 LC (印度甘草-辣椒) 的两个物种多样性水平上记录, 比较与这些植物/添加剂种植前的土壤特性。最高净收入（9.9 Lac ha ^-1 yr ^-2）估计为两个物种多样性水平（LS）加上 PGPM。