Abstract
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 (NH 4 NO 3 ) 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%) compared with 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.