Low-carbon footprint organo-mineral fertilizer increases potato yield, N uptake, and soil nutrient levels comparable to conventional fertilizer

With global agriculture facing pressure to reduce synthetic inputs while maintaining productivity, developing sustainable fertilizers is critical for staple crops like potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Here, for the first time, we compared the efficacy of a novel carbon-capture and N-rich organo-mineral fertilizer (CCOMF) to standard mineral N fertilizer (NH₄NO₃) rates of 140 kg ha^-1, half rate of 70 kg ha^-1, and their interaction with two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inocula on potato growth, yield, N uptake, and soil nutrient availability in a fully factorial design greenhouse trial. Results showed no significant fertilizer × AM fungal interaction on agronomic parameters, likely due to poor AM establishment and low root colonization (2% ± 0.3). CCOMF performed similarly to mineral N fertilizer, increasing potato total tuber yield (20%) and plant N uptake (59%) than unfertilized control but had no significant increment on marketable tuber. CCOMF stabilized soil organic matter (SOM) at 3.15%, comparable to baseline levels, while standard N fertilizer decreased SOM by 10% although not statistically significant. These findings support CCOMF as a viable alternative to conventional fertilizers, warranting field-scale trials to validate long-term agronomic and soil health benefits under diverse environmental conditions.