Livestock–Crop–Mushroom (LCM) Circular System: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Enhancing Plant Performance and Mitigating Microbiological Risks

Mushroom
production using agroforestry biowaste is a
great green
cycling agriculture alternative. Therefore, the current study explored
the Livestock–Crop–Mushroom (LCM) circular production
model, starting with co-composting of straw and cow manure as a’St’
biofertilizer further used for mushroom cultivation that ultimately
produced a’StM’ biofertilizer. The two biofertilizers
were tested for their impacts on plant growth and potential microbial
risks. The results show significant growth of oats stimulated by biofertiliser
use. Both’St’ and’StM’ increased plant
biomass, while with the latter, the crude protein content (+5.1%)
and root biomass were also higher. Reduced abundances of resistome
genes (30%) and pathogens (25%) were observed during the oat growth.
Further, metagenomics analysis also indicated a reduction in antibiotic-resistance
genes by −20% in soils with oats treated by’St’
and −46% in’StM’ biofertilizer treatment. The’StM’
had a three-fold stronger inhibitory effect on oat rhizosphere soil
pathogens than’St’. Moreover, compared to’St’,’StM’
suppressed pathogens in seeds and stems, with specific beneficial
biomarker microbes in different plant parts. Overall, the antibiotic
resistance gene related to oxytetracycline decreased more than three-fold
in the LCM system. This study demonstrates the substantial potential
and scalability of the LCM circular system within the agricultural
domain.