To investigate the effects of microbial inocula and Erythrina poeppigiana pruning residues on soil K, NO3-, and NH4+ concentrations, a greenhouse trial, a field experiment in an organic farm, and three in vitro tests were conducted. Under controlled conditions, weak, temporary effects (10 %) on maize seedling growth were observed on poor soils (taken from the 10-20 cm layer) in the first 2 weeks after application. Positive effects of pruning residue applications on soil K levels (0.09 cmol kg(-1), on average) were detected in both the field and greenhouse study. However, significant effects due to the addition of microbial inocula on soil K concentrations were not detected in the field; thus, microbial applications were ineffective at enhancing nutrient availability under field conditions. In contrast, in the in vitro experiments, CO2 production was 31 % greater than that of untreated soil on the 8th and 15th days of incubation. These results highlight the importance of adding tree pruning residues to support coffee-plant nutrition. Experimental outcome data could be valuable for further studies focused on microbial application dosage and timing.
