Zinsou A. auteur aut IRD Fernandes P. auteur aut IRD Traoré I. auteur aut IRD Beaulieu H. auteur aut IRD Samba R. T. auteur aut IRD Assigbetsé Komi auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Farm-made Beneficial Microorganisms (FBM), derived from forest litter, are an alternative to commercially available effective microorganisms. While initial field observations have been promising, scientific validation is required to confirm their effectiveness. A two-year study was conducted in Burkina Faso to evaluate the effects of FBM on soil microbial biomass and the response of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). Six practices were assessed: (i) Control (no fertilization), (ii) Foliar spraying of FBM (FSW), (iii) Simple compost (SC), (iv) Simple compost with foliar FBM (SC + FSW), (v) FBM-enriched compost (EC), and (vi) Enriched compost with foliar spraying of FBM (EC + FSW). Crop growth and yield were recorded, and soil microbial biomass was measured using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method. The lowest total microbial biomass was found in the untreated and FSW plots in both the years. Among microbial groups, only gram-positive soil bacteria were unaffected by the treatments. The combination of compost with FBM significantly improved both crop growth and yield, with compost making the largest contribution. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that foliar application of FBM alone is less effective than when combined with compost. specialized Enriched compost fermented forest litter microbial biomass microbial communities PLFA 076 074 [Early access] [18 p.] 2025 1542-7528 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094888 10.1080/15427528.2025.2539679 1542-7528 [F B010094888] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094888 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2025-10/010094888.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2025-10-29 2026-06-12 fdi:010094888 fre