Impact of Biofertilizers on grain yield in spring wheat under varying fertility conditions and wheat-cotton rotation

High nitrogen fixing and phytohormone producing diazotrophs such as Azotobacter were isolated, identified and used as bioinoculants on wheat and cotton with varying doses of nitrogen under field conditions. The impact of bio-inoculants was determined on the basis of their effect on yield, dry weight and survival rate of bacteria at different days of plant growth under field conditions in two consecutive seasons (2000–01 and 2001–02). Pronounced effects were seen by the use of bio-inoculants in wheat crop. The effects were more visible in the second year as the level of bio-inoculants was maintained in the soil. A net saving of 25–30?kg nitrogen was observed using chosen bio-inoculants for wheat crop.     

Growth Promotion of Maize (Zea mays L.) by Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria under Field Conditions

Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) play an important role in plant health and soil fertility. The experiment was conducted as factorial experiment with two factors of Azospirillum and Azotobacter. The bacterial strains were Azospirillum lipoferum s-21, A. brasilense DSM 1690, A. lipoferum DSM 1691, Azotobacter chroococcum s-5, and A. chroococcum DSM 2286. The results indicated that growth promotion by PGPR appears from early stages of growth, 45 days after inoculation (DAI). Beneficial effects of bacterial inoculation on ear growth were observed after 75 DAI. Inoculation with PGPR increased dry weights of leaf, stem, and grain and hence total biomass sampled at 90, 105, and 120 (harvest time) DAI. The greatest grain weight was produced by Azospirillum s-21 inoculation. Dual inoculation with Azotobacter s-5 + Azospirillum s-21 significantly increased total dry weight up to 115%. Results of this study showed that leaf area index and crop growth index were significantly affected by bacterial treatments.     

Carrier-based and liquid bioinoculants of Azotobacter and PSB saved chemical fertilizers in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and enhanced soil biological properties in Mollisols

Abstract

The increasing cost and imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stressed the need to explore the potential of bioinoculants of Azotobacter and PSB for saving fertilizer N and P. Field experiments conducted for two years in a Mollisol at Pantnagar revealed maximum plant height, grain and straw yields and nutrient uptake by wheat with application of 100% NP. However, soil application of carrier-based biofertilizer at 10?kg?ha^?1 and liquid-based biofertilizers at 625 and 1250?mL?ha^?1 rates in combination of 75% NP were at par with 100% NP by recording significantly more mean plant height at different intervals, grain yield, by 10.9, 10.5 and 10.8%, and straw yield, by 8.6, 8.2 and 9.1%, over 75% NP, respectively. These treatments also accumulated significantly more N, P and K in plant at different age and; grain and straw. An application of liquid biofertilizer at 1250?mL?ha^?1 with 75% NP gave maximum population of Azotobacter and PSB, microbial biomass C and activities of acid and alkaline phosphatase in soil at different crop age. The carrier and liquid formulations of the biofertilizers were comparable in their performance. Irrespective of formulation and doses, application of biofertilizers in soil was found better than seed treatment for different recorded parameters. An application of 625?mL?ha^?1 liquid biofertilizers in soil with 75% NP was found optimum for the growth, yield and nutrients uptake and soil biological properties.     

Antifungal and Plant Growth Promoting Activities of Indigenous Rhizobacteria Isolated from Maize (Zea mays L.) Rhizosphere

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance the plant growth directly by assisting in nutrient acquisition and modulating plant hormone levels, or indirectly by decreasing the inhibitory effects of various pathogens. The aim of this study was to select effective PGPR from a series of indigenous bacterial isolates by plant growth promotion and antifungal activity assays. This study confirmed that most of the isolates from maize rhizosphere were positive for PGPR properties by in vitro tests. Azotobacter and Bacillus isolates were better phosphate solubilizers and producers of lytic enzymes, hydrocyanic acid (HCN), and siderophores than Pseudomonas. Production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and antifungal activity were the highest in Azotobacter, followed by Bacillus and Pseudomonas. The most effective Azotobacter isolates (Azt₃, Azt₆, Azt₁₂) and Bacillus isolates (Bac_10, Bac₁₆) could be used as PGPR agents for improving maize productivity. Further selection of isolates will be necessary to determine their efficiency in different soils.     

Effect of Azospirillum lipoferum and Azotobacter chroococcum on germination and early growth of hopbush shrub (Dodonaea viscosa L.) under salinity stress

