Bacillus cereus Improves Performance of Brazilian Green Dwarf Coconut Palms Seedlings With Reduced Chemical Fertilization

Abstract

Coconut production in the Amazon requires the knowledge and development of sustainable technologies to alleviate the detrimental effects of inorganic chemical fertilizers and intensive farming practices. In this study, we investigated the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from coconut seedlings on nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and physiological mechanisms related to biomass accumulation of seedlings grown with reduced inorganic fertilizer levels. Of the 96 PGPR isolates tested on rice plants, the isolate Bacillus cereus (UFRABC40) was selected, as it resulted in the most significant gain in growth variables. In a commercial coconut tree nursery, we subjected seedlings to two treatments, both with seven replications: control 100% NPK chemical fertilizer (CF) and B. cereus + 50% NPK CF. The results indicated that the inoculation increased phytohormone levels [190% indole acetic acid (IAA), 31% gibberellic acid GA3, and 17% gibberellic acid GA4] and leaf gas exchange [48% by assimilation of CO2 (A), 35% stomatal conductance to water vapor (gs), 33% transpiration, and 57% instantaneous carboxylation efficiency] in leaves. Furthermore, growth parameters (shoot, root, and total dry weight, height, and diameter) and macro- and micronutrient levels (95% N, 44% P, 92% K, 103 Ca, 46% Fe, 84% B) were improved. Our results show the potential ability of strain Bacillus cereus UFRABC40 to promote the growth performance of coconut seedlings under decreased application of inorganic fertilizers. The application of microbial-based products in coconut seedling production systems improves plants’ physiological performance and the efficiency of nutrient use.

Effect of Trichoderma viride on insoluble phosphorus absorption ability and growth of Melilotus officinalis

“…At the same time, it had a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants. In agricultural production, the application of PSM to the soil could reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and gradually replace the dominant position of chemical fertilizer 39 , 40 . Therefore, the present study evaluated the role of T. viride in Pi solubilization and in promoting the growth of M. officinalis .…”

Plant grafting: Maximizing beneficial microbe-plant interactions

“…There might be a great portion of microbes with critical roles in the microbiome that can be isolated, formulated, and become new biological products with potential biocontrol activity and stimulatory compounds with growth-promoting effects, improving plant resilience to climate stresses in agriculture (Gramaje et al, 2022;Hartmann et al, 2009;Lakshmanan et al, 2014;Santos and Olivares, 2021). The inoculation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), engineered microbial consortia that combine complex functions, and synthetic communities on crop species is another management strategy that can be applied to improve microbial ecosystem services for crop yield and resilience (Arif et al, 2020;Cardoso et al, 2021;Vorholt et al, 2017). These kinds of findings imply that PGPR and other beneficial organisms can be employed in food production and point to the replacement of synthetic inputs by microbial-based ecological treatment (Sabir, 2013) (Fig.…”

Microorganisms Improve Physiological Performace to Oil Palm Seedings Growth Promote

“…Several genera of bacteria that have the ability to colonize the roots of seedlings live in full rhizosphere activity and are therefore called rhizobacteria. These bacteria and some fungi, mainly from the genus Trichoderma, are the most studied microorganisms and used as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents (Dutta and Podil, 2010)Several studies have highlighted the bene t of using growth-promoting microorganisms in palm trees, such as oil palm (Lima et al 2020), açaí palm (Castro et al 2019) and coconut palm (Cardoso et al 2021).…”