Organic inputs constitute an alternative way to replace or reduce the use of agrochemicals in order to increase sustainability and reduce negative impacts of agriculture on the environment. A consistent determination of average yields obtained with organic fertilizers in comparison to synthetic fertilizers is necessary to assess their potential in both commercial and organic agriculture. To achieve this goal, a meta-analysis of existing scientific data of yields obtained with digestate or compost tea fertilization was performed. After a systematic bibliographic search of scientific publications, 35 final papers remained from >1000 initial results. Data of crop yield with digestate or compost tea fertilization, as well as control and synthetic fertilizer treatments, were extracted from the selected articles and used to calculate response ratios (ratios of means), obtaining 106 observations. The meta-analysis showed that digestate fertilization produced yields 80% higher than the control. Yields were statistically similar to those obtained with conventional treatments with chemical fertilization (only 2% lower in average). The results for digestate are considered robust as the significance did not change after conducting publication bias analyses. However, the high heterogeneity observed suggests the existence of explanatory variables accounting for part of the observed dispersion. Subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the variation of the results of digestate across crop species and field or greenhouse experiments, while compost teas did not present adequate data quantity to obtain reliable results. According to this meta-analysis, anaerobic digestate had an acceptable performance as fertilizer for several crops at a reported application rate ranging from 100 to 480 kg N ha⁻¹. Regarding compost tea, yields were 92% higher than the control and 10% lower than synthetic fertilization treatments, although more information is required to draw a conclusive result due to the low number of observations of this fertilizer. Further investigation is necessary to understand yield variations under different scenarios to study the influence of secondary variables and to propose management measures for producers.

Bioslurries, obtained by anaerobic digestion of fresh organic matter, are emerging as a cheaper and low-impact alternative for synthetic products in agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate bioslurry obtained from biogas digestion (Biog), bioslurry for plant nutrition by FAO (Bfao), and lactic fermentation (Blac) as biostimulant in tomato and lettuce plants. Based on a toxicity test, a 10% dilution was finally applied to the plants. In lettuce, Bfao and Blac significantly increased aerial biomass (2.17 ±0.54 and 2.33 ±1.13 g respectively), regarding water control (1.16 ±0.60 g), while root biomass was only increased by Bfao (1.60 ±0.44 g) compared to control (0.66 ±0.34 g). All digestates increased chlorophyll content index (CCI), while yield (Fv/Fm) and performance index (Plabs) did not show differences with water control. In tomato, only aerial biomass was significantly increased by Bfao. All digestates significantly increased CCI, while Fv/Fm was only significantly higher in Bfao and Blac, related to water control. PIabs showed no differences. In both plant species, commercial fertilizer showed significantly higher values for all parameters. In conclusion, all digestates stimulated plant growth, Bfao showed the highest effect on tomatoes and lettuce biomass followed by Blac and Biog, being a cheaper, safer and lower-impact alternative for traditional products for crop growing. Highlights

The present study tested the effect of aerated (AM), non-aerated (NAM), a 1:1 combination of both compost teas (A-NAM), and bioslurry (B) as bio-fertilizers in two ornamental plants growing in different substrates. The present study aimed to evaluate the products as biostimulants in ornamental plants. Compost teas were brewed from a composted mixture of residues, while bioslurry was prepared, with fresh material and no aeration. Two ornamental plant species were used: Petunia hybrida and Impatiens walleriana. Experimental presented a completely randomized factorial design, with two factors: Biostimulants with 6 levels: AM, NAM, A-NAM, B, F (traditional fertilizer), and H₂O (control); and Substrate, with 3 levels: sand, commercial, and compost. Bio-inputs presented variable properties and effects on plant growth, with significant interaction between factors. In sand, no effect of bioproducts on plant biomass, SPAD index and pigments content were observed. In compost, B significantly increased I. walleriana and P. hybrida dry biomass (1.75 ± 0.42 g and 1.54 ± 0.28 g, respect to 1.33 ± 0.18 g for H₂O), while in the commercial substrate, only in P. hybrida (1.35 ± 0.44 g, regarding 0.42 ± 0.11 g for H₂O). All bio-inputs increased pigments content of both plant species in all substrates. To our knowledge, this is the first record that B was tested, which increased plant biomass at similar values to traditional fertilizer. We demonstrated that the biostimulants brewed from organic residues might present the same performance as commercial fertilizers.

Prior to the industrialisation of winemaking, spontaneous fermentation was the only option available to wineries, relying exclusively on native micro-organisms from the vineyard due to the absence of commercial inoculants. While nowadays inoculation is a practical choice for industrial-scale producers, small wineries aiming to craft distinctive wines can benefit from the complexity and uniqueness of spontaneous fermentation. However, the unpredictable interactions among the diverse community of bacteria and fungi during fermentation pose significant challenges. Understanding these microbial interactions is essential for making informed winemaking decisions. In this study, we analysed the microbiome, physicochemical, and sensorial profiles of Malbec wines produced from biodynamic vineyard plots subjected to different management practices, including organic amendment incorporation and hail net placement, over three seasons. Our results revealed significant heterogeneity between individual fermentations, with no clear effects of vineyard treatments on the final wine profiles. Notably, metabarcoding analysis revealed a remarkable persistence of DNA signatures from the native fungal consortium; specifically, Hanseniaspora nectarophila and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii remained detectable until 75 % of alcoholic fermentation (AF). Along with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima, these taxonomic signals were consistent throughout the vintages, though the latter two were more sensitive to seasonal climate variations. These findings underscore the critical role of locally adapted consortia in shaping the unique expression of wines.