Soil Penetration, Moisture, and Infiltration Under Agroecological Management: Impacts of Conservation Tillage and Microbial Inoculants (<i>Rhizobium</i> spp., <i>Ensifer</i> spp., <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp., and <i>Bacillus</i> spp.) in Hungary

Modern agriculture faces increasing pressure to maintain productivity while reducing soil degradation, chemical inputs, and ecological footprint, making biologically based soil-improvement strategies highly relevant. This study examined whether microbial inoculation, combined with conservation tillage practices (loosening and no-tillage), can enhance soil physical quality during pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i>) cultivation in an agroecological market garden in Hungary. A 2 × 2 factorial field experiment was established, testing tillage (loosening vs. no-tillage) and microbial inoculation (with vs. without) in a randomized design with three replications per treatment (12 plots total). A single microbial application was performed prior to planting using a consortium of <i>Rhizobium</i> spp., <i>Ensifer</i> spp., <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp., and <i>Bacillus</i> spp. The research focused on (I) soil penetration resistance, (II) soil moisture dynamics, and (III) infiltration capacity, with most parameters measured before and after planting. Microbial inoculation significantly reduced penetration resistance under both tillage systems and influenced soil moisture behavior, indicating improved soil structure and water retention. Infiltration rate did not change significantly within the study period. Overall, the results demonstrate that microbial amendments can rapidly improve key soil physical properties, offering a practical, nature-based strategy for resilient, low-input farming systems.