ABSTRACT
The concept of sustainable agriculture can be defined as the maintenance of soil fertility and structure over a long period of time such that the economic yields from crop plants can be achieved through minimal inputs of fertilizer that are necessary to reach such yields (Bethlenfalvay and Linderman, 1992). Modern systems of agriculture, particularly in nursery production, have been developed that rely on high inputs of artificial readily soluble fertilizers to sustain them. As an alternative, in sustainable systems we should be seeking a modification of existing strategies such that fertilizer inputs are reduced but not eliminated, and maximum use is made of the added soil microbiota in efficient nutrient capture and in cycling nutrients to the plant root system (Barea and Jeffries, 1995).
