Harnessing agricultural waste and microbial synergy to improve soil function and fruit quality in ‘Amrapali’ mango

This study assessed the impact of various organic manures, alone and combined with microbial consortia, on soil health, tree growth, yield, and fruit quality in ‘Amrapali’ mango orchards. Among 12 treatments, vermicompost with microbial consortia (T8) significantly improved soil biochemical properties—including cation exchange capacity, enzymatic activity, and nutrient availability. T8-treated trees showed increased canopy volume, shoot length, and fruit yield, along with reduced malformed panicles. Enhanced leaf physiological and biochemical traits (photosynthesis, transpiration, proline, phenolics, and nutrient content) were also observed. Fruit quality improved under T8, with higher levels of ascorbic acid, flavonoids, carotenoids, sugars, and antioxidant activity. Correlation and PCA confirmed positive relationships among soil, leaf, and fruit parameters. Compost treatments using rice waste, neem, and mixed leaves performed comparably to synthetic fertilizers. These results highlight vermicompost-microbial integration as a sustainable strategy to enhance productivity and resource efficiency in mango cultivation, thereby supporting soil fertility and reducing dependence on synthetic inputs.