Reduced physiological efficiency as well as low and irregular germination rate under environmental stress conditions (e.g., salinity) are among the major factors affecting the propagation of numerous plants, in particular medicinal ones. A factorial experiment using a completely randomized design was employed to evaluate the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on hopbush seed germination and seedling growth under salinity stress. After the seeds were inoculated with the Azospirillum lipoferum, Azotobacter chroococcum, and Azospirillum + Azotobacter and exposed to salinity stress at six levels, they were placed into a germinator at 20°C temperature and 65% relative humidity with a photoperiodic regime of 16 h light/8 h dark at 1,000 lux fluorescent light. The seeds inoculated with the bacterial strains could tolerate salinity levels of up to 50 dS/m and germinate. The combined treatment of Azospirillum + Azotobacter increased germination percentage at 20 and 50 dS/m levels by 21.67 and 10%, respectively. Also, A. chroococcum at 15 and 20 dS/m and Azospirillum + Azotobacter at 50 dS/m stress levels increased germination rate by 88, 316, and 155%, respectively, compared with the control. Furthermore, plant growth parameters—e.g., root and stem length, root and stem dry and fresh weights, as well as the ratios of root length and weight to the stem counterparts—were considerably enhanced by Azotobacter chroococcum treatment under elevated salinity stress (15 and 20 dS/m), relative to the control. Inoculation with A. chroococcum more favorably affected on and was also more compatible with Dodonaea viscosa seedlings leading to considerably improved seedlings growth parameters as well as seed germination under salinity stress.     

种衣剂对大豆根际固氮菌多样性的影响

利用变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术研究宁南霉素、甲霜灵、多克福和咯菌腈4种种衣剂对大豆根际固氮菌多样性的影响。运用nifH基因的特异引物对,将大豆根际土壤总DNA进行PCR扩增后,通过DGGE技术对PCR产物进行分析。结果表明,种衣剂对固氮菌产生了不同程度的抑制作用。对大豆根际固氮菌抑制作用由强到弱的种衣剂品种依次是咯菌腈、甲霜灵、多克福和宁南霉素;种衣剂浓度对大豆根际固氮菌多样性的抑制程度不同,但没有明显规律。     

不同氮水平下固氮菌肥对油菜施用效果研究

为了确定固氮菌的最佳氮素范围,本文通过油菜盆栽生物模拟试验,在石灰性土壤上研究了固氮菌与不同氮水平配施对土壤养分、油菜生长发育的影响,结果表明:①与M1(不施菌肥)相比,M2(固氮菌)使土壤全氮、碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾平均提高了19.2%、20.7%、12.0%、11.5%;使油菜鲜重、干重、株高平均增加33.5%、26.5%、15.8%;使油菜氮、磷、钾含量增加了22.5%、12.0%、13.6%,且在N3水平增幅最大;使油菜Vc含量、叶绿素、还原糖增加了8.8%、13.8%、30.4%,硝酸盐含量降低了34.4%,且中高氮水平时对提高油菜品质较为明显;②经隶属函数法对施用固氮菌肥后油菜综合施用效果分析,隶属函数值均呈N3N4N2N1趋势,表明固氮菌在N3(0.15 g.kg-1)水平对油菜的综合施用效果最好。     

棕色固氮菌分离鉴定与初步应用研究

棕色固氮菌分离鉴定与初步应用研究结果表明,通过分离培养和鉴定,分离出的6个棕色固氮菌贵州地方株,其中4株有一定固氮能力,另外2株固氮能力较强。应用棕色固氮菌制成菌肥,可以显著提高黑麦草产量。     

桑树根际固氮细菌的分离鉴定及固氮酶活力测定

利用固氮细菌可降低桑园化肥使用量和提高桑叶产量与品质。采用选择性培养基,从桑树根际分离获得24个具有固氮能力的细菌分离株,以rep-PCR基因指纹分析聚类为18个聚类群。经固氮酶活性测定,PA19、PA2和PK1菌株具有较强的固氮酶活性。利用菌落形态特征观察及16S rDNA碱基序列测定和同源性分析,对3株细菌进行鉴定的结果是:PA19菌株为中慢生根瘤菌属(Mesorhizobium sp.),PA2菌株为假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas sp.),PK1菌株为土壤杆菌属(Agrobacterium sp.)。     

沼液对狼尾草地土壤微生物群落的影响

为探明沼液浇灌对土壤肥力及微生物的影响,揭示沼液提高土壤肥力的机制,本文采用氯仿熏蒸法、荧光定量PCR(fluorescence quantitative PCR)和PCR-DGGE法研究不同梯度沼液浇灌量(折纯N量200,150,100,50kg N·hm-2)对狼尾草(P.americanum×P.purpureum)地土壤微生物的影响。结果表明,与对照相比,沼液浇灌能显著提高土壤微生物生物量N和C,且沼液浇灌量与微生物量N和C的增量显著相关。沼液浇灌还能显著增加细菌16SrDNA基因和真菌SSU rDNA基因丰度,其中200kg N·hm-2处理含16SrDNA基因和SSU rDNA基因的微生物数量最多,沼液浇灌量与土壤中含16SrDNA基因和SSU rDNA基因的微生物数量呈显著正相关,但显著降低固氮菌nifH的基因丰度。沼液浇灌人工草地对包括细菌、真菌和固氮菌在内的土壤微生物群落多样性无显著影响,可促进含16SrDNA基因和SSU rDNA基因的微生物繁殖,但在一定程度上会抑制含nifH基因的微生物的繁殖,改变土壤含16SrDNA基因、SSU rDNA基因和nifH基因的微生物数量。