Which Natural Fertilizer Promotes Healthier Plant Growth: Spirulina Or Mycelium?

Overview

The population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, and global food demand is increasing rapidly. Synthetic fertilizers are currently responsible for 50% of global crop production. These fertilizers pollute waterways, degrade soil health, and contribute to climate change. This project investigated whether natural alternatives could more effectively improve plant growth. Our goal was to determine whether mycelium inoculant or spirulina powder could be a better alternative to synthetic fertilizers while growing sugar snap peas. We built four wooden planters and planted three sugar snap pea seeds in each. The independent variables were mycelium inoculant, spirulina powder, and all-purpose synthetic fertilizer. One planter served as a control and received only water. Controlled variables included soil type, planter size, environment, water, and type of plant. Plants were grown for 20 days. We recorded plant height, leaf number, and plant color for our data. The mycelium inoculant produced the greatest growth, reaching an average height of 46 millimeters, with 100% germination (3/3 plants). It outperformed both spirulina and synthetic fertilizer. The synthetic fertilizer produced the least growth. Plants treated with mycelium also appeared darker green and had the greatest number of leaves. These results indicated that mycelium inoculant is a more effective natural fertilizer to promote plant growth. Mycelium inoculant could replace synthetic fertilizers and limit phosphorus and nitrogen in agricultural runoff. Future research could involve testing different species of mycelium inoculant and plants to determine whether these results are applicable to large-scale agriculture.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Plant Biology (Junior Division) · Entry J-18-03

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